POLITICAL NOTES

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 19174, 3 December 1927, Page 14

POLITICAL NOTES

[THE PRESS Special Serrice.] WELLINGTON, December Samoa Commission Report. In reply to the Leader of the Opposition, Mr 11. E. Holland, the Prime Minister said that the report of the Joint Committee on the Samoau petition was ready for presentation. The report of the Royal Commission which sat at Samoa had now arrived in his office, and would be considered by Cabinet, but it was quite possible that it would not be laid on the table of the House this session. It would, however, be made available for members and be presented to the House next session. Imperial Conference. The Prime Minister stated in the House of Representatives to-day that ho had prepared a statement on the last Imperial Conference which he was prepared to table, although he doubted whether there would be an opportunity for discussion this session. The Leader of the Opposition: We don't want the statement unless it is to be open for discussion. Dealing with the status of the representative of his Majesty the King in New Zealand in connexion with the decisions of the Imperial Conference, the Prime Minister said there had been no alteration, and as far as New Zealand was concerned 110 change was sought. The present form of communications was entirely satisfactory. During his tour of New Zealand the for State for the Dominions would be looking into the question of the liaison officer. The new arrangement provided that there would bo an officer from the British Government stationed in New Zealand and a New Zealand official stationed in London.

Youths Who Evaded Drill. In the House of Eepresentatives tonight Mr 11. E. Holland, Leader of the Opposition, mentioned the case of a Christchurch man of 20 years of age, Allan Launcelot, who had been imprisoned in Paparua prison for 14 days for having failed to attend military drill. He had been fined &5 for failing to attend drill, but later had been exempted from military service after the production of a medical certificate that he had a tubercular arm. He was now serving a sentence of 14 days. This was, he thought, an extreme case. Another boy of 17, he said, was shortly to be arrested and taken to prison, and he had heard that there were to be other imprisonments. These boys, said Mr Holland, should not be taken to the common gaols. The Hon. Mr Eolleston, Minister for Defence, said he had no knowledge of the circumstances, but he would make immediate enquiries and ascertain the facts in the morning. The Hutt Road. A clause in the Finance Bill makes provision for a special payment to the Wellington City Council out of the Main Highways revenue fund in commutation of fees chargeable in respect of motor vehicles using the Hutt road. In this clause some southern members to-night scented another injustice to the South Island. Auckland and other members joined in the protest, alloging that Wellington was receiving a huge concession.

Mr Howard said Wellington had got in first and had "put it over" the Minister, with the result that that City had taken a big slice out of general taxation and had got away with the swag. He suggested that it was highway robbery, but Wellington members had the cheek to get up and thank the Minister, Mr Kyle said that people in the South would also form a Suburban Highways Board if they could get an authority similar to that which was being granted to Wellington. Mr Armstrong said Wellington was on the spot and was in a position to put it across the Minister. Sir John Luke pointed out that the City had made the road at great cost. The Hon. Mr Wright said there was not another case like this in New Zealand. If Wellington did not receive this special grant they would be throwing back on the City half the responsibilitj- for the road. Sir Joseph Ward said it was quite evident that the critics entirely misrepresented the. position. No concession whatever was being made to Wellington. The Minister for Railways said the Wellington motorists had been paying a special fee (£1 10s a year) for using tho bitumen road. The money would now come out of the petrol tax. If anyone could show him that an injustice was being done he would see that it was altered. „ The clause was then passed on the voices.