WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Taranaki Daily News, 2 February 1917, Page 2

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

RETURNED SOLDIERS' HOSPITALS. (From Our Own Correspondent). Wellington. ■Tan. 30. During the week ended .lamiarv 2i some 270 returned soldiers were receiv inu treatinenl: in hospitals in this country. 231 as in-patients and -15 as nutpatients. Wore than lialf of the men were in institutions under the direci. etntro! of the Government, at Rotorim Devonport, T.owry Ray and I-Tnnmer. Twcntv-two of the men were in the consumption sanatoria. Tn quoting these figures to-day the Minister for Public Health (Hon. 0. W. Russell) said that in addition to the soldiers there were no fewer than 1.1-1 discharged men who were receiving hospital treatment and ■lO who were being treated as out-pa-tients. He regretted to say that 23 of the discharged men were inmates of the consumptive sanatoria. The discharge of a soldier, it may be mentioned. does not mean that- the Government accept no further responsibility. The Defence Department may give a man his discharge as a member of the Forces ami at the same time refer his case to ilie Public Health Department and assist uim in placing his ciaim before the Pensions Department. The discharged -oM:er continues to '»<« hr» trn»law*i at t.iif cost it' Hie Stale « ~, is ftni.i the to.** • r , r ( v « service.

COLORED .URr,R. A false impression appears tn have been created in some quarters by the publication of a paragraph to tlie effect that the Minister for Internal Affairs bad "given instruction that in the event of any colored labor being employed anywhere in the Dominion the srime rates of pay should obtain as for Europeans." The statement had its origin in some correspondence between the Ministr for Internal Affairs and the Federation of Labor, and does not me" tlat the Government is contomplati>'..> the introduction of colored labor under ai.y circumstances. The Minister's assurance has been divorced from its context in a misleading way. Referring to this matter to-dnv the Minister for Internal Affairs (Ilnn. Jr. V Russell) said that on September 5 of last, year he received n letter from the Wellington Trades and Labor Council drawing his attention to the arrival of Hindus in New Zealand, and mentioning that the Wellington Wharf Laboicrs' Union had declined to admit Hindus to membership. The Council suggested that the influx of Hindus woulu create social and economic problem? it a serious character. A week or two later the Minister received from the Moderation of Labor a letter mentioning the same matter and asking for a statement regarding the number of Hindus who had entered New Zealand. The Minister replied stating that 133 Hindus bad come into New Zealand in 1!)1.1. 257 ; n 1014, 13 in 1015. and IS in 1(11(1 (eight months), while lift-hurt departed in IHIS and 17 in the first eight months of l(il(i. The actual number resident in the Dominion would be shown by the census returns.

The Federation of Labor thanked (he Minister for his informal inn nnd asl;od i'in'r to keep in touch with the subject and to take steps to ensure that Hindu* employed in New Zoalr.nd werj? given the same rates of wages and general conditions as white workers. Mr. Russell referred this point. <o the actin-Minister for Labor (Hon. W. H. Ferries). and received the following reply: "Communications have ■ been issued by the Labor Department to the officers in Auckland and Wellington calling 1 licitattention to (lie matter and directing them to see that if Hindus are e!imlny>il in industries governed bv. labor laws or awards, they are given the same ws<res and conditions as other persons." Tlii = statement provided the basis of the recently published reference to colored labor.

THE BOARD OF TRADE, The members of the Board of Trade have returned from Auckland, where (hoy have been launching the scheme for the sale of meat by the Oovornment, and tn-dnv they ■were in consultation with the Minister of Agriculture (Hon \Y. D. S. Mac Donald) regarding the meat scheme, the price of wheat and various other matters. Cabinet discussed the price of wheat, to-day, but did not reach a decision. There are indications that Ministers are a little taken aback by the thorough going manner in which the Board of Trade has tackled the meat, question in Auckland The (lovernment finds itself practically committed to supplying meat from the requisitioned stocks at Imperial rates to retailers in any centres where there is a shortage of supplies, and naturally the protests of the vested interests are lend and pointed. Just how far the scheme will develop remains to be seen. The fixing of the price to be paid to the farmers for wheat is proving a very knotty problem. The Board of Trade lias made a definite recommendation of a price lower than some of the fanner? representatives have suggested. But. tlio Board of Agriculture, which is essentially a farmers' body., has urged t higher price, and the Ministers appesir tc be hesitating. The result probably will he a compromise involving the payi ment of a higher rate than the Board of Trade considers necessary. Just what the rate will be remains still to be seen. Indications point to something not exceeding 5s fid and not less than 5s per bushel. Ministers have been impressed by the unfavorable reports, regarding, the Canterbury harvest.