POLITICAL NOTES

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 11, 8 October 1919, Page 7

POLITICAL NOTES

DAYLIGHT SAVING. An emphatic refusal was given by Mr. Massey to a suggestion made in tlie House yesterday that the Government Bhould take up and introduce a daylightsaving Bill. If was Mr. Walker who made the suggestion, and in support of it he quoted a resolution of. the Duncdin City Council. Mr. Massey: In.Toply to the hon. gentleman I may inform him that tho Government has no such intention. The Government does not 'intend to introduce a daylight-saving Bill, and tho reasons mußt be obvious. The scheino has been tried in Australia, and titer a full and proper trial it has been turned down. It has been tried in Canada, and turned down there.- It has been tried in the United States, and it has been turned down by a majority of the United States legislators. With all that experience to guide us we should be'very unwise, to try it here. SOLDIER POSTAL OFFICERS. ,A statement about the state of the staff of tho Post and Telegraph Department was mndo in tho House of Kepresentatives yesterday by the I'ostmns-ter-General (Major Coatesi. . He .made ■ the statement in reply to a question-»y Mr Poole, who wished to know something about the futuro of returned soldiers temporarily employed m tuo department. Major Coates said that tln-rewoie now 800 men on annual leave or waiting t'> return to the service, and I here.were about 300 men of the staff to ■ como. back from service with tho. Expedition ary Force. Only a few permanent appointments had been made in the war period. A number of permanent anpoimment were to be made shortly. Now >i people who had ten taken, on to the staff temporarily had liad notice that they must seek cher- employment This Voukl make room lor the 800 men waiting to rejoin; and ferine ,M men still to return. Until theso men "ere re-employed, it would to possible to say what appointments would have to bo made. TERRITORIALS'OF THE EXPEDITIONARY FORCE. v ■ Mr. Semplo asked a question in the House yesterday which many young men ■in the Territorial Force have been concerned about for some time He iclerred to thoso young members of the J erntoriai ■Forces who were called •■\) for service with the Expeditionary . Force, Buying that some of these, men had served in camp with the Expeditionary lorce for six months before: the .armistice was signed. He asked llw Minister whether it could not bo arranged that these men should be credited with this,amount of • training, and that they should be excused from this amount of work with tho. Territorials. Sir James Allen (Minister of Defence) declined to answer the ■question ofr'napd, and ho asked.that notice bo given of it in the-regular v. ay. NO GRATUITY. ■ Dr. A. K. Newman (Wellington East) mentioned in tho House of 'Representatives yesterday-that there were a few cnse.s-of men who had entered camp as volunteers early in the war and had been disabled by various nccidents while stiltt in the country.' It was no fault of these men that they had not.gone abroad, and he asked if the Minister for Defence could give them tho gratuity or aF.ow them some other privilege, such as tin; right to "secure h\nd. Sir James AEen replied that the-gra-tuity was paid solely in respect of overseas service. That point had been mado quite clear. Men who had not left Kevr Zealand could obtain land if thpy had been in camp and fit for active 'service on the date' of the armistice. • SPEEDING UP, ' Sir Francis Bell yesterday gave notice in the Legislative Council to move that the Standing Orders be so far suspended as to' permit the passage of Government Bills through all" stages at the • same sitting; DEPARTMENT OF SCIENTIFIC AFFAIRS. ,The, ; Hon. G. M,'. Thomson gave,notice in-.thei Legislative-Council yesterday to-, move that..a Department of Scientific Affairs should be set up under ttho control of a (Minister of Scientific Affairs, to 'io-ordinate the scientific activities at present, earned on by the Government in scattered departments.' The motion suggested also the establishment, of'an advisory board to assist the Minister. - THE WOMEN'S RIGHTS BILL. According to private information received in. Wellington yesterday, the various women's societies in Auckland, which are closely organised, are watching tno fate of the Women's Parliamentary Rights Bill with close attention. Considerable feeling is being manifested over the delay which has been occasioned by the amendment made by the Legislative Council, and tho question of holding .an organised indignation meeting.is being seriously considered. - ~-•'-.. PRICE OF KEROSENE. In the House of Representative's yesterday Mr. R. A. Wright (Wellington Suburbs) gave notice' to ask the Minister of Internal Affairs: (1) AVhetber it is true that at the present tbnefl ample supplies of kerosene are in stock in tho Dominion ? (2) Whether, it is also true that prices are at least 100 per cent, higher than those prevailing; before the war? (3) .Whether tho Minister will inquire into the cause of tho high prices with a view of having ah adjustment made? In a' note to his question Mr. Wright said that prior to tho war keTose,ne .was quoted at from'4s. Sd. to ss. Gd. per tin. It was now quoted at 9s. 6d., 9s. 9d., and 103. per tin. PENSIONS FOR THE BLIND. Mr. W. H. Field has given notice to ask the Prime Minister whether the Government does not consider that tho time has now come for providing pensions to blind persons .in indigent circumstances in oivilian life in our community?