WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Wanganui Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15183, 31 March 1917, Page 7

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

RECRUITING. THE BALLOTTED MEN. * (From Our Special Correspondent) WELLINGTON, March 30. Now that the machinery for the working of the compulsory clauses of the Military Service Act is in fid/ operation, the authorities are able to take a much more confident view of the future of recruiting than they were a few months ago. They begin on the assumption that one-third of the men drawn in the ballots would be available for service, and at first their expectation seemed unlikely to be realised ; but the latest ligureswiow that their conservative estimate was rather below than above the mark, and that any anxiety that may have been entertained in regard to tilling future reinforcements may be dismissed. The balloted men. with very few exceptions, are going into camp readily, and even those who have unsuccessfully appealed for exemption are accepting: the decision of the MilitaryyServicc Doard philosophically. and very soon becoming undistinguishable from their --Aunt-ary comrades. THE NEW BRIGADE. For the most part the formation of a further New Zealand Brigade at the front from the reserves that had accumulated behind the firing line is regarded here as a matter for congratulation, but some of fhc critics, not altogether unnaturally, are urging that advantage should have been taken of the presence of superfluous troops to relieve those men who have been in the trenches practicallv since the beginning of the. war. The Minister’s answer to this is. of course, that New Zealand is not increasing its obligations by the formation of the now Brigade. Its contributions to the Imperial forces will be in no way increased. The reinforcements will be sent away in their regular order at just the same strength as was arranged in the first instance. As for the long service men, they certainly are entitled to very special consideration. but it is doubtful if any large number of them would care to be withdrawn at the present time. ELECTORAL REFORM. The announcement that the imperial Government will introduce into the House of Commons a Bill to igve effect to the recommendations of the Speakers’ Conference in regard to electoral reform in the Mother Country is causing some little jubilation among the Social Democrats here, who 1 eve been trying for years past to promote a similar movement in New Zealand. Of course, most of tip? reforms being sought at Horae have been , already effected in the Dominion, hut the one the ultra-progressives consider the most important of all never has been seriously attempted. They ;re hoping that Mr Massey’s and .Sir Joseph Ward's support of proportional representation—piebald, in one case, they say, and half-hearted in the other—will he concentrated and quickened by what they sec and hear in London, and ’ ->t they will return to New Zealand determined this country shall no longer be without what Mr Asquith calls a truly national Parliament. THE AESENT MINISTERS. The statements concerning the business of the Empire Council Cabinet attributed to Mr Massey and frir Joseph Ward in the cablegrams f: om London this morning are held ay many people.to give colour to the persistent nunour that Mr Massey and hir Joseph Ward have made arrangements for considerably prolonging their stay in London. Mr Massey talks of the possibility of a lengthv investigatory vi.y't to Ireland in connection with the Homo Rule question, and Sir Joseph Ward declares the subject cannot be even discussed bv the Conference till the end of Anril. With these engagements in view, the Ministers cannot expect to leave before the end of May, and tip's would be too late to enable them to reach the Dominion in time for the opening of Parliament in the following month. The Ministers in town profess to have no further information on the subject.