WELLINGTON NOTES.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 251, 1 April 1915, Page 7

WELLINGTON NOTES.

MR F. M. B. FISHER.

Wellington, March 20.

Some interest attaches to the announcement that Mr F. M. B. Fisher, iatc Minister for Marine in tile Massey Government, will leave for Great Britain on Thursday next, and expects to Jbe away from the Dominion for a prolonger period. Mr Fisher has already presented his collection of parliamentary books to Victoria College, and people are remembering that he stated before the general election that his defeat in the Wellington central contest would mean his retirement from politics. He was defeated crushingly, the majority against him exceeding 2000. Mr Fisher I is a comparatively young man possessed of force of character, genuine ability, and a gift of fluent and effective speech. His political career has been erratic, but nobody can say that it has not been successful, and Wellington will miss him if he retires permanently from the political field. Possibly the Government may find employment for him in London, and rumor has been busy in this connection lately. The term of the (present HJgh Commissioner, the Hon. Thos. Mackenzie would expire in the ordinary course of events in August next. It is reported that Mr Mackenzie's term has been extended until the end of the year, and of course lie will remain in London for some years to come. But, on the other hand, the Dominion may require a new High Commissioner at the beginning of the new year. Then there has been a report that Mr T. E. Donne, the Trade and Immigration Agent in London, may be returning to New Zealand soon. If this should be the case, there would be a, vacancy that v>robably Mr Fisher could (ill 'creditably. Many politicians would like to know, by the way, if the Hon. T. Mackenzie has any intention of re-cnterinsj New Zealand politics. Some interesting political history has still to be written reearding the circumstances under which he was appointed to his nre?ent office in London immediately after Hie defeat of his Government in the House of Representatives.

NOT DOING ENOUGH.

. "I doubt if \vo are doing" enough," said tlic Prime Minister last week when speaking of New Zealand's contributions to the military forces of tlie Empire. "Personally I would like to do more, and if tlie Imperial authorities can indicate some; direction in wliich we can do more, I am quite sure that tlic Government and tlie people of New Zealand would be glad to accede to the request." These words have been made the text of a considerable amount of discussion in Wellington, and a large section of public opinion appears to share Mr Massoy's conviction that the Dominion is not doing enough, without agreeing with his implied suggestion that there is nothing more to he done until the Imperial Government makes a request.

The Minister of Defence threw some light "upon the attitude of the Government in the course of a conversation with" your representative to-day. "Are you getting all the men you want?" he was asked. "Recruits are joining forward steadily." he (replied. "We require about" two thousand men every month to fill the ranks of the reinforcement drafts and the men needed in the near future are available. The Fourth and Fifth Reinforcements are in camp or are waiting to go there when orders reach them. The Sixth* Reinforcement is nearly filled and will be ready by the time it is wanted. We get a certain number of additional recruits every day, and there does not ?ee:n to be much present cause for anxiety on that score. It is possible that special efforts to stimulate recruiting" may he required later on, but so far, I, as Minister of Defence, have not been called upon to take the platform in an appeal for men or to make any special demand noon the patriotism of the rbung men.

"I fully sympathise with the point of view of tlie man who is willing to volunteer for the front if necessity arises but who does not feel justified in imposing great sacrifices upon his dependents as long as there are young men without special responsibilities rendv and willing to fill the ranTis," added the Minister in reply to another question. "The unmarried men and, the men without dependents ought to ! he taken first, and the regulations at present in operation have been prepared with that consideration in mind. So far, as I have said already, we' have not had to make an appeal to every able-bodied man to offer himself, though one cannot say what necessities the future may create. T must admit that as I walk down tlie street I look at the young men I pass and wonder why they have not volunteered. The thought may do them' an injustice sometimes, for they may have been rejected as medically unfit or they may be waiting the order to go into camp. I considered tile possibility of issuing a badge to he worn by !)••»» wlio had volunteered, but who son or another were not

Tlie badge might be gran!/ • sons who are giving servie. pire in other than military The suggestion was made to met..at the stokers on the steamships, for instance, deserved recognition of some kind. But the obstacles in the way of the issue of a badge \v,ere reported' to be serious." "Are you likely to increase the size of the monthly draft?" was the last question put to the Minister. "I think not," said Mr Allen reflectively. "Special circumstances might arise, and I would not speak too denitely on the subject at this stage of tlie war. But at the moment it does not appear that the Dominion need extend . its efforts. The Allies arc gettingall the men they require. Their cry is for munitions lather than tor men. General French has emphasised that point during the last few days, and one can see even from this distance that there is more anxiety over the provision of guns and ammunition than over the supply of men. We wf!T continue to send monthly drafts from tins country at the present rate as long as tlie war lasts."

INSURANCE FOR SOLDIERS. Some of the men who are going to (lie front with the expeditionary force have tried to insure their lives for the benefit of the dependents whom tliey

urc leaving behind. They have found that a special rate has to be paid to cover the extra war risk" and that the amount of cover allowed in this respect seems tu have been regarded as a hardship by some me n who were prepared to pay the increased premiums on policies lor fairly large sums, but the insurance concerns naturally desire to place bounds upon the risKs they are accepting under the unprecedented conditions created by the great war. The Commissioner of the State Life Insurance Office, replying to a question npon the subject to-day, told your reprcsentaivc that the officers of his Deparement nave given a great deal of attention to the matter of insurance for soldiers. The conditions were novel, and it was necessary to move cautiously. The holders of policies issued just prior to the outbreak of war were able to enlist without having their rights under the policies diminished in any way. They continued to pay premiums itt the original rate and if they lost their lives in the service of tiie Empire, the policies would be honored in the ordinary way. But obviously it was impossible to issue new policies without restrictions to men who were about to enlist or who had already donned the khaki. The risk was not an easy one to calculate", since the experiences of previous wars might not be a reliable guide to the probable death-rate under the conditions of warfare to-day. The Government Life Insurance Department had been charging the soldiers £5 per £IOO of insurance over and above the usual rate and had limited the amount of the policies to £2OO. Under these conditions short term policies had been issued, usually for periods of three to four years. The position is being considered now by the officers of the State. Department as well as by the actuaries of the private insurance companies and probably the soldiers will be able to secure somewhat improved terms in the near future. The extra rate of £o per £IOO is based upon figures collected during the South African war. The mortality tables during that war indicated that the special risk in the case of soldiers on active service amounted to no more than five per cent, over and above the ordinary risks taken by the citizen at home. But the actuaries admit that they have serious doubts about the wisdom of accepting those figures to-day* They are disposed to believe that the risk is underestimated in the case of oflicers and possibly also of men. The mortality rate among the officers already at the front lias been startlingly high.