WELLINGTON TOPICS

Taranaki Daily News, 2 January 1920, Page 3

WELLINGTON TOPICS

THE HIGH COMMISSIONERSHII'. AN IMPENDING CHANGE, (Special Correspondent.) Wellington, Dec. 31. The Hon. J. B. Hine is the only Minister in town to-day, and he having lost his seat in Parliament at the recent election, naturally is not inclined to discuss the latest rumor in connection with the impending change at the High Commissioner's office. It is generally expected here, however, that Sir James Allen. will be Sir Thomas Mackenzie's successor, and that he will go Home early in the New Year with somewhat extended representative status and authority. Mr. MasscyVi statement in Auckland contains no hint to this effect, but the Prime Minister's reticence Is taken to mean only that the time not ripe for the announcement. Sir Thomas Mackenzie has held the office under a four-monthly tenure—at his own request it is authoritatively stated—and obviously he should be the -first to learn of the determination of the Government. NEW MINISTERS. Probably another reason for the delay in making the Government's intention in this matter known is tile necessity of accompanying the announcement with some indication of the constitution of the reconstructed Cabinet. As it happens, the Reform Party is not strong in financial talent, none of its members, with the exception of Mr. Massey and Sir .James Allen, having specialised in this department of administration, and it is quite likely the Prime Minister will take charge of the Treasury himself. There are s'everal supporters of the Government in the Upper House' with the necessary qualifications, notably Sir l'rancis Bell, but there is no recent precedent for the portfolio being held in that chamber. The suggestion put forward in certain quarters that Sir Joseph Ward again should be called to the rescue is regarded as a clumsy and untimely jest.

EDUCATION REFORMS. In her presidential address at Uie animal conference of the Womeu Teachers' Association held here yesterday, Miss Chaplin, of Christehurch, made one of the most, stirring appeals for reform that have been put forth for a very long time. Miss Chaplin spoke with the ver" highest credentials,- having obtained a fiignal measure of success in her profusion, and she made her special appeal for the "handicapped children," the little mites unhappily born and cast upon the world with the poorest possible equipment. Her address, - 'no doubt, will be printed and widely dig- j tributed, but one fact she emphasised should be iterated and re-iterated Everywhere. Fifty per cent of the children who had left a cit.v school without passing tile fourth standard had been traced ' as unemployable, under police surveillance, or iii refuge homes, or training t'a.ms. With facts like this staring her in the face, Miss Chaplin could not regard the education system as discharging half ihe duty tiio present generation owed to the children and ,to postent v. r THE LICENSING .POLL, though the prohibitionists are entertaining no sanguine expectations of the licensing poll turning in their favor, thev have not lost ah hope. At present the prohibition vote is S/22 behind the bare majority that is required to turn the whole country "dry," but there still are some 12,000 votes to be counted Th«s» comprise absentees' votes, sailors' votes and soldiers' votes, and though a majority of the soldiers' votes are sure to "o tor continuance or State control, it Is jurjt possible the absentees' votes and the sailors' votes may*bc sufficient to tin the scale in favor of prohibition. At former polls the sailors' votes have been iairly evenly divided, and assuming the absentee voters follow the lead of the resident voters a small majority will be on the side of prohibition. Whatever Lie first result a recount is pretty certain to be demanded.