PARLIAMENT.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume 7, Issue 251, 14 July 1915, Page 4

PARLIAMENT.

WAR PENSIONS BILL. WELLINGTON, July 12- { The House went- into committee oa - the War Pensions Biil. Mr Hanan, speaking on the title iA the Bill, suggested that a totally abled soldier should receive £2 per week. Th e speakers all favoured au Increase upon the 255. The Hou. Allen said he had agteecl to submit the second schedule to the Defence Committee. H e hoped a good deal might bo done to teach disabled men to help themselves. Am actuarial examination showed that on an enlistment of 50,000 men it might be expected that the pension money required for one year would amount to £449,000 That would be for non-commissioned officers and men only, and did not include officers. Progress was reverted at 12.15, and on th e Hous e resuming the Minister moved that both schedules be 'referred back to the Secret Defence Committee. The Hous e rose at 12.20. POLITICAL NOTES. WAR AND RACING. QUESTION OF REDUCTION. WELLINGTON, July 12. A question 'in regard to the suggested reduction in the number of racing days in a year in New Zealand was asked of th e Prim e Minister in the House to-day by Mr L M. Isitt (Christchurch NcTth). Mr Isitt said that the Racing Conference was to be held in the city that night, and asked th e Prime Minister if h e did not think it desirable that the numbers of racing and trotting meetings should be reduced during the war. During 1914 th e public invested £4,188,594 on the totalisatok, despite the distress entailed by the war. The strain threatened to b 0 greater than ever. He knew racing men who were desirous of such reduction, and he thought that an appeal by the Prime Minister to the patriotism of racing men woaM carry weight.

Mr Massey: Do you desire the Government to introduce legislation? Mr Isitt; I want an expression of opinion from you.

Mr Massey; I was not aware that a conference was being’ held to-day. The )ion. gentleman knows more about it than I do. (Laughtdr). An Hon Member: He is a racing man. (Laughter.)

Mr Massey said lie was informed, art inquiry, that th e Racing Conference was not being held that day.

A Member: A Trotting Conference is being held to-day. Mr-Massey said the Government had not lost sight of th c matter..- It had been under consideration for some time, but up to the present legislation had not been introduced, nor permits withheld. It might be necessary to do so later, but it had not been thought desirable up to th e r resent * FANNING ISLAND CABLE STATION. In the House to-day Mr C. J. Part* (Eden) said that it was stated in. Auckland that the cable officer recently appointed to take charge of the cable station at Fanning Island w-as a naturalised German. He asked the Prime Minister if he would make inquiries. He did not know if the Government had jurisdiction. Mr Massey said he was not aware that th e man in question was a German. The cable station was not under the control of the Government, hut of the Pacific Cable Board. He would be glad to make inquiries.