TROOPS MOBILISING

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 36, 6 November 1918, Page 4

TROOPS MOBILISING

Tho concentration of tho Forty-seventh Reinforcements began yesterday at Trontliam, when a small number rf men from the south went into camp. The total nuitfber to go in will be only 267, as tho mobilisation of tho draft has been postponed till February, excopting those meu who wished, for various reasons, to go into camp now. The draft would havo been larger had not the Auckland quota of about 120 men been held back on account of tho influenza epidemic in the northern city. The Wellington City and Suburbs quota will parade at Buckle Street Barracks this .afternoon, and will proceed to camp to-morrow morning.

POLITICAL NOTES

PARLIAMENT ADJOURNS AGAIN Parliament mot again yesterday and adjourned until to-day in commemoration of the signing of an armistice with Austria. Tho Legislative Council dealt with a little business before the adjourn, ment. Tlio House took no business. Tho Prime Minister mado some references to tho news of Austria's downfall, and lie was followed by the Minister of Finance and several members, including the member for Grey, who had something to say about secret diplomacy and capitalism in relation to the war. ADDRESS-IN-REPLY. Tho debate on tho Address-in-Reply is to bo resumed in the House to-day. The indications are that the debate will not hayo a long lease of life. Prevailing opinion in tho'lobbies is,that the joyful war news has taken much of tho sting out of criticism of the Ministers. Members are looking forward to the future rather than to the past, and thosewho came prepared to assail tho National Government strongly in connection with the cost of living, Defence administration, and so forth appear to be allowing their mkvances to slip into the back" ground. THE NEW CHAMBER. Last week, when members were com" plaining about the poor acoustic properties of the new 'chamber of the Houen of Representatives, the Minister of Public Works promised that some drapings , would be placed in. tho galleries .tcl deaden echoes. Motives of economy 01! of patriotism have induced the Minister to use flags for drapings, and tho Press Gallery is now gaily decorated with the Union Jack, the Stare and Stripes, and several New Zealand ensigns. There ia a similar display in the Ladies'' Gallery. The five men who spoke in the House yesterday happen all to have clear voices, so that the effect of the flags on the acoustic properties of the chamber was not tested ' enemy aliensTwo of tho first Bills to appear in printed form'are Mr. Vigor Brown's Registration of Business Names Bill and Naturalised Subjects' Franchise BillThey are both aimed at enemy subjects who havß ■become citizens of New Zealand by naturalisation. Provision is made for the registration of all firms and persons who carry on business under business names. Tliese Bills have been before the House on other occasions, CENSORED PUBLICATIONS. - In tho Legislative Council yesterday, afternoon the Hon. W. Earnshaw moved s "That thero bo laid upon the table at the earliest date a return showing the names ot all the books and publications which have been censored by the Govurnmenfc since tho war began up to the present date. The dates upon which each book or publication was censored, the names of such books and publications detained from which such censorship has been removed, and the sources from which tho Government has been guided or called upon to determine such censorship." Mr. Earnshaw said that in view, of the war situation ho did not wish to debate 1 ' tho matter, but he- thought it necessary that a public record should be. made of the publications which had been 6ubjeoted to the censorship. Sir Francis Bell stated that he could not promise that tho return would meet every detail set forth in the motion. -When a return was asked for in the Council rather than in tho House of Representatives, the Council would understand that the discretion ot tho Government would have, to be exercised as to the public advantage of the matter that was to be m< eluded in the return.

THE GERMAN COLONIES. Emphatic protest was made by Mr. J. Payne (Grey Lynn) in tho House of Representatives yesterday against any suggestion that Germany's colonial posses' sions should be returned to /tor. 'A' friend of mine told me," ho said, "that a diamond mine found in one of Ger- ; niany'e African colonies tarns out to be one of the finest diamond mines in the. world. Possession of this will do a. great deal to recoup the war deb't of the Allies, and in ray opinion it should be 6eized for that purpose." The enunciation of a policy consonant with progressive thought and along Socialistic, lines, he said, would offer to the German people immediate cessation of hostilities if the. Germans undertook to 'lay down their aims, place the Allies in possession of their forts, war vessels, and ceneral defences. At the same time, the German .people should bo empowered to have ft council to administer tho German Socialist State. If that were carried out we would disarm Germany for all time. -