WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Taranaki Daily News, 29 December 1920, Page 5

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

CHRISTMAS TRADE. * OOUNTING THE SHILLING,:;, tSpecial, Correspondent.) l/Mlington, Deo. 21/. Assisted by exceptionally good wea," ther, 'for Wellington, the retails have ocon doing a fairly good Christmas trade during the past week. Sale;, so far, have not been equal to wluit they were nt, this time last yeas, when the soldiers' gratuities were being cither spuit or anticipated, 'but they have not declined to the extent that was. predicted. Purchasers are counting their shillings more carefully than they did twelve months ago and spending them rather on articles of use than on mere playthings and ornaments. Retailers had prepared to some extent for this change in the demands of their customers and as far as possible are catering for their requirements and necessities. It is certain, however, that large stocks ot, Christmas wares will be carried over and that the importations of this class of goods next year will be materially reduced. EXPLOITING THE EDUCATION" DEPARTMENT. The Minister of Education is much perturbed by the ever-mounting cost of school buildings and, apparently, with good reason. One of the Education Boards recently obtained from the Department a grant of £1,300 for a' new school, its application for the money I having been based upon the Board's estimate of the cost. When tenders for the work came to be called there was only one response, a tender from a builder who wanted £2,900 for the work. In another case the Board's architect estimated the cost of a building at £3,200 and the lower of the two tenders received was £SOOO. In a third case the architect's estimate oL £4,000 was £I,BOO 'below the only tender received. There have been numbers of cases of a similar kind and in most of them the Department has paid the additional money rather than have the works indefinitely postponed. j .THE LAST STRAW. *

Now, however, the Hon. C. J, Parr has taken a stand. He has good reason to believe that the prices demanded by the contractors havo not been fair and reasonable, and he has decided to confer with the representatives of the Boards next month with a view to devisinx some more efficient and economical system of building. The outcome of tVis movement may be the establishment of a State building department. Already «ne or two of the Boards are doing • at*ir own work, employing air architect and paying the award wag<„"3, with results which are said to be entirely satisfactory. Local builders questioned on the suoject declare that their mohts, so far from being excessively high are actually lower than they were before the great increase in the cost ma, tooals. TRAM PARES. The City Council's celebration of Christmas includes a further increase in tram fares, and a large section of the public, consisting mainly of people competed to make daily use of the trams to reach their work in the city, is talking loudly of inefficient and wasteful management. The motion to increase tho fares was carried by only a narrow majority in the City Council; the Labor members in particular strongly opposing the additional tax upon the .workers, and it is now being re-argued that, as the property owners benefited by the service, the ratepayers, that is, should shoulder the burden. The logic of this does not appeal to the financial experts, who contend that the people who us« [f trams should pay for them, and there is little prospect of the question being re-opened. An independent investigation of the management, however still is among the possibilities of the future.