WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Taranaki Daily News, 17 November 1920, Page 5

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

*■ ' m THE DOMINION'S HNANCLiIi POSITION. i A REFUTATION. (Special Correspondent,) Wellington, Not. 15. Though the fact that the reflection* cast upon the Dominion's financial portion by the Canadian banka has no reasonable .foundation, the Prime Mini* ter is not pretending to ignore the dam. age they may do to the credit of tit* country among financiers, trader* and investors. In addition to anthorijiM the message sent to the Canadian Got* ernment averring that the fln*nci»l afi'airs of New Zealand were never in « sounder condition than they .are at the present time, lie has dispatched proof* of his assertion to all the big financial centres and has taken other steps t» overtake the misrepresentation that »• fortunately got a couple of days' start. He hopes that in the long run the story,-' instead of injuring the Dominion will really help it by directing world-wido attention to its immense resouroes and the virility of its people. HASTY LEGISLATION.

Since the end. of the session last week, political discussion, which as a rule, anomalous as it may seem, is less intense and personal at the seat of government than it is in the other big centres, has concerned itself chiefly with the Supplementary Estimates and the *'Wa»hing-Up" Bill. Its tone generally has not been altogether complimentary either to Ministers or to private members. Both the Estimates and the Bill were rushed through at such lightning speed that it is fair to assume that private members, at any rate, knew very little about their uontents and that Ministers were not over-anxious to instruct them. Votes involving the expenditure of thousands of pounds were passed by a half empty House and great questions of policy were determined without a comment from either side. There seems to be very good ground for the universal murmuring.

SOUTH TRUNK RAILWAY. The Dominion this morning publishes a message from its Blenheim correspondent in which it is implied, apparently under official inspiration, that the suspension of work on the uncompleted portion of the South Island trunk railway is due to the authorities consider* mg an important diversion of ths route. The suggestion is that from the pr«sent southern railhead the line go inland to the Tophouse and thence br separate lines to Nelson and Blenheim. This, of course, would be a reversion to one of the proposals contained in Sir Julius Vngel's original railway scheme, and probably would be welcome both to Nelson and Blenheim, as well as to Wellington; but would considerably 4eJ*y the completion of the through trunk connection between the two ends of the South Island and would not satisfy the lettlers along the present route.

STANDARDISED BOOTS, Now that leather is down and tta price of goods has oegun to drop, tfce Board of Trade fe beginning to direct attention to standardised footwear. It announces this morning that the standardised boots, giving due consideration to quality and other relevant circumstances, are the cheapest in the Empire, and that the Government specifications and regulations are "a guaranteed bargain for the buyer." Many licenses, it is said, have been issued for the manufacture of the boots, and buyers haveonly to "insist upon huving them," as the patent medicine advertisements run, to secure a cheap and durable article. The comment of cynical people is that the Board of Trade is three or four years "behind the fair,'' that the manufactures and dealers have made their money out of the public, and only now are encountering serious State competition,