New Zealand

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVII, Issue 28, 2 June 1915, Page 6

New Zealand

GENERAL NEWS. Peb Press Association. Wellington. June 1. "Wo have the quest ion of officers' for our expeditionary forces under, consideration," said the Hon. Jamos | Allen to-day. Hitherto, added tho Minister, tlie defence authorities had, been leaving it to the officers in om-| mand of the districts to recommend,: and this system had served its purpose so far, because there had been territorial officers with training behind them to draw upon, but it would now' lie necessary to draw upon civilians who had not had so much training, and the department was considering whether it would not,, he better at Trentham to promote them from-the non-commissioned ranks. and men who have, proved their value. I That, system, would very likely be adopted for the future, as there was .plenty of good' material in euinp at pTreutham. I .. Dunedin, June 1. The Minister of ! -Defence has replied to the Dunedin Presbytery that he does not think the placing of all hotels in New Zealand out of bounds „so far as the troops are concerned would be a .satisfactory remedy for .drunkenness among recruits. CORRECTED, SPEECH. . <JP«B ' P»BB8 AfIS«CIATJON. Wellington, June 2. An error, occurred in the report of tho' Hon. H. D. Bell's speech last night in reference to pensions. What he said "was that he did not mean to say no difference would lie made hetween men who had children and men who had none, or that no difference would be made'in the case of a man who- had been supporting aged parents; hut that when laying down the law it was impossible to discriminate between the poor and the people who were better off. THE"WAR-TAX PROPOSAL. STATEMENT BY THE PREMIER. Peb Press Association. Auckland, June 2.

to a deputation from the Sports Protection' League 'n coimecitioti 'with a ■'proposal to levy ta»atio:i on racing for- war purposes, the Premier Hon., W. K. Mas&'ey) f.j.nl he did not know whore fill the t.i!!< of n war-tax came from. There wiis really no need at present for anything in ■the nature of a special ,var ( n\. The prosperity of the Domin on was ?o great that he certainly die] rp.rt. contemplate the need for a war tax tlrs year. The extra expenditure arising i'roin the war could, he I hoaght. ! e met out of general revenue, < r with a slight increase on the existing methods of taxation. New Zealand had arranged t witti the Home Government for all the money required to meet the extra war expenditure at the comparatively cheap rate of four per cent. The war might continue for some time, and it would he wise to prepare for contingencies. Parliament would he asked to provide for a slignt increase in the general taxation. Cabinet had not decided whal coyise to pursue. Personally, lie saw ' no djklilwod of a special war-tux ■be.V-'ing on any one section of the community such as- the 'deputation seemed to fear.