POLITICAL POINTS.

Taranaki Daily News, 27 May 1916, Page 6

POLITICAL POINTS.

THE SEXATE AXD THE CAMP. PEXSIOXS. (From Our Special Correspondent). Wellington, May 24. Tke five or six hundred guests entertained 'by the Minister of Defence at Trentham Camp on Monday fame back to Wellington highly delighted by what they aaw of the soldiers-in-making at their daily tasks. They had good "reason to be pleased. The arrangements for the entertainment .f the visitors, the cordial hospitality of the officers! and the hearty welcome of the men left nothing to be desired. The handiwork of General Henderson, Colonel Gibbon and Colonel Potter, and the zealous oflicers by whom they are assisted, was noticeable everywhere. The enmp has been simply transformed since this time last year, when it was' a cause of reproach to the whole Defence Department, ami whether the credit is due to the Minister or his officers, the transformation itself is v a matter for general congratulation. Even more gratifying than the appearance of the camp "was the bearing of the men—four thousand bronzed, hearty, sturdy fellows, enjoying every hour of their working day and impatient only for the time when' they will have their opportunity to turn their training to account "If we old fogies in Parliament were doing our part in the same spirit as these men are doing theirs," was the comment of a disgruntled member of the House during the march past, ''it would be a heap better for the country." • THE COLONEL AXD I'HE PRIVATE. The War Pensions Act Amendment Bill which came up for its second reading last night is admitted to be more liberal than the measure it is intended to improve; but many members of the House refuse to accept it a final discharge of the country's Obligation to the men who are fighting the Empire's battles. Very appropriately, Mr. Poland, the member for Ohinemuri, who led the attack upon the measure of last session and suggested every amendment the Minister is now proposing, was the first speaker after Mr. Allen, who explained his new proposals. Mr. 'Poland is one of the most thorough-paced Radicals in the Ho".se, sane and logical without any wild notions of reaching the millennium by an impracticable cut, and ho seemed to sadly embarrass the Minister when he asked him in a confiding, conciliatory tone to explain just why the widow of an officer should receive a larger pension than the widow of a private. Was it because the necessities of the officer's wife were greater than the necessities , of . the . private's' wife, or was it because the colonel, receiving 35s a day, had fewer opportunities to make provision for 'hi:, dependents than had the private receiving 35s a week to make provision for'bis? Mr., Poland paused for. a reply, but it was not forthcoming, and though members on both sides of the' House appeared to take the enquiry as a rather good jest, tlie sturdy Radical himself evidently was in deadly earnest in bis search for information.

WIVES AND CHILDREN, The Minister's claim that the concession o.f "pensions by Tight" removed the only serious defect from the Act of last session was stoutly contested by several speakers. The serious defect Mr. Poland saw in Mr. Allen's proposals was the one lie discovered in his previous proposals, the. inadequacy of the pensions provided for the men in the lower ranks and of the allowances to their dependents, and he refused to be comforted by the fact that a lieut.-coloncl's widow with an independent income of £1250 a year will jiow be granted the full pension of £l7l, and her children given allowances on the same scale. Mr. Wilford put the position .concisely. "The Bill, as a matter of fact, 1 ' he said, "does not improve the position of those wives and children who have no private means, since it does not raise the rate. But it does improve the position of the wives who have means, since they are to receive the pension regardless of their income." Both Mr. Poland and Mr. Wilford called attention to the fact that while magistrates made a practice of granting 10s a week for the maintenance of a child in affiliation cases, the State proposed to give the widowed mother only 5s a week for the same •service. Dr. Xewman, whom no one "would suspect, of entertaining, rabidly socialistic ideas, added his protest >tq those of the speakers on the other side, of'the House, and it is quite likely the Minister will have to' take back Ills. Bill for further consideration.