POLITICAL NOTES.

Taranaki Daily News, 4 August 1917, Page 6

POLITICAL NOTES.

A DRASTIC PROPOSAL. (By Our Parliamentary Reporter). Wellington, Amust 1. The plain warning rriven !bv the Minister for Finance in his Budget that people who are able to contribute to the war loan and neglect to do so mav lie forced to provide their share of'war r.oats by means of special taxation seems to have pleated the members of the House. The proposal is drastic, but as one member put it, "it hits in the right place." The high ofliccrs of the Treasury could name, if they would, certain wealthy individuals who have not vet made any effort at all to provide money /or the needs of the State in the present critical ftime. These jneople are told now that if they do not lend their money to the Government they may have it taken from them by means of "a tax designed for ,their special benefit. The man who lends his money gets interest, with ultimate repayment of principal. The man who waits to be taxed will pay just the same and he will get no interest. The Finance Minister, it is understood, does not expect to have to enforce the measure he suggests. The required £24,000,000 ought to bo forthcoming tvithout compulsion. It is a huge sum for New Zealand to find, but the money is here and it has got to be paid over.

AN 'UNCWSrVJNCING REPLY. The Minister for Railways made an unconvincing reply to the House of Representatives to-day when he was asked why tho 'Department ho controls was appealing for the exemption of ballotted First Division men and at the same time discharging other men, usually of tho Second Division, who could undertake the work for which the ballotted men were stated to be required. He said in effect that casuals must go before permanent hands, and that all the fit railway servants would reach camp in duo course, having regard to the convenience of the Department. In other words, the anomaly was duo to a careful interpretation of the letter of a regulation never intended for war conditions. Members are disposed to press the point. They do not seo why fit First Division men should be retained in the service of tho Railway Department a day after they are duo in camp if there are casuals capable of taking over their work. SNAPPING UP OUR LAND. The member for Otaki suggested to the Government that "persons are already coming from non-conscript Australia, to buy up farms in New Zealand, which are thrown upon the market by reason of the conscription of our farmers and farm workers." He asked alro if the report was true that Germans and other aliens were profiting in the same way. The Prime .Minister said that tho Government had no information on the subject, but was investigating with a view to legislation. BIG TRANSPORT ARRIVES EMPW. The case of a big transport which lie alleged had returned to this country empty was mentioned in the House of Representatives by 'Mr. T. M. Wilford, who asked whether this was due to the operations of a shipping ring in England. It was important that ships should return 'with cargo in view of the shortage of shipping at these times. Mr. Massey said that he was not in a position to reply regarding the individual ship. The instructions generally at the other end were, that transports were to be loaded for the return voyage if cargo was offering. All the transports, and the loading of them, were under the Shipping Controller in England, and that gentleman certainly would not allow a ship to leave empty if cargo was available. THE FIRST DIVISION UNFITS. "I am aware of a statement by Captain Baldwin that of the First Division over 30,000 men had been rejected amedically unfit," said the Defence Minister. "The medical boards which amine members of the Expeditionary Force are composed of eminent memberof the medical profession, who hav< placed their services at the disposal o! ' the Defence Department. It does nol ; necessarily follow because a man win 1 volunteered twelve month's ago and wa: '' then rejected for -medical reasons tluv " he is to be regarded as permanently un " lit. In hundreds of instances these mei e on re-examination by the medical board: * have beeu found to come up to the re quired standard."