WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Taranaki Daily News, 3 January 1922, Page 7

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

THE HOLIDAYS. TRADE AND PLEASURE MAKING. (Special Correspondent.) Wellington, Dee. 30. Though the shop-keepers complain that the Wellington public has spent less money this Christmas than it did last, and the railway authorities report that it has done less travelling, the capital city has been by no means wrapped in gloom during what should be the festive season. Many people acquired during the war period the sensible habit of making useful presents rather than expensive ones and of taking their holidays nearer home than previously had been their wont. This habit lias been accentuated by the “hard times” through which the country is passing, and probably extensive purchases of utility articles have been made without being included in the- sum of the shopkeepers’ Christmas trade. The broken weather, the poor services and the high fares account for many empty seats in the excursion trains, but Wellington’s comparatively recent discovery of its own suburban holiday resorts is largely responsible for fewer people travelling further abroad at this season of the year. Wellington certainly is not down in the doldrums.

• THE MEAT POOL. So far. the Prime Minister has been tied to his desk during the holidays, and it is unlikely he will get away before the resumption of the session of Parliament, except for a day or two next week to assist at the opening of the Waiuku branch railway line in his own constituency. In the meantime he has little additional information to give concerning the proposed meat pool. On Wednesday he corrected the general assumption that the pool was to be a State undertaking controlled by a Government department. “There seems to be a very general idea,” he said, “that the new organisation will be a Government department, but this is not the case. It will be a producers’ organisation. It will have, of course. Government support and backing, but it will be the producers’ own organisation.” This somewhat obscure statement has not satisfied the inquiries, but for the present Mr. Massey declines to be more explicit. Probably he is withholding further information till the conference of producers convened by the Board of Agriculture meets here on Tuesday week. THE BUTTER PROBLEM. The butter position is continuing to occasion much anxiety among those associated with the dairying industry. A conference of representatives of the different -interests in the industry is to be held here on Thursday next, but no one seems ready with a practicable suggestion as to how the gathering difficulties are to be overcome. The proposal that New Zealand should, join with Australia in buying the Imperial Government’s surplus butter in order to keep it off the London market is finding little favor with business men. They point out that while this might relieve the position for a time by holding up prices at Home, a serious loss on the old butter would have to be faced sooner or later. Tn any case the financial assistance of the Government would be required and this second burden added to the cost of the meat pool would be more than the consolidated revenue could be fairly asked to bear just now. THE USES OF ADVERSITY.

When the irrepressible Mr. John Payne was in Parliament he made the Hon. W. Nosworthy the constant butt of his over-flowing, good-tempered humor. The member for Ashburton seemed to Mr. Payne to be the very embodiment of gloom and he never missed an opportunity of chiding the future Minister of Agriculture upon his persistent prophecy of evil and calamity. But a seat at the Cabinet table under the presidency of Mr. Massey has worked a marvellous change in Mr. Nosworthy’s outlook upon life. In laying the annual report of his Department upon the table of the House just before the holiday adjournment he could see nothing but sweet uses in the adversity that had overtaken the country Among other things, it had “checked the land boom with its excessive capitalisation of farming property.” and it had driven the Canterbury farmers to return to wheat growing. Here were .steps towards greater efficiency, better farming and closer co-operation, and as he contemplated them the heart of the Minister rejoiced exceedingly.