WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Taranaki Daily News, 22 December 1920, Page 7

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

THE LATE HON. GEORGE JONES. A LIBERAL STALWART ' (Special Correspondent.) Wellington, Dec. 17. Much regret is being expressed in political circles here at the death of the Hon. George Jones, which was announced from Oamaru this morning. Mr. Jones was returned to the House of Representatives in 1880 as member for Wai'taki, but the demands of his growing newspaper business prevented him seeking reelection in the following year, and it was not till 1895, when he went to the Legislative Council as one of the most capable and progressive of the Liberal stalwarts, that he returned to active participation in politics. His knowledge, enthusiasm, and personal charm made him a very real force in the Council, and he will be remembered with warm regard and esteem by Reformers, Liberals and Democrats alike.

WELLINGTON'S NEEDS. The Prime Minister was held up by a very determined deputation yesterday, demanding the settlement of the route of the Rimutaka deviation, and a definite undertaking in.regard to the long-pro-mised Wellington railway station.' Among the members of the deputation were such faithful followers of the Government as Mr. J. P. Luke, Mr. R. A. Wright, Mr W Field, and Mr. G. R. Sykes, but these good Reformers joined heartily with their colleagues in telling Mr. Massey that their patience was exhausted, and that they were out to get justice for the capital city whatever might happen. However, the Minister kept on smiling and finally dismissed the deputation with a, promise to give its representations his closest personal attention.

ANOTHER CANDID FRIEND. The Dominion this morning, in the course of an editorial, makes no bones about placing the blame for the delay in connection with the two works with which the deputation concerned itself "£?" n he Bhould «' ,s of the Government. J-his, it says, after reoiting Mr. Maasey s promises, "is as nearly as possible the position that existed two years atro and the details of yesterday's discussion demonstrate that the Government is responsible for the waste of time that has occurred." "Unless," the local journal goes on to say, "Ministers make good and diligent use of their powers in this direction, the public undoubtedly will have some awkward questions to ask" tilt r 96 f ;V u!reri »S the experience ™ h » s every other political leader that has allowed his eyes to wanJ« beyond the need, of the capital

THREATENED JIOLIDAY STRIKE. COOKS AND STEWARDS. a* i. Wel!ill 8ton, Dec. 20. f iv« > \ .I* TPritil W »P*wenta. l >es of the parties are conferring over tie questions in dispute between the sapping companies and the cooks and stewards, and holiday-makers intending to make use of the coastal steamers during the next few weeks are awaiting the result with the keenest anxiety, iiie terry steamers have been fuliv booked up" foi weeks past, and given the necessary facilities the exchange of visitors between the North and South Islands easily would constitute a record. _ But so far this prospect instead of being an incentive to the cooks and Btewarda to remain at their posts, seems to have operated- in a precisely opposite direction. The men see in the holiday season an opportunity to assert their cjaims with greater force than they could, command at any other time, and may not be easily dissuaded from exercising this advantage.

A HOPEFUL VIEW. It is known, however, that a considerable proportion of the men—some people think a majority of them—are averse to carrying their own grievances or the grievances of their fellows to the length of a strike. The stewards, at any rate-, depend for a substantial part of their earnings upon the goodwill of the public, expressed in ''tips," and a strike at the present juncture would materially affect this source of income, not merely temporarily but so long ns the resulting inconveniences were remembered. Of course there would be dc insuperable difficulty in running the ferry steamers with makeshift cooks and stewards, but if anything of, the sort wore, attempted the seamen and firemen also would go out and there would be no saying where the trouble would end. But at the moment those anxious for peace are taking an optimistic view of the situation.

SECONDARY EDUCATION. The Minister of Education has discovered a secondary school in Canterbury that has so loaded its curriculum that it cannot properly instruct 100 pupils with six teachers. Mr. Parr has suggested the real cause of the trouble is that the school is attempting to d_o> too much. Among the twenty-six subjects it is teaching are magnetism and electricity, indexing and filing, office routine and commercial law, shipping and insurance, mechanical drawing and building construction, navigation, telegraphy and astronomy. The Minister realises that six teachers are too few to cover all the ground and makes mildly merry at their attempt to do so. But Mr. jParr'a critics in turn say the whole fault lies with the heads of the Department under the Minister's immediate control who hold fast to discredited methods that are seriously impairing the ■ standard of education in the cduntry.

THE HOUSING PROBLEM. The Prime Minister has the cares and troubles of too many State Departments pressing hardly upon him just now to allow him to become intimately acquainted with the conditions of any of them. Speaking at the opening of tho Y.M.C.A. Hostel here on Saturday, he mentioned, as if it were a rare experience, that he had seen that day a man who was the head of one of three families living in one house in the suburbs. This was a very shocking state of affairs, he said by wr.y of "comment, but he believed the authorities were overtaking the trouble. People in closer contact with the facts take a less cheerful view of the situation. They maintain that the overcrowding of 'families is worse now than it ever lias been before and that it is only the warmer weather which has lessened the appearance of discomfort.