POLITICAL AFFAIRS

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2506, 6 July 1915, Page 7

POLITICAL AFFAIRS

THE COALITION PROPO^I* ' k NOTHING, DECIDEQYET TKere.is still.no certainty about the coalition , schema; it inay come to fruition or it may bo rejected, and it : is probably true that nobody has a vory -■■■: good idea, what its ultimate fate will bo. : The-Prime Minister. 'and Sir Joseph i 1 iWard have had a, conference, at which • i details would ■do doubt';,bo 1 discussed. 'Presumably the Prime Minister lnform- : ; ed the Leader of the-Opposition what the mind of Jiis party was.'. To-day the Opposition party, or parties, are to meet consider the proposals,'and cut of that meeting something: definite may . jomo. 1 ■ • • , TRENTHAM CAMP. ' "I hope tho House will continue the very satisfactory : method of putting through all the day's business before . : half-pasfc fivei" saidthe Primo Ministcr . .-yesterday. There is rio reason yet'apparent why tho Prime Minister's wish v. should-not lie fulfilled. Tho care-of the ,sick at . Trentham and at hospitals else'.where in the City may be discussed to- : ■ ;'d»y,= if the Prime Minister goes on with jhis .motion for tho'setting up of a corn- • , liuttee of inquiry, of. which he has given. •.: notice. ■. The Prime Minister has' stated ■; itbat he will, exclude from the commit- - ;tee all Ministers and members who may. ■ Un called to. give evidence:- This'exclu- : -.sioiiwillv apply. ■ also toithe "Defence Minister. 1 v OUR LOAN.' ' "We are.in communication with' the f:■ (Home authorities about the .raising of . our loan," said the-Hon. J. Allen.yesterday. "We have no reason to anticipate that there.will be any difficulty, ' : but they want usto get a .certain pro-: • .portion of the money here, rather than that our people, should investintho Im- ■ perial War Loan. This would, of course, : save exchange and brokerage. What we c v should like to do is to raise the money wo need from time to.timo. Under the v' arrangement we have had -.with ' the Home Government wo have had money • as wo needed it month by month; The I whole'method is very convenient for us, .■■■■■ because we are never, charged interest •for money until we are !ready to put it to use." '• THE DEFENCE COMMITTEE. ; ) The. Secret Defence Committee of tho . ' House; which, was appointed last week on. the motion of the Prime Minister . to deal with-matters relating- to the war, will hold its first.meeting-at noon i.v Th- business that will . come -'before the committee: to-day. will bo ■ mainlyi confined to the election of chair- •- man. , It is understood that the Prime - Minister, .will be chairman of -the committee. ■ THE L'ABOUR PARTV. . L'ast night a. representative :of the Labour-Party in Parliament handed the following.' statement: :(typewritten) to . .■: the.; Press ■, representatives . for publication:—"To carry on its joint action, with ;-the . Liberals and .for other, purposes, and especially to preserve it 3 complete • identity, the Labour Party .has appointed -Mr. Hindmarsh as . its chairman. :,,., Mr. Payne prefers to • preservo :■■ his identity as, an ''Independent Labour member." • There are six Labour members in the Hoase. , In .answer to ,»• question .concerning , this 'Tather-cryptic announcement) 1 Mr. . J. M'Combs,' Labour member for Lyttelton, said that the wish'of the party -, .was to make it clearly understood that /, the Labour Party was- an ally and not .'simply. a wings of the "Liberal"-- Party.