NOTES FROM THE CAPITAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 28 February 1916, Page 6

NOTES FROM THE CAPITAL.

MR. ALLEN'S PLEDGE. (From Our Own Correspondent.) Wellington, Fell. 20. The Minister of Defence is reported to have pledged himself, when addressing the St. Kilda Borough Council, "to retire from office if compulsory service did not become law" in. the event of the new recruiting system proving unsuccessful. Mr. Allen is one of the three members of the Recruiting Board, which has assumed responsibility for finding 2400 fit wen every fourth week, ai:J St is generally known that lie does not see eye to eye with his on the Board, Mr. Ma9sey and Sir Joseph Ward, on the question of policy. He believes that the time has come already for compulsory service, while the Prime Minister and the Minister of Finance, on the other hand, are convinced that the voluntary system should be maintained as long as it will provide the men that the Defence Department needs for successive reinforcements. The two party leaders, it may be mentioned, both express their confidence in the readiness of the men of New Zealand to respond willingly to the call. THE RECRUITING SYSTEM. The difference of opinion regarding the system of enlistment need not affect the operations of the Recruiting Board, but it seems unfortunate, under the circumstances, that the new body should have assumed responsibility before it was ready to work effectively. The Defence Department found the 13th Reinforcements and then handed over to the Recruiting Board the task of securing men for the 14th Reinforcements, due to enter camp early next month, and subsequent drafts. The old recruiting machinery remained in existence, of course, and men have been registering eVery day. But the figures show that the change of system checked recruiting temporarily, owing, no doubt, to the desire of the available men to see what the Board was going" to do, and it is obvious now that the new system will not be in working order throughout the Dominion in time, for the 14th Reinforcements. There is some reason to fear that the draft will enter camp short. The danger may disappear during the next week, but in the meantime the public ought to understand that a shortage for next month's draft will not necessarily mean that the new recruiting system is in effective. The scheme has not yet had its chance. The last of the alphabetical lists showing the men of military age in the various recruiting districts wtte posted only yesterday, and probably are not yet in the hands of the local organisations. Some of the local bodies have not yet met to consider the creation of the required local organisations; others are still discussing the question, and a few have refused to help. It :s true that a great many new bodies haw undertaken 1 their new duties wi-,h enthusiasm, but even in their case thcro has been scant t;me for effective work. The Recruiting Hoard and the 1! bruiting system should be given another month at least to prove themselves. The possibility that the scheme may not be as successful as its authors have hoped lends additional interest to the persistent rumor that Parliament will be summoned in April. The Ministers are not revealing the intentions of Cabinet in this respect, but some usually wellinformed politicians are expecting Parliament to meet well in advance of the usual time. Your correspondent was informed in a Ministerial quarter that an official statement on the point might be made next week,

[ VVAE PENSIONS. One reason for believing that thoje will bo a session of Parliament at an early date is to be found in tlie growing demand for an amendment of the War Pensions Act, in the directions of providing pensions by right for the widows and children. The Ministers have no difficulty in showing that the War Pensions Board at the present .time is administering the Pensions Act in a very liberal spirit, and that no wife is being denied the full pension on the ground that her husband lias left her a little money, a home or a small income. But the fact remains that the Board has power to grant loss than the full pension, and the married men want to have the position made perfectly clear before they join the forces. RAILWAYMEX'S WAGES. ' j Cabinet is likely to make a fairly sub-1 stantinl concession to tlie railwa'ymen. The Ministers naturally dislike proposals for increased expenditure at the present juncture, and the sum of £200.000 involved in* the demand of the railwaymen for an extra shilling a day is a very formidable item. But the men are able to show that the wages are lagging far behind the increasing cost of living, and. moreover, they are very earnest in their agitation. The question of who is to provide the £200,000 or any smaller sum tiiat may be granted is another matter. Tlie Minister for Finance will want new revenue to meet this extra charge, and probably the users of the railways will be asked to find the money.