WELLINGTON TOPICS

Marlborough Express, Volume LIV, Issue 85, 12 April 1920, Page 4

WELLINGTON TOPICS

ROUGH WEATHER

SCARCITY OF FUEL

(Special Correspondent)

WELLINGTON, \pril 9. No sooner were the Easter holidays over than Wellington, ,which had revelled in a week of delightful, summer-like weather, was swept by a furious gale of wind and rain and plunged into all the discomforts of winter, including a prediction by the Government Meteorologist that s-now is at hand. Shipping is utterly disorganised, and all but absolutely necessary outside occupations suspended, while people compelled to come into town from the widely scattered suburbs are doin^r so with the utmost discomfort. Wellington, in short, is at its worst. The disagreeable visitation has brought home to many a household in very disagreeable fashion the gravity of the coal shortage. The State Coal Depot and the private dealers have been kept busy during the last I forty-eight hours telling a shivering 1 public they have no supplies and will , haver noii'3 till next week—^at ! earliest. The former method of distribution seems to have utterly broken down. ELECTORAL REFORM. It is significant of the trend of public opinion in regard to the quesrion of electoral reform that the Evening Tost, which three or four years ago was scoffing at proportional representation, is now implying that it is the only system offering safety for the democracy. It declares that "first past the post is better than the second bailor, or, rather, the second ballet is . worse than first past the post;" and urges Mr Mac-Donald, the leader of the Liberal Party, to come forward with a bold proposal that will give the country a lead. Mr MaeDonald, I when seen on the subject this morning, said he could not commit the Liberal Party to any particular sys~ ; tern of electoral reform till he had conferred with its members on the subject, but personally he thought electoral reform should be ofte of the first questions den It with by the Government, and the object of Parliament should be to make itself as nearly as possible a reflection of public opinion in the country. THE PRINCE'S SAFETY. A good deal of curiosity and some amusement has been occasioned here by a statement made by the General Manager of Railways to the effect that it would be unsafe to bring the train by which the Prince of Wales will arrive m Wellington on to the Lambtoh Station, and that his Royal Highness wil! have to alight fit Thorndon Stat.ior., a dingy edif'ee dumped down in a part of the capital city of which its people ar<j ■not particularly proud. The Dominion, referring to the matter this morning, suggests that an easy way to settle the controversy that is goirio; on would -oe for Me General Manager "to explain exactly what the hidden perils are that make communication between and Lambton so precarious." As a matter of fact hundreds of people travel, between the two stations oyery. day of the week. The public is waiting for the Manager's retort. . REVIVED- ZEAp. Another subject of" nipi^e ,br less amused comment in the! city is the publication this morning of new regulations designed for restricting , the^use qf ..the .Post and Telegraph ppce..,,; for betting purposes. Oi: course,'; the use of the. offices for .these purposes js prohibited by the Gaming Act, but of late years the "law has. Been more t'candalised in its breach than honored in its observance. In Wellington, at any rate, both the Pb^t Office and the Telegraph Office have been as freely used for bettiiig transactions as they lave for business, communications, and apparently no effort at all has 'bfen made to repair this state of affairs. Now, however, renewed threats have been sprung upon the offenders; and if the authorities prove themselves to be in earnest they will do much for the correction of public morality.