WELLINGTON GOSSIP.

Taranaki Daily News, 16 October 1915, Page 7

WELLINGTON GOSSIP.

AFTER PARLIAMENT IS OVER. DEFENCE DEPARTMENT RECORDS. (From Our Own Correspondent.) Wellington, Oct. 14. Details are not yet available regarding the batch of sick and wounded New Zealandera due to reach Port Chalmers in the transports Willochra and Tofua in about ten days' time. The men are going to be disembarked at Port Chalmers, because the vessels are required to refit there for a return voyage with the Eighth Reinforcements. Compliance with the Army Council's request for the acceleration of the drafts |pr the front has made new demands upon the transport arrangements, and every day has to be counted if the men are to get away ! promptly on the new dates. Many of the invalided soldiers will come north in another steamer, on their way to the convalescent liomes at Hanmer and Rotorua.

The close of the session has cleared the capital city of the politicians. The twelve members of the National Cabinet are still here, but some of them will be travelling shortly. One gathers an impression, in making a round of the Ministerial offices, that some of the Ministers are finding rather more leisure than they want. The Prime Minister, the Minister l'or Finance, and the Minister for Defence are very busy men, and there are other members of the Cabinet who have their hands fairly full. But apparently there is not enough work available to keep twelve Ministers fully employed at the present time. The activities of many erf the departments have been curtailed on aceount of the war, and naturally no Minister whose work is not connected in some way with the vital issue of the hour cares to make any move involving increased expenditure. Applications for the Public Works '■Loan are invited, and will close on Novembe* 1. The Minister for Finance | (Sir Joseph Ward) stated this afternoon that all the indications went to suggest a highly successful flotation. Inquiries regarding the loan had been coming from all parts of the country, and he had heard of many intending investors, Some c-f them proposing to place large sums with the Government. There seems to be an impression in some quarters that this is a war loan, but that is r.ot the case. The war loan of £10,000,000 is being raised in instalments as required through the Imperial Government. The local loan is for public works purposes.

The Defence Department never admits that it has been in error, but the Records Branch has accepted the services of a number of volunteer workers in connection with a scheme of raarganisation that may or may not have some relation to the complaints that were uttered by Diembers of Parliament during the session. The Records Office has made a great many blunders, and the fact seems to be that it has not grown as rapidly as its work. When the first body of troops left New Zealand nobody imagined, that the casualties would have to be counted in thousands, and that 'the monthly tale of recruits would mount to 4000 or so. Consequently we have incidents like the delivery of a dead soldier's effects to Ilia mother before his death has been notified, and the calling up at twenty-four hours' notice of a business man who had stipulated on his registration form for a month in which to make his arrangements.