WELLINGTON NOTES.

Taranaki Daily News, 24 February 1919, Page 5

WELLINGTON NOTES.

RAILWAY SERVANTS. WAGES AND CONDITIONS. Special Correspondent. Wellington, Feb. 21. A deputation from the Amalgamated the Minister of Railways yesterday and the Minister of Railways yesterday and placed, before him the demands of the men for increased pay and better conditions. Mr. Ilerries was interested and sympathetic, but he gave the deputation no indication of his intentions. He Btill has to receive a deputation from the higher officers of the department, and after listening to the representations it has to make he will set about the preparation of the new schedule and endeavor to have it completed by the end of next month. The men still hold firmly to their determination to press their demands and to resist any compromise that would fall short of the concessions they are seeking. They have a strong body of public opinion behind them and the active support of many members of Parliament.

THE FOURTH PARTY. In commenting upon a statement concerning the new political party made in this column some days ago, The Dominion says it will be time enough for the party to choose a Ministry when it has secured a majority in Parliament. "At the same time," it adds, "both Mr. Massey and Sir Joseph Ward are liable to find their hopes and aspirations somewhat rudely disturbed by the activities of the new political organisation. The country, we believe, would prefer to see a re-grouping of political forces, and it is quite within the realms of possibility that an organisation such as that which is being formed from the ranks of the more active and progressive elements in the present Parliament might capture popular sympathy and support and score a decisive win at the coming elections." Evidently the best-informed of the Wellington journals does not regard the talk of a new party as idle street corner gossip. FRUIT AND VEGETABLE'S.

The exorbitant retail prices charged in Wellington for fruit and vegetables constituted the grievance a deputation carried to the Minister of Internal Affairs yesterday. During these late summer months when supplied ought to be abundant consumers are paying as high as "d per pound for apples, 9d per pound for peaches, Gd for half a dozen small carrots, and as much as 1/3 for a s,hop worn cabbage. Mr Russell's advice to the deputation was, in effect, to stir up the municipal authorities to a better conception of their duty in matters of this kind. Under the Municipal Corporations Act the City Council had power (o establish markets for the sale of foodstuffs and if it would exercise its power in a fane business-lilcc way it would confer an enormous benefit upon the public and upo the actua: growers of fruit and vegetables and other product 1 . SUBURBAN TRAMWAYS. Mr R- A. Wright, the member for Wellington Suburbs, has approached the Minister of Railways with a. suggestion that the legislation prohibiting the construction of a tramway along the Hutt road should be repealed and tl.at Petoiw and the rural land beyond should be opened up for the relief of the congested population of the city. The Minister's inept reply to the suggestion, published this moinin<r, is that he can find no statutory restrictions upci tianswav extension to Wellington suburbs except in the case ot the Hutt road. Whether this is intended to be simply evasive or wholly humorous the citizens are not troubling to inquire, but Mr Ileh'ies is being roundly assailed oij rill Fides as an obstructionist and an enemy to progress. Feeling is running «o high, iflood, that eveji his colleagues may hesitate to support the Minister in his extraordinary attitude.