WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Taranaki Daily News, 15 December 1917, Page 6

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

THE IMPERIAL CABINET. NEW ZEALAND'S REPRESENTATIVES. (Special Correspondent). Wellington, Dec. 12." The story that Sir James Allen will accompany Sir Joseph Ward to London as one of the Dominion's representatives at 1 lie "Imperial Cabinet," which is expected to meet in April next, and will afterwards succeed Sir Thomas Mackenzie at the High Commissioner's ollice is being accepted with some, reservation by fciir James' immediate friends. The Prime Minister having announced his determination not to leave the country again for a time, it seems quite likely the Minister of Defence will be Sir Joseph's Ward's colleague on this occasion. The machinery of the Defence Department is now running so smoothly be could be away for three or four months without having any real cause for anxiety. The change of scene and the comparative rest would be the nearest approach to a holiday he could be persuaded to allow himself in war time. But more than once he has expressed his disinclination to take up his residence in London while there is work for him to do at this end of the world, and nothing has happened lately, to induce him to change his attitude in this respect. DEFENCE COMMISSION. It is fairly certain that the gentlemen mentioned in a Press message from Dunedin—Mr. Justice Stringer, Mr. Peter Ranof Dunedin and Mr, Charles Rhodes of Auckland—will constitute the Royal Commission promised last session to enquire into the expenditure of the Defence Department. The publication of the names has given some color to the rumor that it is not so much the constitution of the commission «s it is the order of reference that has occasioned j delay. It could not have taken a month | to ascertain if the services of Mi. Jus- | tice Stringer and his two colleagues Wove I available. Tlie man in the street has it I. that there is a wide difference of opinion I as to the scope of the enquiry. Mr. MasI sey, so it is alleged, wishes the wholeI field thrown upon to the commission, | while Sir James Allen wants the dignity and intrigity of his responsible officers respected. It is scarcely necessary to say that in this case public feeling, as represented by the man in the street is certainly witli the Prime Minister. RAILWAY ADMINISTRATION. The outline of the Dominion's financrs communicated to the newspapers by Sir Joseph Ward has not tended to modify the criticism that has been levelled against the administration of the Railway Department during the last month or two. The Minister of Railway-, i without, of course, commenting on the i fact, lias shown that the Department is i well on the way to a big deficit for the j'firiancial year and the critics are attributing the unpromising outlook to the vagaries of the management. It is obvious to every traveller who is compelled to make use of th» trains whatever the cost may be that the increased fares are reducing the traffic at a rate that must further lessen the revenue* This is no' longer merely a racegoer's grievance, as it was, to a large extent, when excursion trains and excursion fares were the main tilings in question, but is now affecting more or less directly every member of tiie community and it will be surprising if there is not a I'ery loud protest during the holiday season. SOLDIERS' SETTLEMENT. During his northern tour Mr. Massey

is {jiving what personal attention he can to soldiers' settlement, inspecting nnt onlvoland thai liaa born offered to the Government for this purpose, 'but also land that is already occupied lly returned men, and it is hoped considerable impetus will be given to the scheme by bis efforts. '.During the early stages of tbo movement there wan a disposition on the ■part of the authorities to settle men on largo areas where .considerable capital and much labor were required before any tangible results could be obtained. But tin: number of men sufficiently well equipped to tackle undertakings of this kind were few and far between and those who tackled them without the necessary equipment were foredoomed to failure. But now the policy of the Department, is to settle the men on small farms <of good land from which they can with reasonable assistance from 'the State make a living for themselves without anv'hearf-'breaking delay. It is towards this end Mr. Massey's efforts are being directed FALL OP CUSTOMS REVENUE. The official figures show that thesimports during tbo ten months ended October 31, 1917, were valued at .€10,571,000. as compared with £21,954,485 for. the corresponding perioH of 191 G. The big decline confirms the Minister of Financed anticipation of a reduction in customs revenue during the current financial year PENSIONS MOUNTING UP. The pensions payable by the New Zealand Government at the end of Octobei represented an annual liability of ovci .€'1,180,000. The actual payments mad( in October amounted to £120,852. Th< annual liability was made up as follows: Old ago pensions, £479,435; widows .€41,331; Maori war, £42,084; war £518,700; miners, £11,550. CIVIL PENSIONS. "Under the Civil Pensions Act, 1913 and Its amendment (Finance Act, 1917) a pension of .€24 per annum is payabh to a widow with one child, whose income is under £l3O per annum, and who has been resident within the Dominioi for not less than ten years," says the annual report, of the Wellington War Re lief Association. "The pension is increased by £C for each additional child undei the age of fourteen years. Very fev widows are aware of their right to re ceivc a civil pension, and we have re cently helped ;even of them, who hat been receiving assistance from us, to re gUter their claims, which have beei granted." ■ The right to the civil pensioi ought not to escape the notice of tin widows of soldiers. CLASS A. The reservists remaining in Class J of the Second Division, between 30«K and 4000 in number, will be called u] en bloc about the second week in Janu ary. It appears that they will not b required to enter camp before June am some of them will be later. CLASS B. The. date of the first ballot in Class I (married men with one. child each) i still indefinite. The ballot almost cer tainly will not take place in Februar; or .March. There are certain advantage about giving the reservists as much no . tice as possible, but on tbo other ham the recruiting authorities do not wish t< have more names in hand «* any om lime than i 9 necessary. It is understooi that tlie present intention, is to allov an interval of not less than two month: after January before making the firs call on Class B. The reduced rate of re inforcement and the absorption of tb Fourth Brigade seems likely to make pos siblc an even longer interval.