WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Auckland Star, Volume L, Issue 155, 1 July 1919, Page 5

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

SIGNING OF THE TREATY. NO LOCAL ENTHUSIASM. (Special Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, June 30. The news of the formal signing of the Peace Treaty aroused little interest and no enthusiasm here People passing the windows of the newspaper offices, where the special cable was displayed glanced at the announcement and turned away with an expression which might have been taken for one of disappointment that it did not deal with Saturday's football matches. The truth of the matter is that since the signing of the armistice the public have been taking the rest of the formalities for granted, and not looking forward with any great zest to the further demonstrations. Some sort of jubilation proper to the occasion will be worked up for the official celebration, but it will be lacking in spontaneity and largely artificial. Tho peace negotiations have been so long drawn out that the public have ■ lost much of the interest with which they at first looked forward to their conclusion. REDUCED RAILWAY SERVICES. The announcement ot reduced railway services had been anticipated for some weeks, but when it was actually made the reduction proved to be more drastic than had been generally expected. Cutting out all the e.vpress trains will mean an immense amount of inconvenience, i not only to business men nnd others

who liavc been in the habit of using these trains regularly, but also to the com- | mercial community which has depended ' ! upon them for the rapid delivery of its 1 correspondence and for the carriage of small parcels of goods. The authorities, however, are meeting all protests and ' complaints, and all applications for special treatment, with the frank state- ■ ment that the coal position is so acute it probably would be necessary to stop the whole services if the expresses were t continued. Tn the face of this pntient ', submission is the only course open to , the public. THE PARTY LEADERS. ( The news that Mr. Masey and Sir < .Joseph Ward are both on board the ' Mauritania, making their return trip to > the Dominion in company, and as speed- 1 ily as tbe.y can, has quickened interest ' in the political situation. The quid- * mines have predicted all along that the * two Ministers would come back together - if only in resentment of the suggestion ' that one or other of them was coquet- * ting with the position of High Commis- <" sioner, and now they are congratulating i themselves on their gift of astute pro- t | phecy. Venturing further, they predict ( I that the party compact on which the 1 National Covernmenit rests will endure till tbe end of the session, and thnt before members get back to their constituencies, botb the old patties will have been reconstituted, and that the Labour r party will have assumed a new import- * ancc. s RUMOURED CHANGES. i At such times as the present tho poli- , tical atmosphere is always full of rumours of a more or less startling charac- . ter. A year or so ago Sir James Allen jand Mr. T. M. YVilford were talking to j their intimate friends of retiring from .public life after tho war. and seeking ( i rest and recreation in a less strenuous I sphere. Now it is stated on what seems \, Ito be pretty good authority that the i Minister of Defence, while still deter- v I mined to rid himself of the cares and 0 I burdens of office, has decided to seek re- v election as a private member, nnd that i all Mr. YVilford's enthusiasm for politics ; , i has returned, and that the youngest of -j j the Ministers is hoping to occupy a much a ' more important position in the next Par- , liament, possibly the leadership of a - party. Naturally, neither Minister is disposed to make an announcement of Tils intentions at the present juncture, but j. there may be news for the public on j ithe return of the party leaders to the . country.