NEW ZEALAND NEWS.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume 7, Issue 260, 20 July 1915, Page 4

NEW ZEALAND NEWS.

POLITICAL NOTES.

.WAR PENSIONS BILL.

WELLINGTON, July 19.

The War Pensions Bill to be reported to-morrow from the Defence Committee, but it is jusrt possible that it may nor be re committed until tomorrow. It is believed that the scale of pensions is to be made more liberal in certain particulars, and if this is s.'i the amendments will leave to be submitted to the House by Governor

Message

NO NATIVE LAND BILL.

It is not Ikely that there will be a. Native Land Bili this session. Of course, there will, as usual, be a number of clauses in the Washing Up Bill dealing with native land matters. THE FINANCIAL STATEMENT. TTio Budget will not be presented to Parliament to-morrow, as was intended' by the Hon. .las. Allen. After the Financial Statement has been submitted to the House, Mr. Allen is to relinguish control of Finance, leavingthis department to the Prime Minister,, but as he had prepared the Statement about his own year of administration, he is to deliver, it to the House. Thesggestion has ben made that the delating of the Budget is in some way c<yanccted with the coalition scheme.

BELGIAN WOMEN. CANNOT BE SPARED. ' In reply to a letter forwarded br the New Zealand Gevernment in April last to the Belgian Minister in Londoa regarding the immigration of Belgians to the Dominion, the following cable message was received to-day:

“With reference to your letter of the 7th April, the Belgian Minister states that owing to th e heavy loss in population sustained during the war, the Belgian Government mnch regret that they are unable to consider the suggestion for the encouragement of immigration of Belgian women. They wish to express thanks for the kind proposal of the New Zealand Government. rr -

THE PRICE OF BUTTER. WELLINGTON, July 19. m Since the latest advance in the pane© * of butter, factories, so leading grocers state,. ar e supplying only one grade instead of three as formerly, and this one grad e is the first sold wholesale at l/7i and retail at 1/9 per pound. “What has happened to the other grades?” one grocer was asked. “Them say they have none left,” was the rw> ply.

Ther e is no compulsory grading of butter for the local market.

TRENTHAM COMMISSION.

FURTHER EVIDENCE,

WELLINGTON, This Day

At the sitting of the Trentham. Camp Commission to-day, Mr W. H*. Morton, Wellington. City Engineer, explained'in detail the sanitary and general arrangements at the camp. He stated that h e could see no reason why th e camp should not be in every way sanitary, in view of the situation, the winds and the nature of the soil. If the camp were in the middle of buildings he might consider it congested, but as it was in the open, he

did not se e how it could be crowded*

THE SEASON’S PROSPECTS.

WELLINGTON. July 19,

Experts are predicting that the pric e of butter will fall within the next three or four weeks owing to the rapid’ increase of the output as the open for the new season, but no fait is yet reported on the local marke*.. The still at 1/9 perpound retail. Reports from the country indicate that ther e is a tendency still on the part of the factories!! toturn to the production of cheese, which is highly profitable at the prices now ruling on the home market, and likely to rule until the armies ar e demobilised. The Government has had its attention drawn to a report that a consignment of New Zealand butter returned from London is going into bond 1 preparatory to being re-exported to Australia. Apparently the regulation prohibiting th e export of butter, except by consent of th e Minister of | Customs, does not cover this operaion. Butter or any other article held in bond is not in the Dominion from the Customs Department, and there does not appear to be anything to prevent the merchants from sending the much-travelled consignment to Australia, wher e the price is higher than m New Zealand.