POLITICAL GOSSIP.

Taranaki Daily News, 29 July 1915, Page 4

POLITICAL GOSSIP.

CHIEFLY ON DEFENCE MATTERS. {' By Telegraph.—Special to Daily New*. Wellington, Last Night. 'There is no dearth of officers for reinforcements, and no shortage of ofttoera with good qualifications offering," ulil the Defence Minister to-day. "I am not disposed to.put any difficulties in the way' of gentlemen who conßlder thar have the necessary qualifications, ami art; obliged to wait their turn for appointment in New Zealand, trying their fortune in England, and am only too pleased to know that in many instances they have been successful in obtaining commissions in Imperial regiments. In answer to a question put by Mr. Okey, the Postmaster-General said thit .• huge despatches of newspapers, occupying many hundred cubic feet of space, were made by every mail by way, of Australia. "I am unable to agree* to send newspapers free ai cost," said Mr. Rhodes. "Tlie newspaper postage t» Egypt is Id a copy," he added, "and'the cost of landing the --cwspaper at the post office at Alexandria is more thus. Id. The Defence Department is willing' to send, free of cost by transports, for hospitals in Egypt and Malta any newspapers forwarded by rail to the • Shipping Office, No. 3 shed, Kin?'* Wharf, Wellington. The papers wiJl be carried by the Railway Department fraa of charge. There is no objection t« sending any newspapers as freight by anv opportunity." Mr. Anderson (Mataura) asked tlie Government whether they would bring into force part IV of the Defence Act, 1 (MM), so that all who come under that part of the Act might be trained in military duties for the defence of Nw Zealand. This portion of the Act author-, i ises the Cfoverninent to call out the militia, containing the whole male population. for defence purposes. "The terri- > torial force with its reserves is available fur the defence of New Zealand," replied the Minister of Defence. l, lt is not considered necessary to have recourse to part IV of the Defence Act. 1909, which is a compulsory measure for use only in time of grave local emergency.