WELLINGTON NOTES.

Hokitika Guardian, 15 August 1917, Page 1

WELLINGTON NOTES.

THE AGE OF SERVICE

NINETEEN YEAR OLD LADS

(Our Special Correspondent)

Wellington, Aug 13

If the Government has been seriously contemplating lowering the age Gimit for military service to nineteen, it certainly has been doing so without any idea of conciliating the members of the Second Division. It may be in the minds of the Minister of Defence and his colleagues that it would be wise on economic grounds to postpone calling up married men for another year, even at the cost of sending youths under twenty into the firing line, but they have received no encouragement towards this conclusion from any considerable body of the reservists immediately concerned.

Judging from what is happening here and from the reports coming in from other parts of the country, the members of the Second Division, speaking generally, are as adverse to their responsibilities being cast upon “the'boys in our playgrounds,” as one of them has put it,

as they are anxious to see proper provision made for the dependents they may leave behind. THE SECOND DIVISION. This question of pensions and allowances is the one thing feally concerning the mairied men who honestly recognise their duty in the present crisis. The suggestion that the age limit should be lowered has not come from them or from any of their organisations. But this very question is the one occasioning the Government most perplexity. The Prime Minister, Minister of Finance, and the Minister of Defence all have admitted the soundness of the claim of the members of the Second Divisiou to special and generous consideration.

But it is obvious that if the war went on for another couple of 3 r ears, a dread contingency which must be taken into account, the payment of the pensions and allowances proposed by their representatives would involve the country in an enormous expenditure. It is this prospect that is engaging the attention of the Government just now, not the' expedient of taking boys from school 1 to save the skins of the married men. FREEDOM OF SPEECH. Though .Mr. P. C. Webb’s return tohis place in the House after his “unavoidable” 'absence since., the beginning of the session was not accompanied by any of the spectacular eiiects his friends desired, the member for Grey made an opportunity on Friday, by asking leave to introduce a War Regulations Amendment Bill, to relieve himself of a speech which would not have, been at all inappropriate to the occasion He spoke with a good deal more restraint than usual, a fact that was " commented upon in the House, and that lie -kept well within the bounds of propriety may be judged from the fact that such levelbeaded members as Sir John Findlay, Sir James Carroll, Mr. Sidey and Mr. Craigc voted with the minority that would have given him povmssion to introduce the Bilk Altogether the incident left the House with the impression that Mr. Webb had accepted his recent experience in a very proper spirit. i v ILLICIT BETTING. Air. A. A. Wright, about the last member of the House the casual observer would expect to know anything about the pernicious ways of the bookmaker, is asking the Attorney-General a series, of questions concerning liis intentions in regard to this public nuisance Ho wants to know particularly “if in view of the approaching race meeting in Christchurch” 'lie. will take some steps ' “to limit the present colossal operations of the bookmakers in AVcl-

lington.” It is long past time some, tiling was done in this matter. I t is as easy to hack a horse in Wellington when a race meeting is going mi at Riccarton or Ellerslie or Trentliani as it is to jbgck it on the course and the bookmakers seemy to take scarcely any care to conceal their opera, tions. It is understood Mr. Herdman iias drastic legislation’in preparation, but in the meantime tlio evil is assuming alarming proportions. THE FINANCIAL DEBATE. : The debate, on the Budget is losing nothing in vigor, and little in interest, as it progreses. The Canterbury members for Christchurch East, As.hburtori and Hurunui being the selected speakers, and it wa's noticeable that the two whips from opposite sides, Mr Nosworthy and Mr Forbes, were just as frank as any of their predecessorshad been in criticising the National Government. Air Forbes realised the Government was unpopular and ho did not like it very much himself, but he was satisfied tlio idea of a' National Government was acceptable to the mass of' people and he believed Ministers would have come back refreshed had they been required to face an election. As it was they had got out of touch with the constituencies and had failed to grasp many of the big problems arising out of the war. Plain speaking of this kind, is becoming increasingly tymimon on Hie floor of the House. A. dearth OF DOCTORS. The member for Tatimarunui, who for some time past lias been making urgent representations .to; the M ini sty’of Health .in regard to th.e scarcity* of doctors in the country-districts, has mentioned the subject once or twice in the House lately. It seems that* in Air Jennings’ own widely scattered district no fewer than seven doctors have been lost since the> commencement, of the war, four baling gone to the front and three having died, , with the result that many families are left beyond .tho reach of medical assistance. ty The Minister lias promised to .do whatever may be possible to remedy this grave state of affairs, and already lias made provision for maternity cases, but the difficulty is to procure qualified men on any terms and till this is overcome the trouble cannot foe altogether removed.