WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Taranaki Daily News, 14 February 1919, Page 6

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

INDUSTRIES' COMMITTEE. AN EXHAUSTIVE INQUIRY (Special Correspondent.) VCellington, Feb. 10. The members of the Industries Committee appointed last session to inquire into the position of the industries of the Dominion and to make recommenda-( tions for their encouragement and, expansion are taking themselves land their work very seriously They have been in Wellington for some time mainly employed in collecting statistical information and familiarising themselves with the existing legislation on the subject, but they shortly will start upon a tour of the country with a view to collecting information in the big centres and inspecting the various industries in operation. Already the members of the committee are much impressed by the great importance of making hydro-electric power available at the cheapest possible rate in both urban and rural districts and their report is sure to strongly emphasise this point. NEW GENERAL MANAGER. Though the appointment of Mr R. W. McVilly, the present Assistant General Manager of Railways, as General Manager was not officially announced till this morning, it has been generally surmised for some time past that it would follow as a matter of course upon the termination of Mr E. H, Hiley's extended engagement. As a matter of fact, Mr McVilly, who has been associated with the Railway Department for some forty years, has been the driving force behind the management during the last decade and among the members of the service has been regarded as the actual General Manager. The recommendations submitted to Parliament by Mr Hiley after his first detailed inspection of the railway system were in effect the endorsement of recommendations previously instigated by Mr McVilly, and it is tolerably safe to assume that the latter gentleman's promotion will involve no startling change of policy. THE NEW POLITICAL PARTY. The new political party which is to arise out of the ashes of the Reform and Liberal parties, as one of its promoters has put it, is still the subject of much comment and speculation. The new party is the conception of disgruntled members l of Parliament on both sides of politics, satisfied with neither Mr Massey nor Sir Joseph Ward;. who hope by combining the "independent" forces in the House and in the constituencies to save the country from extreme conservation on the one hand and extreme socialism on the other. The movement has got to the length of the preparation of a policy by an informal committee in which progressive Reform thought predominates. A leader has been mentioned and even a Cabinet named, but without authority from the promoters of the movement. THE ABSENT LEADERS. The cablegram published this morning implying that the peace treaty may not. be signed before the middle of the northern summer has set people discussing afresh the movements of the absent party leaders. Of course there is no reason that can be seen at this distance why Mr Massey and Sir Joseph Ward should wait in London for the formal signing of peace or why they should not return to the Dominion by the end of June. When they left here they expected to be back within six months and their colleagues still think they will keep to this part of their programme. What will happen then no one can easily say. It appears quite possible, however, in the view of people who speak with some authority, that a general election will be held within a month or to of their arrival.