WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 220, 15 September 1917, Page 5

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

THE SECOND DIVISION. PENSIONS AND ALLOWANCES. (Special Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, Sept 14. Communications coming from the provincial organisations of the Second Division League have stirred the Central Executive into activity and Ministers and private members of Parliament are now being made aware of the fact. There is a feeling provoked mainly by Sir James Allen’s reticence on the subject, that the Government is going to meet the League’s demands for increased pensions and allowances a good deal less than half-way, and that an attempt will be made to hold over the final decision till after tile session. This, however, will be strongly resisted by a majority of the members, who have taken alarm at Sir James’ attitude and are disinclined to surrender any of their constitutional rights to the Ministry. A DETERMINED FRONT. As much as this was made plain by the debate on the second reading of the Expeditionary Forces Amendment Bill in the House last night. This measure, of course, had nothing to do with pensions and it s principal purpose being to exempt clergy of all denominations from compulsory military service, but it gave members an opportunity to air their views on the subject nearer their hearts. Mr H. Poland, the member for Ohinemuri, whose candour certainly is not restrained by any prospects he may have of succeeding to the vacant seat in the Cabinet, delivered himself of a scathing indictment for its delay in dealing with the demands of the Second Division and announced his readiness to remain in Wellington till after Christmas if such a penance were necessary to ensure justice being done. A GENERAL, ELECTION. When the Parliamentary Representation Adjustment Bill, which is intended to provide machinery for members of the Expeditionary Forces recording their votes at the next general election, was in committee in the House last night, Mr Veitch the member for Wanganui, whose genuine desire to test the feelings of the constituencies no one doubts, proposed an amendment to the measure with the object of bringing about a general election during the present year. The Prime Minister, taking up the same attitude as he did towards Mr Witty’s Bill, which proposed a shorter cut {5 a general election, raised the point that no private member could introduce an amendment of this description, it involving an apand he was again quite constitutionally upheld by the Speaker. Mr Massey undertook, however, if a majority of members formally signified their wish to have a general election, he would do his best to bring one about.

THE PROSPECT. It would be difficult to discover just how the private members of the House feel towards the idea of holding a general election this year. In the lobbies there certainly is a majority favourable to an appeal to the constituencies forthwith. They declare the electors are dissatisfied ■with the National - Government which, they say, makes for neither efficiency nor economy, and that they Avould be glad to see it replaced by -an Administration more fully representative of the views of the masses of the people. But there are not a dozen members who will definitely commit themselves to voting for a dissolution this year. Ministers, on the other haiTd, state quite frankly that on personal grounds they would not be at all averse to an early election. They believe it would' send them back to Parliament stronger than ever and with an extended lease of life that would relieve them of hiTI paVfy anxieties.