WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Taranaki Daily News, 11 July 1921, Page 5

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

THE NATIONAL GAaIE. SELECTORS AND BARRACKERS. (Special Correspondent.) Wellington, July 6. Football is very much in the- air and in the newspapers just now. The trial match on Wednesday for the selection of the New Zealand team to play against the South Africans, pro-, duced a great game worthy of the occasion and of its purpose. ' But the selectors’ failure to include “Teddy” Roberts, one of the barrackera’ worthy idols, in the. chosen fifteen, has brought forth a storm of protest from thousands of lips and scores of pens, louder and more sustained than the cheers that greeted the progress of the play. “A blunder of the first magnitude,” “An offence to the public and the players,” “An injurj- to the prestige of the game.” “As well Australian cricket without Armstrong as New Zealand football without Roberts,” “An. insult not only bo Roberts, but. to nil followers of the game,'’ and “.A proof of shameless incompetency” are a few of the expressions of amazed astonishment and indignant dissent taken from the letters with which the public prints are teeming. The kindliest of the critics simply compliments the selectors upon their courage. MORE OF THE LOAN. Somewhat tardily Mr. Massey has congratulated the Dominion upon the success of the five million loan. The Prime Minister is satisfied with the flotation and points to the fact that the rate of interest is lower ihaja that paid by some of the other Dominions. There always is a measure f consolation in the reflection that our own troubles are not so grevious as those of our neighbours, tind to this extent New Zealand may take heart of grace from the afflictions of the Australian States. But by way of keeping .the people of this Dominion in a frugal frame of mind the aetingMinister of Finance reminds them that the loan raised will not be available for the relief of the local financial stringency. The money will bo required to meet the Dominion’s obligations in London, including the cost of railway material and electric equipment, and rhe payment of interest. The discharge of these obligations without trenching upon internal supplies, however, will relieve the Treasury very materially and so leave additional funds available for local expenditure.

CHAOTIC CHEAPNESS. ]n an official report of the proceedings at tho meeting of representatives of the local soft goods trade held here on Tuesday it is stated that “the situation is one calling for a united attempt on the part of the drapery, mercery and clothing retailers io bring about, as soon as possible, a return to normlil trading conditions, in order to dispel the present atmosphere of doubt and uncertainty in the mind of the public and induce a healthier tone of confidence between salesmen and customer.” The meaning of this somewhat cryptic utterance seems to be that the “half cost” and “your own price” sales, which have been tickling tho cupidity of the community during the last few months, are to cease and the ordinary methods of disposal to he resumed. To this, of course, there can be no r< asonable objection, the chaotic cheapness promoted by frenzied advertising and flagrant window displays having been something of a delusion and a snare; but the public will not tolerate a return to the inflated war prices and at the moment is regarding the drapers' announcement with some suspicion. “NOBODY TO BLAME.” The prominence that has been given to the straitened condition of the city’s finance has brought upon the late Mayor (Sir John Luke, M.P.) reproaches from many people who have held him responsible for the mounting up of the bank overdraft and for the absence of any adequate provision for its reduction. Sir John, with a compliant council, held sway for eight t ears, and it was not unnatural the critics should point to him as the author of the city’s troubles. But hist night the new Mayor, Mr. R. A. Wright, M.P., whose unpleasant duty it had been to reveal the unsatisfactory condition nf the council’s banking account, declared that nobody was to blame and that the growth of the overdraft was simply inevitable. This does not explain why the council’s income has not been raised to meet its increased expenditure. and many people continue to believe that a seat in Parliament, added to the occupancy of the mayoral chair, makes the chief magistrate altogether too susceptible to the influences that conspire towards saving the pockets of the ratepayers at any price.