POLITICAL NOTES

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 14, 11 October 1919, Page 7

POLITICAL NOTES

SUPERANNUATION

THE • RAILWAYS F UND. Tho total amount standing to the credit of the Goveniment'Railways Superannuation ; Fund at the end ot\ the financial year was -C3fi3,Soi, a decrease of i!) 293 on the balance to the credit of the fund on March';3l, 1918 (shys the Minister for Railways in. his annual statement). . The gross income for, 1 the year was «C 120,851. and the outgoing amount ,£130,145. Of the latter amount, «£SiJi969 represents grants to 105 C • members of tho 6crvice w'ho hayo retired voluntarily or havo been retired* medicaMiy unlit, 383 widows and 535 children dependants on deceased contributor to-the fund who were memibers of the service at tho' time of their death.--The income from the actual contributions of member? totalled .£"8,610,,0r ,££1,2,54 • loss .than ; tho estimated annual liability. Tho receipts are, however, augmented by tho ..Government subsidy of 4!2o,000 and amounts received by way of interest on funds invested-and lines im--1 posed under the regulations, together with a donation.. These amounted to -£17,211. The- position of the fund- is such as to render it desirable to.'have, a uothor actunrial examinationmade with a view to ; determiningiils stability-. olid it appears inevitable that, the Government subsidy of ,£25,000 pur annum must be largely increased. At the inception the rates of eciilribufcr'on were 1 fixed on too low a; basis—viz.. 3 per cent, minimum—and there are st'ft many original contributors, frlio are paying, at the 3 ,per cent. rate. Since. 190S the to(o or contribution lian been increased so/far as new entrants lo the..service .are- .cbiioorned, . but no alteration can be .made a<» regards the .original .contributor.?., -Tlie financial position,of the filhd .is such as lo entire".v preclude any,possibility.of its being aide to .bear any..increase 'in the liabilities already, imposed under existing statutes."

. WOMEN IN PARLIAMENT. The 'Women's Parliamentary, Rights Bill- is still delßTcd..!iy,'thc..d''ffwen<®;'df ; Opinion. between the ;,two : Houses. , .In< enformity-with,the'.procediire, the usual stem are being taken to .Hoose the deadlock, A conference of' managers . from •the two Houses..jvn's herd yesterday, but it was adjourned without-doing,--business. -It iv booed that the conference will meet on Monday.-Thero, is no doubt.'.about tho ■BiH in its present shape being.nllo\\'ed to pass, whatever the'result of the conference. .If. the Councjl insists on tho privilege roint,. the billy sOluHon of tin trouble. • iritt bo the.- introduction in Hie Council of ' the'Bi r .l ;to'-.deal. with theJiominatiou. of Mnieh to that Chamber.

; ... I THE LOAN.; 7 ; • "In the House.' yestwdnv . afternoon.Sir '..Joseph .Ward asked the -Finance .Minister. Whether. tho loan had.':,been fully. subscribed.. . L ,Sir.'James.Allen said.that he wAs uot V in a position to make anything like 'a definite statement, but.he .coiild,say. that) . members of Parliament might' resit satis.fied that. the, .loan' was..assured. Final . returns, from certain sources- had.' yet . to come in'. He hoped to bo able tb'uiake' a statement oil Monday'or Tuesday. scenic-reserv.es, ,i A-suggestion, that reservations- of land • ,for scenio purposes should not, be, lilted : without the consent of Parliament was -.-.-made in the; House,of Representatives bv Mi ,H. G.:;Eir,{Christchurch, South), who, remarked, that some-of, th? sawinil-' v lers on the AVest Coast, were very, anxious ,lo have -reservations removed. , '"hese -lands - belonged to the people, rnd.the liaiids of the Minister of Lands required to be.strengthened.in dealing with them. - : Tlie Minister,,of Lands (Hon. D. H. ' Guthrie) .said, that . he was,not' in favour of, lifting reservations.. But'.occasions arose where the value of the reserve had been destroyed by. fire, .The land iii that case was of no more. use for scenic pur- ' poses and no .good purpose would ..'be served' by keeping it idle., .It: would -be cumbersome to'refer all such' matters to Parliament. He, thought the Minister of Lands' could be trusted ..to, see that public Interests were protected. ' .7 . ' COMMONWEALTH:V The-,Hon. Sir John-Sinclair, gave notice' '.-in .the ; Legislative Council - yesterday of •the following ;question:—'"l -propose.-to ask i the Leader, of, the Council .'whether, ~"before any appointments, are .made of . representatives'tq attend the special.lmperial Conference', - hereafter • referred to, an opportunity \ will. be given to: both Houses of Parliament to consider the question of the readjustment of the cori- . ; of component parts of our national . commonwealth,-- '. that question, having been postponed by the Imperial War . Cabinet in 1917, for , consideration by a special. Imperial Conference to. be held as possible after, the cessation of hostilities.' - VOTES FOR;SOLDIERS' WiVES.' Sir Joseph Ward,asked : the 'Prime .Min-ister-yesterday-whether ho h:id consider-. : ed the "proposal that legislation •should - be' passed- to enable ..tlie British wives of' New Zealand soldiers' this country to.record their votes in the coming elections. ■ : Mr.- Massey said - that ; he had not yet had tinie to consider, the proposal, or to consult with, the head of the Electoral Department concerning it.. He promised to do tins during the week-end

