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POLITICAL NOTES

OHAWING THE LINE., A suggestion that tho Government would provide legislation to ineot the eoso of young men in training for the Srofession of architecture who have, lost. ieir status''through.'having gone-to the O'ont to fight before their term of training was complete was submitted by Sir Joseph Ward, on behalf of the Southland branch of-tho Institute''of Architects, to the Prime Minister in the House yesterday. Sir Joseph Ward suggested that the provision should be mndo by a olause in , thn Washing-up Bill. . Mr. Mnssey said that tho provision asked for seemed to bo a very proper one, and something ought to bo done to meet the case of theso young men. But ho proposed to lecture (lie Leader of tho Opposition for his suggestion that the. provision should be made through tho. Washing-up Bill. Did (lie honourable member remember the title of. this Bill, always referred to as the AVashup Bill? It was called, the'-Reserves and..Other Lands Disposal and Public Bodies Empowering Bill. A clause such as ..whs proposed would be quite foreign to the general purpose of the Bill. As a, matter, of .fact this Bill was becoming year by. year too bulky. The Government was being deluged with applications from all ovtr New Zealand asking for claiuwe dealing with all Eorts of matters. ' ■■ ■. • Mr. AVilford: Who is to blame? Mr. Massey: The truth is that we haye'been too good-natured in past years. We have been too ready to comply, with these'requosts, but we have to draw the line somewhere. -..- . Sir' Joseph ''Ward.'Suggested laughingly that the inclusion of the clause in the Washing-up Bill might be justified on the ground that architects were.mostly engaged in building houses and other structures, -and they; were-all-built on land! ■ -~>., ... ... .. .-'- ••..-' WAR LOANS. ' 'Dr. Newman asked l the Prime Minister in the House yesterday whether the sinking funds attached to the forced war loans- would be invested in purchasing war -loan sdrip from people of limited means, in order that there would not be so great'depreciation of the stock, and these people would* not suffer 60 great loss. ... Mr. Massey asked that notice be triven! of,the.question in order that he might give• a considered reply. WHAT A BRITISH PAPER SAID. "It; is understood that Mr. Massey, the Prime Minister of New Zealand, hastened off home immediately on. the signing of tho' Treaty.- Meanwhile Mr. Hughes is detained in Europe by publio business. These two colonial statesmen stand in sharp - contrast before the pu]bli'c eye. Mr. Massey has done notable service at onco to New Zealand and the Empire. Mr. Hughes.has perhaps served Australia very well,'but so'far as the Empire is concerned his persistent interference in highly controversial British questions' has earned for him a position which seems to demand a much smaller measure of gratitude."—Xswcas,tle (England) "Chronicle."

HOUSING LOANS. The Housing Bill now before Parliament; increases the limit of the State loans for the erection of homes, and many people are waiting anxiously to take advantage of ita provisions. Mr. E. A. Wright (Wellington Suburbs) asked in the House yesterday when the increases would become effective.; ■Mr. Massey said that people would be able to get-the money .when the Bill became law, certainly within a week or two. The Bill' was still before Parliament. and might not be signed by the Governor-General before tho end of next week. V ' THE BUTTER TAX. ■ '. A ; Suggestion. was made: by ; Mr,. J. M'Combs in the House of Representatives that since the Government had decided to refund the butter tax to the butter factories, it ought also to make'a refund to tho cheese factories, which contributed to the equalisation fund in! 1916-and 191?. ■ " . . -Mr.: Massey' asked"-, thai'.-a. question should l>a placed on the Order Paper, in order that he might reply at some longth. WIDOWS' PENSIONS. _ "Does the Government intend to legislate tihis session for the purpose of granting jvidows' pensions in their own right and not necessarily by right of children?" asked Mr. J. P. ( Luke (Wellington North) in the House yetserday. "I am not sure tliat I can answor the question in the '.'affirmative," replied the Prime Minister, .'"but I can say . that an amendment to the Widows'. Pension Act will bo brought! down, and I hope passed into law during the present session. It may not do everything that members have asked for, or that we would ilike to do, but-it willies a considerable improvement on .tho existing. state of . affairs."-. SALE OF'WOCL.

Tlie profit on the Bale of New Zealand jwool by the Imperial. t.-iovejrnroent was .the,subject.of a question asked in the House of % Mr. E. Newman (Rangitilcei).' It was important, said Mr. Newman, that the. wool should be sold by auction or in such a manner :fl3 to secure, the full.. market value. Could the P.rilme Minister inform the House what, arrangement had been made for the protection of the interests of the New Zealand producers in connection with the wood that was being shipped to America under instruction of the Imperial Government:

