POLITICAL NOTES.

Taranaki Daily News, 15 August 1917, Page 6

POLITICAL NOTES.

DEFENCE HATTERS. A discussion of Defence matters arose in tho House to-day in connection with thci presentation of a paper dealing with i.iekncss in camps. The speakers, who included the redoubtable Dr. Thackcr, had not. much that was new to say. They complained that the Minister for Defence did not take Parliament and the country into his confidence, charged him with shielding incompetent officers, and revived old si cries regarding the unwkolesomeness of Trentluun camp. The members carried on the debate until two minutes of the time fixed by the standing orders for the tea adjournment, so that the Minister hqd very slender op--s>ortunity for reply. lie managed to "touch one or two of the points. It is interesting to no+ice that the paper presented by the Minister contains an official defence of Trcnlham camp. Yet the Defence authorities in practice, are admitting that, the rumors of two years ago had a basis of fact, since they arc keeping ike number of men in Trentham camp at a minimum, and are not permitting the recruit drafts to stay there at nil MR. WEBB ON THE JOB. Mr. P. C. Webb (Orey) made his complaint against the War Regulations today. He had moved for permission to introdu :-.<■ a 'War 'Regulations. Amendment Rill, and so got his opportunity io sneak for half an hour, lie was sjdil reciting his grievances in connection with his recent term of imprisonment on a charge of seditions utterance when his lime expired. His Labor colleague. Mr. McCombs. spoke oriciiy, in order to give the mover a right of reply, but then the Speaker ruled that the reply must not open new ground. Thus handicapped, the member for Orey did not succeed in improving a rather unsympathetic Ilcu'se. He paid a tribute to tiie concilialorv attitude of Sir dames Allen and the Hon. \Y. 1). S. MacDoliald in their handling of the coal strike, and said that if Mr. Ma-sey and Mr. Hcrdman had been similarly tactful oilier strike would have teen avoided. When he remarked that some of the greatest scoundrels dive .-.it in the House he had to withdraw and apologise on the order of the j Speaker.

MIXERS' COALITION". j "'The miners wanted some improve- : incut in their conditions, and because the milieu ,vncrs refused a eonfercr.ce ikey started the go-slow policy," -aid Mr.' P. ('. Webb. "I came up to' Wellington to interview the Minister for Mines and ask him to assist the miners to get the conference and <o end the restriction of output, lint 'I had to wait a week in Wcllingion for the Minister, lie was away in the country begging the farmers to grow wheat at an advi-nce of Ho per cent, on p-e-wiu- prices. .Sedition laws had !nvu devised to oppress workers who asked for improved conditions, hut the farmers, the political friends of the Min Her-, had been allowed to push up •prices unchecked." I i =====