WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Hokitika Guardian, 7 January 1921, Page 4

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

THE CURISTMAS-NEW YEAH HOLIDAY.

OLD-TIME WEATHER

(Our Special Correspondent). WELLINGTON, Jan. 5. Wellington is returning to work today, perhaps a little reluctantly and somewhat half-heartedly, altera Christ-. mas-Xew Year holiday that has been marked by the most dclightlul weather the city and province have experienced at this season of the year lor a very long time. People have been enjoying the out-of-door life under conditions which few of the younger generation have tasted before and all the sea-side resorts and camping places have been crowded to over-flowing. The more fortunate members of the community, including most of the -Ministers ol the Crown, will not return to the drudgery of the daily round till the beginning of next week or later, but the rank and file of the industrial and commercial armies are back at their posts, mostly, it must be hoped, strengthened and inspired by the recollection of a good time.

HOLIDAY .MAKERS’ COMPLAINTS. This ought not to ho tlu* tiino tor making complaints, hut timing tire holidays there .have been many loud and fervid protests against the railway and steamer services. Wellington, thanks or blame to its geographical position, is a great distributing centre, not only for goods hut also lor travellers, and some ol the scenes at the local railway stations during the past fortnight have been a crying reproach to State management. The service has been understaffed, much of the rolling stock has been in a dilapidated condition and the official attitude towards real grievances has been exasperating. Exactly where the blame lies it is difficult to say, but the net result has been an amount of inconvenience and actual suffering to the public exceeding anything that ever has befallen them before. The steamer service has not been quite so bad, but even here the inadequacy of accomodation and attendance in some cases has been appalling. A LIBEL ON AMERICA. An American visitor to Wellington, Mr Arthur Wendall, is indignant at the view of American life and manners and morals that is being presented to New Zealanders through the medium of the picture shows. By means of a certain class of film dramas, .he says, the people of this country are being steadily familiarised with a point of view in regard to honesty, honour, lair-plav and the like which is as distinctly unAmerican as it is un-British. 'ln the finer British and American stories,” Mr Wendall reiterated to a newspaper representative, “honour is taken for granted, hut in the class of films sent out to New Zealand it is something exceptional, a thing which .has to be en-

couraged by loud praise and high reward.” The visitor is concerned lor the welfare of New Zealand as well as for the reputation of America and is convinced that in both respects many imported pictures arc doing infinite harm. THE NEW JUDGES. It is understood that when Ministers return to town, as they are expected to dottwithin the next fortnight, the question of Idling the three impending vacancies on the Supreme Court Bench will be seriously consideied by Cabinet. Thu growing confidence in youth, rather than a disrespect for age, is creating a demand for younger men on the Bench, but most of the members of the legal profession, not beyond middle age and possessing the necessary qualifications, are reluctant, to exchange a lucrative practice for the dignity of a, judge’s office. In the end it will probably be found that the Cabinet’s choice is very limited and that the appointments when made will take much the same course as their predecessors.