WELLINGTON NOTES.

Hokitika Guardian, 17 September 1917, Page 4

WELLINGTON NOTES.

THE SECOND DIVISION. PENSIONS AND ALLOWANCES

(Our Special Correspondent)

Wellington, Sept 1-1

Communications coming from tho provincial organisation of tlie Second Division League have stirred the Central Executive into activity and Ministers and private members of Pai liaim’nt. are now being made aware of the fact.

There is a feeling abroad, provoked mainly by Sir James Allen s reticence on the subject, that the Government is going to meet the League’s demands for increased pensions and allowances a good deal lfss than half way, and that an attempt will be made to hold over the tinal decision till after the session.

-This, however, will be strongly resisted by a majority of the members, who have taken alarm at Sir James s attitude and are disinclined to surrender any of their constitutional rights to the Ministry.

A DETERMINED FRONT

As much, as this was made plain by the debate on the'second reacting of the Expeditionary Eoices Amendment Bill in the House last night. This measure, of course, had nothing to do with pensions and,allowances, its principal purpose being to exempt clergy of all denominations from compulsory military service, but it gave members an opportunity to air their views on the subject nearer their hearts.

S 3 Mr H. Poland, the member for Ohineanu i, whose candour certainly is not restrained by any prosppets be may have of succeeding to the vacant seat in t lie Cabinet, delivered himself of a scathing indictment of the Government for its delay in dealing with the demands of the Second Division and announced his readiness to remain in Wellington till after Christmas if such a penance were necessary' to ensn*c justice being clone.

'A GENERAL ELECTION. When the Parliamentary Kepi csontatioii Adjustment Bill, which is intended to provide machinery for members of the Expeditionary 7 forces recording their votes at the next general election', was in committee in the House last nighty Mr A eitch, the member for Wanganui, .whose gen nine desire to test the feelings of the constituencies no one doubts, proposed ail amendment to the measure with the object of bringing about a general election during i lie present year. The Prime Minster, taking up the same attitude as he did towards Mr Witty’s Bill, which proposed a shorter out to a general election raiseci the point that no private member could'intreduce an amendment of this description, it involving an appropriation, and he was again quite constitutionally upheld by the Speaker. Air Massey undertook, however, if a majority of members formally signified their wish to have a general election, he would do his best to bring one about.

TIIE PROSPECT. It would be difficult to discover just how the private members of the House feel towards the idea of holding a general elect ion this year. Ju flic lobbies there certainly is a majority favourable to ati appeal to the constituencies forthwith.

They declare the electors ate dissatisfied with the National Government, which, they say, makes for neither efficiency nor economy, and that they would be glad to see it replaced by" an Administration more fully representative of the views of the mass of the people. But there are not a dozen members who will definitely commit themselves to voting for a dissolution this year. Ministers, on the other hand, state quite frankly that on personal grounds they would not be at all averse to an early 7 election. They 7 believe it would send them back to Parliament stronger than ever and with an extended lease of life that would relievo them of all party auxieties.