Parliamentary News

Horowhenua Chronicle, 4 August 1916, Page 3

Parliamentary News

QUESTIONS AND AN.SW'EIIS. DAY. Mr EAitcher to ask the l'rime 'Minister (1) Seeing that Christmas Day this year falls on a Monday, what will be the position of shopkeepers in' the principal towns of the Dominion where Saturday is the statutory hialf-holiday. (2) As no holiday occures during the previous week, will they be compel ted to close oil the Saturday, which from a business point of view i.s Christmas Eve; and, if so, will the Government give some relief by substituting anothI or day for the hiaif-hoklay m that week* when Christinas Eve falls on a Sunday? I Tlie Rt. Hon. Mr Mnssey replied: Provision is made in the Act, By which .shopkeepers may remain open on the Saturday afternoon and evening and observe the halt-holiday on another day of the week. THE LOCAL OPTION' POLL. '-\ir onnth to ask the iiiine Minister whether Jie .will taKe neoujssary action to ensure tiiwt upon the next occasion u local option, poll is taken, Lead of the present lorm of ballot paper, which provides lor only mvo issuer—namelo', local prohibition and dominion prohibition— >a new form of tr Ilot paper be used wliieh will give the electors an opportunity of more accurately and deiniteiy expressing the:r desires upon the several important phases of the liquor question?

(Note. —Tile form of ballot paper submitted to eiectom during the recent elections is quite out of date and renders it absolutely impossible for elector!- to place on record and give expression to their true views on this que ition.) Tiie Rt. Hon. Air Massev replied: (The question to which the honorable member refers will Be considered. STATE BAKERIES.

Mr Webb to atsk the Prime Minister whether his attention liar- been ciili. d to the following cablegram 'appealing in this morning's press:-- ' 'St:: to Bakery—A Vear's Profits. Sydney. July 28. The New •South Wales Bakery shows a profit for the yeai s working of ; md wln-thn-in view of the above cablet:i'a in lie " i'l take into consideration the ;i l v - nbil'tv of establishing State b:iker : eN with a view to reducim: the '-est ol 1 i ingj' Ti <• Hfc. Hon. Air M-i-sev replied: The Government do not coiisiVor it nocr <nsry to establish Stole baker:-. - i.: the varoius centres of the Pominion. BONUSES. A lju,«!ardi to n,sk the Minister of ['"in: iice whether it i« intended that offic its of the Civil Service shall, in ■addition to their annual increment, be viven the bonus proposed by the Gov.-rnment? Tl; > Rt. Hon. Sir J. (J. 'Wird replied : The answer is in the affirmative AIR PAYNE'S DEI.i SIO.WS. A! i- Payne to ask the Alinister of Def nee whether it is a fact that a mar coriimitted suicide on the Uliimiroe(! on her last trip as a transport troi .iship, and was the man a German. 'Sih', what war, the nature of the content , of his box? The Hon. Mr Allen replied: In reply to the honourable member. T have to - late (a) that the mail- in question (a steward) shot Himself with a revolvei two days out from the first port of ( ill on the outward voyage on the last trip of the transport referred to; ami was buried at sea ; (b) that he was not a. German, but an Englishman, and a native of the South of England; and (c) -hat his belonging* comprised in adr' tioiii to clothing n few .carpenter's tools, fiiicli 'as a hammer, gimiiet, etc a few cartridges belonging to the rev. Iver used, books «n shorthand writing, together with several books on botany. including some continental wo ks, presumably to assist him in liis st .lies of that subject. lie is stated t" have been a quiet mail, who perf ; mod his duties in a . satisfactory 1. -.inner. The ship's quartermaster, with whom he come in constant contact. state® that at no time was lie found to have any German tendencies. He gave no indication that he pre-, meditated suicide, but had complained

frequently of pains over the heart, and it is the opinion of those who came in touch with him that this preyed on his mindi. It is further understood that ho offered himself for the Expeditionary Force, but was rejected owing to the condition of his heart. The honourable member may rest assured that there was nothing sensation about the man except his unfortunate end.