POLITICAL NOTES.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 99, 12 September 1912, Page 5

POLITICAL NOTES.

LABOR LEGISLATION

(By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent). Wellington, Last Night. The Prime Minister, in his capacity as Minister for Labor, was asked by Mr. Young to-day if he would introduce legislation providing for a secret ballot for the decision of important questions by industrial unions of workers, or by employers' associations. The Hon. W. F. Miissey replied that the Bill amending the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act, which is now l)eing introduced, contains provisions in the drections indicated.

THE DEFENCE LAW.

The Minister of Defence was asked by Mr. Bradney this afternoon if he were aware that territorials are still in the various gaols of the Dominion, and would he give the House the assurance of their immediate release.

The Minister replied that it is the Intention of the Government to introduce this session amending legislation providing for the substitution of military detention for imprisonment in case's such as those referred to by Mr. Bradney, but until such legislation was passed by the House the law as it stands must be complied with.

STATE INSURANCE. The Minister in charge of the State Guaranteed Advances Office (Hon. J. Allen) was asked by Mr. Anderson (Mataunt) to-day whether it is a fact lh.it mortgagors of the Government departments which lend money are compeuVl to insure their property with the Stat,» Fire Department, and if this is the case will they have such alterations made in the regulations as will enable mortgagors to insure their properties with other approved insurance companies. The Minister replied: '"The State Guaranteed Advances Office does not compel the mortgagor to insure with the Stats Fire Office, but it does give every facility to the State Fire Office to secure tho insurance."

DEFENCE APPOINTMENTS. The Minister of Defence (Hon. J. Allen) made the following statement . in - the House this afternoon in reply to Mr. Marnier, on the subject of promotions:--"The reason why only three sergeantsmajor were promoted was because they were the only ones who fulfilled the necessary conditions and had the nccessa-'y qualifications for appointment to commissioned rank of the nature required. The statement that the others were appointed from civilians without any previous experience is incorrect. Of flu: forty-one others appointed twenty had seen active service in the field, all except one with New Zealand contingent? in the South African war. Fifteen were specially selected from the old volunteer force as a reward for particularly good service performed in it. Four had served in the Imperial forces, and two had previous service in the New Zealand cadets. One of them (a New Zcalander) had in addition had service in a volunteer artillery company and an officers' training corps, whilst studying at college in Great Britain, and the other had ,'ive years'* service in the New Zealand volunteers (mounted rides).