PARLIAMENTARY PARS.

Taranaki Daily News, 22 May 1916, Page 7

PARLIAMENTARY PARS.

MR. MASSEY'S PROTEST. (From Our Own Correspondent.) : Wellington, May 19. Jn the course of his speech in the House of Representatives last evening, tlie Prime Minister made reference to a statement that a gunner in the New Zealand forces had shortened fuses in order that the shells might explode over the Dominion troops instead of over the enemy. This statement had been mentioned in the House by a previous speaker. Mr. Massey deprecated the circulation of such stories. He had been informed officially, he said, that the fuses were set by one member of a gun team, and checked by a non-commis-sioned officer. If a shell exploded short the battery commander would notice the fact and would investigate. Any tampering with fuses would be detected at once, and if anything of the sort had been attempted it was inconceivable that the artillery officers would not have mentioned it in their detailed reports. Members should be careful about circulating these reports without preliminary inquiry. Several interjections had come from Mr. J. Payne (Grey Lynn) during tho Prime Minister's statement. Mr. Payne said the statement regarding the shells had been made by a returned soldier who could be called to the bar of the House to give evidence. Then the Speaker, rather unexpectedly, threatened to "name" Mr. Payne if the interruptions continued, and the Prime Minister turned to another subject. SEPARATION ALLOWANCES. A question relating to the pay andallowances of members of the Expeditionary Forces has been placed on the order paper by Mr. A.. Walker (Dunedin North), vvho asks the Minister for Defence if he will increase the rate of.pay of enlisted men, and also the separation allowances paid to the wives and children of married -men The order paper containing Ministers' answers to questions has not been issued this week officially, but Mr. Walker stated in the House yesterday that the Defence Minister had replied it was not practicable to alter the present rates, which had been fixed after due consideration. THE BOARD OF TRADE.

"What Minister is at £he head of this Board of Trade?" asked Mr. T. M. Wilford (Hutt), in the House of Representatives, yesterday. "I am. The honorable member' ought to have known that," replied the Prime Minister. "I knew it all right," retorted Mr. Wilford. "The point was raised by another member, and I wanted to put him right." Early in the debate, Mr. J. McConibs (Lyttelton), had protested emphatically against the prolonged delay which occurred before the Board of Trade was appointed under the Cost of Living Act, of 1915, and had appeared to suggest that the author of that Act (Right Hon. Sir Joseph Ward), was responsible for th» delay. .