WELLINGTON NOTES.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 16821, 20 August 1920, Page 7

WELLINGTON NOTES.

NEW RAILWAY RATES. GAZETTE BEING .PREPARED. HI lELEGEAPH. —OWN' COKUKIifONDENI. WELLINGTON, August 20. The new schedule o.t rail v> ay pates is almost completed unci now requires no lurllier deluded cous;derauou uy Gauinct, hut it is not expected that the tiazeue making the auuouneeiueiit can ho issued to-day and no iiitormauoii can ho given in the meantime, as the new rates are inter-dependent and the schedule requires to no considered as a whole. In view ot IIA delay, it is now believed that it will bo impossible to bring the rates into operation on -holiday, hut the postponement will not he tor a day longer than is essential, as each day’s delay means the loss ot about ihtduO. COAL FROM AUSTRALIA. The decision of the Federal Government with regard to control ol Maitland coal is serious for Now Zealand. This morning the Prime Minister was inundated with telegrams from public bodies and industrial concerns pointing out what the eliect would bo on business, hut beiore those began to arrive Mr. Massey had taken action. Ho had cabled to Mr. Hughes pointing out howserious the position would bo in relation especially .'to tho Dominion railway tralfic and asked the Federal Prime Minister to see that the Now Zealand supplies are not interfered with. BUSINESS OF HOUSE. The House will make an early start with the estimates to-day and the sitting is expected to he a long one. Among the matters for early considertrtion are Justice and the Cook Islands, which aro not expected to take much •time, especially in view of the recent debates on the latter question. E.F.C.A. TO MEET PREMIER. Representatives of the E.F.CiA. will meet tho Prime Minister next week to consider the new agreement and the result of the ballot taken by the members oL the association. No serious difficulty is anticipated.