WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 13973, 20 April 1916, Page 8

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

I.JCENSING. WAGE* AND. PROFIT. (Special Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, April 17. Some little stir was occasioned here last week by the,. Prime , Minister's statement to a deputation. =ironx the War Necessities Committee to the effect that the existing law did not give the Government sufficient control over the licensed houses. Mr Ma'ssey ha* always had an open mind, as lie would put it himself, on, the liquor question , and it was hoped by some people and feared by others that he had come to regard State control as the most promising solution ;of an extremely perplexing problem. But now he is busy assuring the reporters that Iris words to the deputation were intended to bear no_ such interpretation. "I -was not thinking '• of the Licensing Act when, I spoke," he said, "but of the War "Regulations Act. which ought to give the .Government full authority to deal with' the public bouses as it tlunks best." He is not prepared just now to indicate the nature o£ tho amendments to the law he has m mind, tior, indeed, to commit himself to proposing any amendment ta all. Pi*o T»ably he has* realised or second thoughts that' to touch the licensing question m any shape or form during the approaching session would bo to jnvite the very flood ot talk he and has .colleagues ar e anxiou? to avoid. Tho idea of- State control- is not popular . with either the prohibitionists or -the'- 7 -'- publicans, ■•_ We party lacking upon it as an, attempt to perpetuate a- great national «fvily Qind the other as a- covert attack on a perfectly legitimate business, 'but the*© can be no logical nor democratic objection to adding the issue to the- ballot pap>?r, and if the Government .does not move m this directtion. it j is. fluvto" possible some private member may. te^t t]le'>fteJing of tho House on tlie "proposal. - THE PEG FOR REFORM. It is unfortunate' forjthtj- cofamtry^ and a little nhfair to the sdldfers, that' the good people ? : >wh.o. are .-■! advocating.' tho early closaiig of ; th*' Hotfls make their concern for the^*ntenvan) 'tSftniijJLng^ at Trentham ! th)B £h\Mj- ifjjfodt excuse iot • their^ activity i', J * ;^ere ..has been such, a *yast improyement' m 'the conduct of tlve; ( men 'tp» . town since the "H&rrid ' ..'examplejs >' I . provided by one or l^biof^th^^rlietiremfbifceV ment3 that. iKe need Ifois-refjirirnL; is 'much less urgent ; £h[an,'vifc V^SeV^n. ..©r iipt; months a,gp.':'\ A dozefr'&en pyei'staymg their \etiys and hayiiiigi^yhat thejr ttite pteased to' call a- good tinie;jfoay : gdye' thjß main street' of the dt^.>h^'ay^r«nce; of <being thronged bqn'« "Store s> ?r£N£«if. "merry" soldiers, but/^» a"ma*Kr,.of fact the bases;; of ' d^nk^nneys^inoW .jthb men , 'except -on r^eHVxw»sionß.- -iedrle? lew and farvhet^eerii Ml/for drastic reg^ilatior\s. ■ ■■*<■&$.& .^uVSupti of closing the lic<&ed<:lM<& **t or at some-othet another -story,"\ndaiTnigHt^»^'discussed at a convenient' season : without any special reference*.!^: mi^ta.Ty v rnatter's;. Whether there ' be; 'less indulkeriosr among, soldiers and civilians alike if 'the houses to/cldse\ at 7o'clock is still debatable, but it is sig-nificant'-that on . Suncfcay t nights, : w h« n there are many people/in tlie streets" and the -hotels, of course, •are closed; there is scarcely a , caee . of .drunkenness to he found' 'in W«?nti?£ton/ ; V^cK ijrnbt" more famed ' for/ self-ve64*airtt m ' ibis- re spect than is any othept seaport .-ir; the Dominion. But the r?i6.ijm wjlj'haye \6 be disc'uksed here,-kk''i^' ; 'must'' : be I else' where, on general principles, and m the meantime there, is , no -justification . for the assumption that "a". larg.s. proportion of 'he r a't'TrentTirtm 'are given to riotous Hvinfc &nd*td ; mak'rrig ;fchemselv,e3' public nuisances whenever they ..get ar opr-rrtunity. '." The 'Minister' 1 . 6f. Del eno-? and thi' military authorities, as already said, have effected a very great improve ment m this direction, and th© fact ought to bo recognised m places- .-.where' it is not so \yell known 'as it is m; this city.