THE HIGH 'COMMISSION ERSHI P. . 'Some'questions'.about the., High Gommissionership. were asked by Sir Joseph Ward in the House' of Representatives yesterday. ..:,; ; -- .v: . | ■ . Sir Joseph Ward' askeili lie Prime Minister ..whether ; it waJ .intended on October ■23 to reappoint 'the- present..-High- Commissioner for.a further period" of four months. He did not ask who was likelv to.be appointed to siicceed Sir Thomas Mackenzie, or anything of-.that sort.'Mr. Mass.ey said that lie. was not able .to give a definite reply,-but he had consulted." tlioiCrown Law Office-with regard- to''the position, 1 and : the opinion of the Attorney-General was that the term of the High Commissioner did not expire until four months after the date mentioned •by the : Leader of the •.Opposition/'- This opinion had 'not been given -as" the' considered decision of the Attor- • jicv-General, but -this..' was ";the position as lie:understood it: • Sir Joseph Ward: If the Solicitor-Gen-eral should advise tliat this is not the case then is I 'it the intention of the Govern- ' jnenl to reappoint 'SSr "Thomas Mackenzie? " ;' / '' ' ' 'Jlr. Massey:' Then I'will'consult'Cabinet. " V Sir Joseph Ward asked further if" an ■Amendment would be made in the electoral law this session to enable any oibc«r of the Government, lecently returned to New Zealand, to stand as a candidate for Parliament without a , period of suspension under the residence conditions. Mr. Massey: That, is the law now. Kir Joseph-Ward: I think not. T understand. that if the present High Couimissioiier wishes to .become a candidate lie cannot do so. T think ell men in such positions should have that privilew. M'\ Massev: Yes. certainly. Ihe Prime Minister added' that his recollection was that the law \lmd been/amended to liieet the case of the present High, fioniniissioner. who had returned- to New Zealand in time for u general election nftcr representing a incut Miwnany' in London for several years. He would have the matter kiol.ed up.

. ,A.t (he annual meeting of the Masterton Compelilious Society held. Inst night the following officers weiv elected :~rPre- • eident, the Mayor, Mr.'.W.' 11. Jackson: vice-presidenU, Hrigadier-General 11. IS. , Jlarl and Mr. ; G. !!. Sykes, M.'l'.; trcaFiirer, Mi'. W. G.- -Lamb; conimittee, Messrs. James Cairns. C. Spencer Compton, Alex. Donald. 'James.-.Donn.- F. E. Gooder, William Igguh'.e.n. W. S. Ja.go. Vivian Joseph, W. J'. T'alnmonlain. and Len. Travers.. , The treasurer's report, (showed a credit, balance of £12 18s. nd. Accounts amounting lo XI Gs. were passed for: payment. It was decided to hold the annual competitions in May, Ifl3o, the date to be fixed by the executive. The following wore elected, members of the society:—Messrs: R. C. Dnimmond, C. C. Ross, and-'A. W. Hollings. ' On Labour Day (October 27) a match trill be fired on the Carterton rifle raneo between rspresefltativo teams of • Wellington . nnd WaiTarapa miniature ■ rifle shots. . ' ,