Mr. replied that be had cablojl to the Imperial authorities on the subject, and had received a reply io the effect tha.t.J;lie wool was to be sold by ■public auction in America, nnd that any .'profit..would' go into the profit-sharing arrangement'between the British Government and the Nenv Zealand producers. r' - ' "LAWLESSNESS"—AN INTERPRETATION. . Dnrim.' the brief debate in tho Upper House-unon tho Police Offences Amendment Bill thcf Hon. J. T. .Paul asked for .an intern rotation' of the word "lawlessness" in clause 2, which runs, as follows: —"Every person commits an offence and is liable on summary conviction before a Magistrate to imprisonment for a term not exceeding three months or to a fine not exceeding ,£IOO who incites, encour-ages,-'or procures disorder, violence, or lawlessness." Sir Francis Bell replied': "I can- only jrivo an illustration. If a Labour leatfe'r advocated-that the men he was addressins should be careful-to keep order, and to use no violence, but should go as a crowd, in serried ranks, and take possession of Government Houso and the House of Parliament. . . . lie would bo inciting lawlessne.'s and oisordor or violence." 'Ihoro was in the Act no restriction upon-freedom of speech. "You may advocate a republic if you like," finki Sir Francis Bell. "You may preach tho Soviet as the method and rule if you like, but you must not advocate that which is Iho seciuenco of a Soviet Government. .. . You must not incite a broach of the law."

BIRDS AND SEALS. Mr. W. H. Field (Otaki) has given notice lo ask the Prime Minister if ho will mako inquiries into tho alleged shameful destruction of birds, smis, and Other animals on tho islands south' of New Zealand; and if ho will communicate- with tho Federal Government, of Australia with the object of establishing a. joint policy.for the protection of tho birds and animals on the islands south both of Australia and New Zealand. It is understood, says Mr. Fi«d, that the Miicc|iiario Islands belone to Tasmania, nnd the,Auckland,'Campbell, nnd Antipodes Islands, to New Zealand. There is an agitation in Australia to protect penguins an'd other birds, together with furseals, reports having rea-ched Australia that all the above islands are being severely handled, tho birds and other animals being ruthlessly destroyed, and tho valuable seal and whale fisheries practically ruined. . THE MEAT COMMANDEER. A question about tho meat, commandeer was asked in the House yesterday by Mr. Forbes. He wished to know .from tho Prime Minister what was going to he done after the meat commandeer ran out. Ho

understood that it ran out on .Tune 30' next, Mr. Massey: Aβ a matter of fact I have not boon able to get a direct roply from the Imperial Government as to whether they are witling to extend tho requisition for New Zealand nioiit. 1 have communicated with thorn on tho matter, but so far they hnve not said "Yes" or No. Mr. Forbes': Arc. you suggesting an extension? , , Air. Massey: No, I am simply endeavouring to find out. whether they nro willing to take our meat.for a further term. As soon as wo know whether tliey aro willing, wo can make up our minds what to do. If they should agree, to take the meat for another period, then it will be for the New Zealand producers to decide whether they will agree to an extension of tho requisition, or whether ■they, will take their own chances of disposing of their meat in tho market in tho usual .way. ISLAND STEAMER SERVICE. Replying to Mr. Glover in the House yesterday, the Prime Minister said -that he had been in communication with.the Union Steam Ship Company about giving New Zealand a better steamer service to the outlying islands of the Pacific, notably the Cook Group, Samoa, and Tonga. Ho had not yet had a definite roply to the request, but a promise had been given that something better would be given. v EXPORT OF APPLES. Another request was made to the Prime Minister in tlio House yesterday for better shipping facilities lor the export of apples from Now Zealand to Britain and America. Mr. Ma'sssy snid that he had been in communication with the Imperial authorities, and also with the shipping companies on the matter. He could not yet eay that space would be found for the export of apples, but he thought it quite, likely that it would be possible to get our apples- to the best market in the.export months. . LABOUR AT NAURU. ■ A Question about labour conditions at Nauru Island was, asked in the House yesterday by Mr. Holland. He. asked the Prime Minister whether he could give the House any information about labour conditions Tin Nauru Island. Was it a fact that indentured labour was employed there? . Mr. Massey: Yes. Mr. Holland asked whether it was proposed to continue the practice, and whether it was proposed to hold workers under the same- conditions as obtained in New Guinea; where the pay was from ss. to 10s. a month, and where nietf might be flogged for insubordination or other offences.

Mr. Massey said that no such conditions would he allowed to obtain at Nauru. The labour conditions would be under .the control of the commissioners representing th 9 Governments of Britain, Australia,' and New Zealand. He had read a good deal about Nauru, and the information he had been able to obtain was that the men there working the phosphate 3 were well fed, comfortably housed, and well treated. He did not know what wages t!ey received. There were quite a number of labourers on the island. Some of them came from adjoining islands, and there were also a number of Japanese workers there.

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/DOM19191025.2.42

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 26, 25 October 1919, Page 7

Word count
Tapeke kupu
1,779

POLITICAL NOTES Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 26, 25 October 1919, Page 7

POLITICAL NOTES Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 26, 25 October 1919, Page 7

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