■"■• COST OF LIVING. ; . The membei-s of tho Board^ of Trade have returned from their trip to the South Island -with' a considerable store of information, they say, but .without 4Miy inclination to take the public into into th/m 1 confidence at th^ present stage. Of course, they offer no opinion of the Act under which they were appointed nor of tlie machinery by which it is administered, but: it is becoming more antl more obyfqiis that the delay, in' setting up the boaM has' vei*y.\maier:ally' restricted its operations' for ttle' 'p.^eseht •'year. Had it been put to work by the middle of December, as_ ; it easily might have been, it' ; could hicvo dealt with 'the bread -stuff s question and perhaps with the retail. meat, and .butter question, .but coming into /existence wlieh i'tf'didi'pfafe' tically thjee;' jnonths la.tet X it t found; its way barred by ' commitments arid contracts which could be neither ignored nor overcome. The result. is that the board must settle down during tho ; next seyeti or eight months to 'tn© ■■; of statistics and general information m the, hope of bein'ff able to do 'something tc le-^en the burdens of tHo consumer^ lat^r on. Mr Massey, whose sympathy with tlie wage earners -is doubtless ar sincere as that of any other seems scarcely' to grasp the ui-gcncy of the problem. The Arbitration Court ha? recognised by : its recent- awarji m tlu. general laborers' dispute that an advanct. of 10 iier cent on tho workers' wages no more than covers the advance m the exxst of living, even if,Jl£"do l es <y &s much, and yet tlie GovelTtiment... hesitates to follow this very .-excellent' : -Teadi "'-'"Mr Massey and JMr * Herries , v declare they have the utmost' sympathy with the railway men's demands, fc*v' : ( itis|tance> and will consult " the Minister" of Finance

nj about the feasibility of jttieeting them, E> but no one really belieyea^that Sir Jos... X Ward, with his own- ro&ftjl -behind him X and a surplus, of a million or "so before re him, is responsible for .the delay in givX ing practical expression to his col ffl- leagues' good wishes. If the G6y«rn- & mcnt has any doubt about the facts acX cepted by the Arbitration C^urbdfc.'siiojuld w not lose a moment m having^thetol I,'re1 ,' re- N X viewed by the Byard of TVadelv . ■ { X EARNINGS AND EX?J3N^ITIJ.ItE. Hf Mr ; T. W Wilford. emphasised , this X point when addnesair^ \v the Petone Ht branch of the Amalgamate^* SspiAty;'. of S Railway Servants last vr&ek.. (|| wurse X his remarks '. had • particular "'application ' oto th c raihtaymeri's : demands f or "jln H creased pay,' but. they 1 ' ■v^effe- n6t -withoii* X interest to workers and?' employers all H over the country.- The member ": for B Hutt reminded the men; ihut^jiker.'thr Brest of the community iKey would, ihave Bto make sacrifices m war," itinW, ..' Thr ■ end would be worth tlia^riciS,' jibwever H big the price might .bey- . btffr the' ; c'os^ B should -not all i&li'-tSn t'hV.-w^tkeWi: Ht', in-ged that the Goven^nient m, '...ps'tnrr •■. M for the fine work the railway employeiea Ef. had done during the war , period and m. were still doing, and; |n.' r&pogni£ion .'of B the sacrifices they had '^i^ae. dhd'^werc R? making, Should give tWtit *t''SuWst»nfe'al »riso m wages to enable ' them <*Hw6* with Bthe same material comfort us •they I»n4 ■Bonioyed before th-e w.ar. It would be widle and nnfruo.to.-say the Govornmf-n' m could not do this without inflicting m BB jiißtioo upon some other section of ' thf w community. Th^re wefe wealthy: tner B m the Dominion making profits out -of Hr the war, and as a great part of the"" 5 profits was earned "by !the workers affair W and reasonable share of 'them should' go 6 to the men and women who weEeybioarP ing m an especial sense the rost Kg maintaining the integrity of the Empire R and the Wessings and ;', privileged of civilisation. Tlio Motlter Country hflc l Hit shown the dominions a ; very : fmo exm,' ample m this respect by' taking over jL railways, factories and r other, national n | assets, that -were required for the.piirWr posos of the wai\ arid. Nc% • fcf^lfthd M; should riot lac? behind thfe!:'otli«j» v 'dully iri'd 1 ffl portions of ilie Empire m following, tliis n example.! » ,^,.' / : ■:[.'. '■>■"