WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLIII, Issue 3105, 24 December 1921, Page 6

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

PARLIAMKN. ADJOURNS. (Special ( oi-i^p'ondeiil:.) WELLINGTON, Dec. 23. By abandoning a. substantial purl of the programme he had made imperative a day or two I). Inn:, the Prime Minister was able at an early hour yesterday morning to release Parliament for the holidays, .Mem bers will return on Jan :nry 11 - those of litem, thai is, who may feel inclined Id cduie back so soon -mid wil| find work enough remaining lo oc; ,p\ them for another two man lis. Many of die Government's most important measure.'! still have in bo discussed, the Estimates are not half through, the retrench uent proposals remain in the air and the meat pool and the batter problem are only just now added to iho list. Of all the members of the House Mr Massey stands most in need of rest. but that he will get as much as a couple of days to himself dining the next fort night seems highly improbable. His colleagues will be able to join in the general festivities, but die man at lite helm must slick to his post,

TilK MEAT POO.L. Absentee* from the glad thrchig of legislative holiday-makers will be the member: of the committee thai was responsible for tin' initiation of ihe meat poo! scheme and that is iiov entrusted with the task of col lectin;:- information on the subject from the wtrious quarters concerned. The burners organisations generally have been fo i favourably disposed towards (he scheme. The plight of the sheep men is so serious indeed; thai they would lie eager to clutch at any straw thrown their way. But tho freezing companies and the ex )x>rters are seeing difficulties' in the way and still have to be persuaded a road out of the diiliciilty has been discovered. The Government grading, which obviously is essential to the working of the scheme, these critics declare to bo quite impracticable. Meal, they insist, cannot be divided into cla.--es 'as butter can, simply because its quality depend, largely upon' breeding and feeding, factors which cannot be determined as texture and flavour can in the

•Use; 0-f hutft i'. THE PRODUCERS' VIEW. Many of (he producers, who, almost with out exception, would be dad In participate in the advantages of the scheme foreshadowed by Mr Massey and the committee, concur in the view expressed by the freezing companies and the exporters in this vespect. These producers have brands oi their own which have won. recognition for themselves on 'ho London market and command prices which may have little to do with the points which could be detected by the average grader. In addition to this there is in many quarters a frank distrust of State, management of any commercial undertaking, ft is admitted thai the Imperial Supplies Department did uncommonly good work during the period of the commandeer, but ii is pointed out that it was working under eittireh different conditions from those which would be imposed upon the administrator- of the meat pool. This. of course, is more or less a political question, on which opinions necessarily are sharply divided, bed the objections to meat grading appear to rest on practical experience. THE BUTTER PROBLEM. The butter problem docs not present exactly the same diflieulties as docs the meat pool, bin al the moment ii seems no easier of solution. The suggestion thai the Imperial authorities should hold bark the .•sale of its surplus butter in order that New Zealand and Australia may reap such advantages as are <> he gained in the London market is another appeal t.o the generosity of the Mother Country. If the Imperial authorities miss,'! llu-ir piesoni opportunity to sell they prooabl v would bo compelled to accept a still lower re-ice later on. The alternative ■suggestion, hat New Zealand and Australia si old purchase (be surplus butter and do the holding ba<'k- themselves, perhaps is a little loss illogical, since it would throw upon the people ly be benefited tho inevitable ri.; 1 ; but it would be a sheer speculation und ihe point lo consider would be, the side on wbi.-k the greater chances of the giiiiibie la\. 'lt i« a decision thrust upon the Goviiniment at a time when it has no occasion to be seeking additional burdens.