WELLINGTON TOPICS

Taranaki Daily News, 25 February 1920, Page 5

WELLINGTON TOPICS

i THE COAL OONFERENCEf, A-SATISFACTORY-SETTLEMENT. - ' (Special Correspondent),, Wellington, Feb. 23. There have been so many slips be* tw£fjj the cup and the lip in the negotiations that have been going on inter* mittently between the coal'mine, own* ers and the miners during the last Bis ' or heven months that dne hesitate* to> ! l say definitely they have settled their) differences on a satisfactory and abiding] basis. But the announcement made oni Saturday to the effect that a aatisfacj , tory agreement between the delegates, " had been reached is confirmed to-day, 1 i nnd it now only remains for the union* to endorse the action of tieir repruwJ ' tatives. Tljat they will do thnfibW. .' appears to be little doubt, moat, of feel ' •iien being thoroughly weary of slow'• The terms of the settlemoat wilfl not he made public for a day or two! " out it is certain they provide for betted pay and conditions for the men *nt fod a more reliable aervlse for the emptoyfl ;

PDBLIO OPINION, " I f The Wellington 'puWio firoSOOr htujt suffered more severely than Uurttf ail? other centre from the coal shqrW/ and naturally it is delighted fey thai prospect of an early return to vA presents the moral of the story with 9 very proper conception of lit 2«U flcanee. "The aerita of the <»»a7ibY says, * are so clearly drawn that fU common sense view of thoae who navel been most inclined hitherto to induW in mclustrial strife ought to imp*l ♦££' Att!^?i t . a , m ? re ™™<* After their last experience miife Vol hl ers are particularly well fo ™ ; ce.ve that industry and a reatoKp spirit of co-operation are tta woH ! t S P f ity and . im P™»B condiUona M.m « however, that thT - hlame for the recent .dislocation of tho mnung in, nrtr y does not lie entirely the shoulders of the men, aid/that tol nnsnre permanent peace 'the pnSteiV

THE END OF THE 'WAR. The cablegram received br tha Prime,] Hester stating that the &perM q£< LTrtt deci^„ thai &Et% vilwv r< *«"»ed'«s the date oitt which the war with Germany terminated has occas oned some little atir ™° $ good deal of Now Zealand legWtiot facta d epe<»l>ng upon the duration of! »e war never contemplated that * r« trospechve chfe weld be fixed, and hj? view of the determination of the im penaajUhontiestheoper^nS 6 of the legation and of many of th2 private agreements and coX£ fi made uncertain. The (totte notice «!' fl'»red to make the date effect ve'ri the Donunio„ ha* not yet been «„ e ? «*■ it is understood the Crown law officers are conferring as to wjiit ■£! must j. taker, to bring &H£J3Z fon of the Imperial authorities into conorm.tr with the conditions p£ va.hnpr here. It is „ ot certain Vt a dlffi:,,!^^ 11 - Wi " —"thS ROYAL RACE MEETINGS. ; Tt looks at the moment as if the racrf nittfVy Md iB honor °* ** Lrmce of Wares wore going to cause *ome heart-burnings throughout X! country. The Wcitport Racing Club J& pro esting ngamst a license for the usel ot the totalisator at any of the Ro\r»rs moet,ngs being feued till the license oW which ,t was "robbed," in order to holdl the .Tclhcoe trotting meeting at Addine. ton ? ,= an? T)r. Thaefcer (MavoV and member of Parliament), is «UlW' out ogainst jrnllopinjr being given ts3> preference over trotting in the thter* tainment of the Royal guest at Cniist*-' church. \v\.llmgton also has its ttfey/ w«. Remits are ttf be given to AnckV and nnd Canterbury to hold race meet* iuffs. hut none to Wellington, and the), capita city refuses to be comfort*! bv any of tho soft phraaes of the Minister. of Internal Affairs. Westport 'already.' has sought' relief for its feelings in ant ng and it fle(>m(| m ■ likely that Wellington will follow (Milt,-' . ELECTORAL REFORM. Speaking on Wednesday evening ■at the presentation made to the unincceasful Reform candidate for the Hutt, Mr, Masaey made it quite clear he had tut] intention of submitting any proposal topelectoral reform to the new Parliament.' He did not deny that the recent eleetldtv had resulted in minority representation. To this allegation he responded "Quit*? so." But he claimed that the Imperii Government was in the game that Mr. Seddon had obtained his touL majorities under the "first past ihe p«fcV system," that the Labor Party in Awtralia attributed its defeat to the preferential system of voting, and that pfov portional representation, good as It would be for the Legislate* Counrfl, "would not apply to the House of Hens." Of course none of this was very logwal,: but to the Prime Minister's audience it appeared to be entirely convincing. THE COUNTRY QUOTA. '" Reading between the lines it "is fairj* obvious that the Prime Minister, walleatill recognising the claims of proportional representation, which he wa» &4 sisting upon in the House a few ynrft' ago, ia afraid to imperil the continuant* of the "country quota." This, put roughly, gives the rural electors four mow seats than they would have if a really democratic system of election—one ToW one value and one man one vote—were tat' operation. This is the great obstacle in the way of the advocates of electoral m form, no party loader caring to the concession to the rural constituent cies, and if reform is to como at all it probably will have to be initiated from outside Parliament.