OUR NATIONAL MINISTRY

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 171, 9 April 1918, Page 7

OUR NATIONAL MINISTRY

Sir,—A correspondent of yours referred the other day to the lack of ■''prescience" in our present rulers, .who, by combination, are supposed— save the mark!—to be the Ministry of LA.II the Talents I They will presently claim merit for regulating petrol after all; but tho horse's tail has disappeared froni tho locked stable door. iWo havo been threatened with a coal famine—narrowly averted—but have no reason to expect there may not be other strikes of the kind. Why will not our National Ministry—-would to Heaven it was a Rational Ministry— look ahead and conserve the consumption of coal for essential services, such as locomotion—land and sea—electric light, gas, motive power in especially industrial adjuncts, such as preservation of meat, butter and cheese, most, if not all, of which will have to be stored ? Tho powers-that-be in England have, now closed all places of. amusement in London at 8.30; could we not close them here (as the hoteb are closed) at 8 p.m.? In places of amusement (or.frivoßy) might fitly be included those crystal bars and restaurants which mock at our distress. The Raving in fuel would be considerable. — I am, etc.. [VORTEX. April 6. • P.S.—lf there were fewer electriclight attractions in town there would be less leave sought from camp, and that would surely Dβ a national benefit both ways.—V.