WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Taranaki Daily News, 27 March 1919, Page 3

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

MBOR AND MUNICIPAL A FULL TICKET, (Special Correspondent.) Wellington, March 24. Labor issued its full ticket for the municipal elections this morning and will begin its active campaign to-night. The gentleman selected to contest the mayoralty, Mr. .1. Read, has strong claims on the party for services rendered in the past, but he is only moderately equipped for the task that lies before him. He will arouse no enthusiasm among the members of his own party and will attract little support from the great army of unattached voters. Should there be any large amount of vote-splitting among two or three more orthodox candidates, however, the superior organisation of the I.atyorites would tell, and the capital city might be saddled during the approaching time of crisis with a mayor that would scarcely prove acceptable to the business community. WAKING UP. But there is a growing feeling throughout the city that new blood of a vigorous, reforming kind is required in the council. The "old gang" is calling to its aid the vital statistics, and claiming they show Wellington to have the lowest death-rate among the. large centres of population, and. therefore, to be the best-managed municipality in the Dominion. But many observant electors are beginning to realise that the cityowes its happy position in this respect (o its invigorating climate, its high winds and its torrential rains, which repair much of the neglect of its local authority. Firm in this belief many of them will give votes to some of the more sane and stable Labor candidates for the council, in the hope that they will stir that body into greater activity. THE WELFARE LEAGUE. The Welfare League and the New Political Party are both busy, each in its own way. explaining they have no connection with one another. The difference between them seems to be that while the Welfare League would make a drastic revision of the personnel of the present Parliament the New Political Party would leave the rank and file alone and provide them with 7iew leaders. JJoth organisations are suffering severely from their aversion to publicity. The Welfare League, in rather ambiguous terms, has declared its attachment to certain high ideals, mainly flu; common property of all parties, and the New Political Party has confined itself, so far, to conjuring with names. Neither has yet taken the public into its confidence, and both are hazarding the cheap jests that have brought about the downfall of many a similar enterprise. THE ABSENT MINISTERS. The latest news of Mr. Massey and Sir .Joseph Ward, gathered from'other sources than those ordinarily open to the public, is that both the Ministers are being kept very busy in connection with the Peace Conference. The little misunderstanding in regard to a second delegate from New Zealand was speedily overcome in a way entirely satisfactory to them both, and Sir Joseph Ward's status in the proceedings is now no less distinguished than that of his chief. It is certain that the Dominion will be represented in London by a resident Minister, an arrangement which will make frequent trips Home by other Ministers unnecessary. This, of course, will be subject to the approval of Parliament, but that is scarcely likely to be withheld. The signing of peace will be followed quickly by the return of both Ministers to New Zealand.