WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLII, Issue 1016, 8 November 1917, Page 6

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

ABOTJT (Special Correspondent); WELLINGTON., Nov. 7. A little discussion is proceeding in one of the Wellington newspapers on tlie subject of vegetables. The city housewife lias no intimate acquaintance with the science of market gardening, but •-In 1 fears that there is something wrong when she is required to pay twopence for. throe small ■carrots, lid lor a parsnip. 8d for a cabbage, and Is lor n cauliflower. ll' the gardener could be sure of getting one-quarter of the price that the Wellington housewife pays for common vegetables, lie would be a very well satisfied man. The merchants and retailers deny that they are milking unduly large profits, ami the housewife does not appear to he making any progress towards the goal of cheaper vegetables. Like the farmer who sees the meat he sold at 6d being retailed in London at 2s per, Hi. she feels that she is being exploited, but cannot discover just who is getting the profit. THE VACANT PORTFOLIO.

The Wellington Liberal newspaper the other day announced that the Hon. A. L. Herdnnui was about to become ii Judge, and that two additional .Ministers would require to he appointed, one to replace tho present AttorneyGeneral, and the other to fill the vacancy left by the late Dr. MeNab. There are substantial grounds for believing that Mr Herdman, whatever lie may do in tlie future, has no immediate intention of seeking the dignified seclusion of tho Soprano Court Bench. Ho is controlling the Discharged Soldiers' Department, which is doing very good work already, and has almost unlimited scope for usefulness before it, and lie is not the man to leave a job half done. Dr. McNab's place probably will bo filled in the near future. The choice of a new .Liberal Minister will rest with Sir Joseph Ward, whose recommendations on this point will be accepted by the Prime .Minister.