WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Taranaki Daily News, 14 May 1921, Page 11

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

POLITICAL PARTIES.

THE HIGH COMMISSIONER’S VIEW,

(Special Correspondent.) Wellington, May 9. The publication on Saturday of a summary of the signed article contributed to the Manchester Guardian by Sir James Allen has given rise to a good deal of comment and speculation here. The High Commissioner is made to say by the cable agent vhat there is practically no difference between the Liberal and the Labor parties in this country and there is much discussion as to whether this is what he actually stated or whether the cable agent has confused the Labor Party with the Reform Party. Mr. T. M. Wilford, the leader of the Official Liberal Party, does not believe Sir James used the words attributed to him. It would have been very absurd or very ingenious of him to make such a statement, he says, and no one wishes to think him either absurd or ingenious. The Liberal Party, Mr. Wilford maintains, stands for the workers always, “four square for King and country,” but it has neither part nor lot with the extremists who acknowledge Mr. Holland as their leader. An alliance of that kind would be abhorrent to everyone imbued with the true ideals of Liberalism.

A MISTAKE SOMEWHERE.

The Dominion in commenting upon the matter is satisfied that a mistake has been made somewhere. “Mr. Wilford no doubt is quite right,” it says, “in refusing to believe that Sir James Allen is correctly reported in saying that there is pra-ctically no difference between the Liberal and Labor Parties in the New Zealand Parliament. It is probable that what the High Commissioner did say was that there is practically no difference between the policies of the Liberal and. the Reform Parties.” Against this it is being pointed out that no question of reporting is involved. Whatever Sir James’s statement was it was made in a signed article in which the risk of error would, be reduced to a minimum. Still the cabled message is so far removed from the truth it seems incredible that the High Commissioner can have made such an unfortunate use of words. Of course attempts were made by their less scrupulous opponents during the election campaign of 1919 to identify the Liberals with the Labor extremists, but Sir James could have no reason for reviving such tactics, even if he had any inclination to do so.

RACING AND THE TOTALISATOR.

The Racing Commission brought its public sittings to a close here on Saturday when it invited interested parties to tender such evidence as they pleased concerning racing and the totalisator. The proceedings were not particularly edifying or entertaining. The Rev. Dr. Pinfold, representing a number of Methodist bodies, and Mr. T. W. Shallcrass, the general secretary of the New Zealand Sports Protection League, were the principal witnesses, taking different sides, of course, and presenting diametrically opposite views. Dr. Pinfold was at a disadvantage in never having attended a race meeting and perforce had to rely upon second-hand information in framing his indictment against racing and the evils of gambling. He declared racecourses were the scenes of much drunkenness and refused to accept the assurance of the chairman he had been misinformed on this point. Mr. Shallcrass was not very effective in reciting the reasons why there should be a substantial increase in the number of totalisator permits, but he knew his subject, and though he probably made no impression upon the Commission he did not prejudice his case by disregarding the facts.

THE CAPITAL CITY.

Wellington is congratulating itself, with some reason, upon the increase of its population during the last six years, the period between the census of 1916 and that of 1921, by 13,333. In 1915 the population of the city was 73,305 and of the boroughs of Miramar and Karori 2,158 and 1 647 respectively, making a total of 77,110. Since then the city boundaries have been extended to include the two suburban boroughs and the population of the amalgamated area is now, within a- small margin of possible error, 90.443. Judging from the figures that already have been published, Auckland will be able to boast of a still larger increase, and there is reason to fear the complete returns for the Dominion will show a continued drift from the country districts to the towns in both the North and South Island. Wellington is the least attractive as a place of residence of the four large cities, but it offers many avenues of employment and neither prosperity nor depression seems to make much difference in the flow of population towards this busy centre.

The fact that a former Admiral of the Austrian fleet is now a shoemaker’s apprentice is stated in Reconstruction, a Viennese newspaper. It appears that an old admiral, who, when he returned with others from a famous Polar expedition in 1874, was showered with flowers and praise as he passed in a procession down the Herrenstrasse, is now, after doing duty during the war, seated near the same Herrenstrasse at a cobbler’s bench, handling the awl with benumbed but eager fingers. The Austrian officers, it appears, have fared no better than others in various parts of the world. They set up, first, a kind of registry office, offering their services as accountants, administrators, interpreters, translators, in fact, they were willing to earn an honest penny in any way. Day by day they searched for work, congenial or uncongenial, wearing out their boots in their vain efforts. 'By chance, an ex-captain started to try and repair his own, as he had not sufficient to feed himself, let alone pay for mending, and this started a new industry. Brains appeared to be a glut in the market, so after some difficulties had been overcome, a small working concern was established and the thing is going well. Among the apprentices are Staff officers, captains, colonels, and even a general, and all of them are intent upon becoming experts and starting shops of their own or else getting good situations in industrial establishments. All of them did duty during the war, but the heroism which they are now displaying is perhaps of a still higher order.

Possessing an aggregate capital of £35,000, sixty fanners and their wives, the first party to leave England under the auspices of the colonisation department of the Canadian Pacific Railway, recently sailed from Liverpool.