WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Taranaki Daily News, 5 May 1922, Page 6

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

GENERAL ELECTION. THE LABOUR CAMPAIGN. Special Correspondent.) Wellington, May I. The opening of the Labour campaign ■by Mr. H. E. Holland, in Christchurch on Saturday night, has served to remind the public afresh of the approach of a; general election. Mr. Wilford, the leader of the Liberal-Labour Opposition, did not take the platform during his rcent tour of the country, and consequently did not attract much attention, except -from those very closely interested in the political game. Mr. Holland, however, does not believe in travelling without talking, and during the next fortnight he will speak in most of the important centres of the South Island. Just what are the prospects of his party at the impending polls it is difficult to say, very much depending upon the response to the Liberal-luabour appeal; but the general opinion here, even among people whose wish is not father to their thought, is -<at it will emerge from the campaign with its numerical strength in Parliament increased. Whether this will be at the expense of the Reformers or the Liberals is a matter of speculation, but it is not expected that votesplitting will be so prevalent as it was at the last general election.

POST AND TELEGRAPH DEPARTMENT. The return of the Postmaster-General from his northern tour has been followed by several conferences between the Minister and the high officials of the Department. Nothing fresh has transpired in regard to the “conversations” between the Government and the executive of the Officers’ Association, concerning the proposed affiliation with the Alliance of Labour; but there is a feeling abroad to-day that the prospects of an amicable settlement between the parties are not quite so bright as they appeared to be a week ago. The current number of “The Katipo,” the official organ of the Association, contains an article of a distinctly militant tone. “Remember,” it urges the members of the Association, ‘“the Government is under oath to uphold' and maintain the constitution of New Zealand. That constitution gives to all citizens (no limitations whatever) the full right of association with other people for any lawful purpose. The Alliance of Labor is a lawiul combination of national unions of workers.” These words, so the editor of the official organ says, are written with the advice of high legal authorities, and stand as an epitome of the charter of the Public Service.

“A WEAK DEFENCE.” Under this heading, “The Dominion” this morning deals trenchantly with the “Katipo’s” statement of the ease for the supporters of affiliation. The official organ, it says, is taking far too ’ much for granted in assuming that the I Alliance of Uabour Is a lawful organisa- | tion which any member of the Public ' Service may lawfully join. “Here and in I other British countries.” it argues, I “some combinations exist within the i law onlv because as a nation we believe that it' is often better that even the rankest folly should be ventilated m . the open, where it will ultimately evapi orate, than that it should be driven into hidden holes and corners. It is in these conditions that Communist bodies like ! the Alliance of Labour are tolerated, i and it is only in this sense that such i bodies are ‘lawful combinations. inis contention is strangely at variance with 1 the “pains and. penalties” with which the Minister of Education, for instance, is enforcing some of his Order -in-Coun-cil, but it is in harmony with the popular view of such institutions as the Allianee of Labour and the doctrines for which they stand. economy and taxation. I In the report of the Wellington Chamber I of Commerce, to be presented at the annual meeting of members this week, emphasis is again placed upon the urgent need for economy in the administration of the atfairs of'the country, and for a substantial reduction in taxation. The delay in gazet- ' ting the public accounts for the year closed i on March 31 last has kept the critics withi out any definite information on the sub- ' ject. Mr. Massey, it will be remembered, ' made it quite clear when the promised reductions of expenditure, amounting to between four and five millions that it would take a couple of years or so to bring them all to account, and apparently he has found the practical application of the recom- ' mendations of the official economies com- ■ mittee even a more difficult task tnan he ’ expected it to be. However, he has not lessened in his ardour for reform in this , direction and is not likely to do so wh-le the commercial community continues iu bombard him with reminders..

WELLINGTON’S TRADE. Wellington is now able to plume itself,, with official and statistical support, upon being the first port of the Dominion. Until the beginning of the present year the returns of exports from the various ports; showed, not the actual shipments from each of them, but the amount of produce dispatehed from certain districts surrounding the ports. The result of this arrangement was that large quantities of produce shipped at Wellington were credited to the smaller ports along the West Coast of this island, while Auckland, having a large producing district, all to itself, obtained credit for products shipped from other ports. The returns for the quarter ended March 31 last give the correct figures all round, and place Wellington in its proper position. Its figure for the quarter is £3,240,635, while Auckland’s is £2,678,059, Lyttelton’s £1,492,772, and Dunedin’s £663,717. Of the provincial ports, Timaru. £772,376, Napier £763,670, Invercargill £496,397, Gisborne £466,214, Wanganui £387,220 and New Plymouth £285,004, follow in order. Of course, Wanganui nad New Plymouth have contributed very largely towards Wellington’s exports.