POLITICAL JOTTINGS.

Hokitika Guardian, 2 July 1920, Page 3

POLITICAL JOTTINGS.

WELLINGTON, July 1. MARRIAGE LAW AMENDMENT, The -Marriage Act Amendment Bill, copy of which was circulated to-day,

makes several changes in the existing law relating to marriages. Authqrity for the appointment of women as regis.rars and deputy-registrars of marriages is contained in one of the early clauses. A second provision is that when a decree absolute fqr the dissolution of any marriage is issued, the Registrar of the Court has to forward notice to the Registrar-General of Marriages, who enters the particulars on the certified copy of the marriage certificate filed in his office, and notifies the Minister or Registrar in possession of the book in which, the marriage is recorded, in order that tlie record may he similarly endorsed. The bouts during which marriages may be solemnised are extended from four o’clock in the afternoon to eight o’clock in the evening.

THE GO-SLOW POLICY. In his speech to-night in seconding tlw? Address-in-Reply, Mr David Jones said the Labour Party were crying out for more houses, but enough houses could not be built to overtake the shortage if the labourers worked only 42 hours n week. He put this up to the Labour Party: let them go out and do a hit of missionary work among the workers. (Hear, hear, and laughter.) There* was heaps of coal on the West

Coast; let them dig it out. j Mr H. E. Holland: Let the Reform Party go out and do some of it. j Mr Jones: Very well, and I’ll go with you. When the fanners’ sons went to the war the farmers extended their hours of work, and their wives, and in some eases their daughters, also went out into the fields. The insult was that the fanners were the only ones who had kept up their production. SIZE OF SCHOOL CLASSES. The attention of tlie Minister of Education was drawn to-dqy to the excessive size of many of the classes in the public schools. Mr Nash, who introduced the subject, quoted figures from one education district alone, showing numbers of classes containing from 70 to 120 pupils. The Hon. C. J. Parr said that no question had given him more anxiety and concern that this one. The cure was obvious—more tdickers. At the present time the Department was endeavouring to secure double the number of entrants for the next teachers’ examination. compared with what they had previously had. Tt was also intended that an appeal should be made to tbe training colleges and secondary schools for men to come forward as probationary teachers. Tt was hoped that hv next year they would have so many more teachers that relief would he given as asked. The matter of teachers’ salaries was engaging the attention of the Cabinet at the present moment.