PARLIAMENT

Hokitika Guardian, 12 April 1918, Page 1

PARLIAMENT

[ TER TRESS ASSOCIATION. —COPYRIGHT.]

THE HOUSE.

, T'lu' House met at 2.30. p.m. THE REINFORCEMENTS. At the dose of the formal business A r Massey, made a statement on the subject of increasing the reinforcements during the course of which lie said in c nsequenee of an appeal from Hon. Lloyd George for more men. Government had agreed to increase the reinforcements; The speeding up of reinforcements means that men of the 41st draft, which would be normally due to be'mobilised between 28th. May and 1.-. t June, have now received, orders to P -fade during the week from 30th Apr!J to 4th May. Similarly the dates f- r the 42nd draft have been brought f: nvard from 25th to 2f)th June to 21st to 25th May. Consequently the ballotting of Class 13. of the Second Division, v ill begin before the time originally planned. The Gazette due to be published on 23rd April would have contained, in normal circumstances', only v •cretions to the First Division and ("ass A of the'Second Division. T3y tile new scheme it will publish the mimes of the first ballot of Class 8., (married men with one child). This balloting which will be speeded up by about two months, will begin probably text Monday. This balloting has been hastened to enable thp Defence authorities to give the promised notice of three months between the date of the medical examination and the date of mobilisation. Every car© will he taken to secure as many men as possible among those who have been granted leave by the Military Service Boards. After a desultory discussion. the House rose at 4.40. p.m. A LOAN BILL. At the evening sitting,, Sir J. 0. Ward introduced the Finance Bill, which provided for raising twenty millions for war purposes alone. LIFE OF PARLIAMENT’.

The Bill also proposed to further extead . the life of Parliament till the da./ of December, 1919. Messrs Forbes, Pearce, Dr. Newman, Luke, Witty, Brown and Hudson debated the Bill. At 11.25. p.m. the House rose till 11.30. a.m. next day..