WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Waikato Times, Volume 103, Issue 17365, 29 March 1928, Page 9

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

LABOUR LAWS. INDUSTRIAL LEGISLATION. (Special Correspondent). WELLINGTON, Wednesday. The general opinion among employers and workers alike is that, the conference which will open in Parliament Buildings to-morrow to consider Lhc , working of the Industrial Conciliation j and Arbitration Act will be fraught with no momentous results. The j popular view of Ihe gathering is that j il has been arranged by Ihe Government in Ihe hope thai, Ihe parties concerned will come to some agreement thai will save Ministers from the embarrassment of having to revise the IJ Ad on their own responsibility. So j j good a slice of luck is scarcely likely ij to come the way of the Cabinet. While the Government, naturally, is anxious lo gel Ibis bogey out of Ihe way before j| Ihe general election, the'Official Labour Party, jusl as naturally, is desirous of keeping its own particular grievances |[ alive for the hustings. The Hon. .1. : f MacCregor, M.C.L., who lately has been devoting some of bis leisure to I the dissection of the Act, thinks that while the federated employers and the bastard unions are in agreement in | advocating the retention of the Arbi- | tration Courl. reform is impossible. f The Samoan Administration. i. ! The ''Dominion" has revised i |s !j] somewhat restrained welcome to Ih'-'lB new Administrator of Samoa and ex-jj tended to him a warm appreciation, j "As a lawyer,"' if says, "he has a j reputation for sound and dispassionate | judgment; as a soldier he has shown I high moral and physical courage and | qiialilies of leadership which com- j manded Ihe respect of his subordinates: while in public offices lie has demonstrated marked administrative ability as well as a high regard for the obligations of his position. His in- | limates have described him as pains- | taking, eminently just and with a 5 broad and humane outlook: but at the j same lime firm and unyielding'in the f performance of his duly, and com- I manding respect and confidence by his || personality and character. Colonel 8 Allen bas a. dilhcult task ahead of him, ) but it would seem that Ihe Govern- J menl has made a wise choice in the | man il, has selected for that task." jj This responsible office, is warmly eii-jf dorsed from other sources find Ihe 11 Government appeal's to have chosen if Well. I I 5 Reform Kick-off. A meeting which was described by j Hie chairman, as the "kick-off" of Hie || leform election campaign, look place || ni Friday night when the Prime Mill- j|i sler addressed a large gathering "of 'l' iovernmenl supporters and members g, )f the Wellington and Hull branches |i jf the New Zealand Political Reform (i ( .'■ague." Mr Coales recited to Ids B ;ery cordial audience some of the 3 icliievenienls of the Reform Parly g luring Ihe past year, particularly (IJ dressing Ihe increase in the value of j' ■xporls from Ihe Dominion, for which jn mproved prices for wool, dairy pro- j| j luce and frozen iamb were mainly jjj esponsible, and the decrease in im- In Migration. Tile Prime .Minister tookij! s much credit for these achievements ;|j s any oilier parly leader would have i|' one. in similar circumstances, but the J l ] alhering was not moved lo any great j! leasui'e of enthusiasm, increased ex- J oris and lessened immigration bad jj ! ot reduced the cost of living nor had !?■ eslricted immigration banished un-|o' mployment. The truth of Ihe matter jjj . thai parly enthusiasm has waned iji ,ilh the years and that even the Re- Is ii'in kick-off suffered from the pre- I ailing apathy. E

Vacant Cabinet Seats. The departure of the Hon. G. .1. Anderson—the Minister of Labour, i Mine, Marine and Pensions—for Eng- | land, on holiday bent, makes it well- j nigh imperative thai the vacancy in the | Cabinet occasioned by the death of the j Hon. is. ,|. lioiiaril should be filled forlbwilh, and speculation is again i busy with the names of members of j the House who reasonably might aspire to tiie coveted distinction. Mr F. F. j Hockly, tin. member for Rolorua, who j was generally expected to succeed Mr ! Bollard on that gentleman's decease, j still is Ihe popular pick for Ihe ap- j prnaching appointment, but other j members of the House with some claim to promotion, have been about j tiie precincts lately, and il has been { suggested thai Mr llorkh on the eve of a general election, thinks Ihe chairmanship of committees, in the hand. better Ihan a portfolio depending upon an appeal to the constituencies. Mr i .). S. Dickson, the member for Parneß, Il was in town last week, and some sub- ! stantial recognition of his services as j| senior whip is long over-due. His own l altitude towards the matter is one of indifference, and this, of course, leaves tiie quidnuncs guessing.