POLITICAL NOTES.

Taranaki Daily News, 11 September 1917, Page 2

POLITICAL NOTES.

(By Our Parliamentary Reporter). Wellington, Sept. 7. THE ESTIMATES. The House of Representatives readied tfoe estimates early this afternoon, and (•"'tied down to pass the national ac;o\mts in the usual way.. Tlie classes that come forward early in the day are sure always of keen discussion. Then as the night wears oil the House becomes less critical, arid between 11 p.m. and midnight a wise Government, understanding the ways of Parliament, is likely to slip through a few classes that would have brought down a shower of questions and complaints at an earlier hour. The railway estimates were reached this afternoon, and several members, including Mr. Veiteh and Mr. Wilford, assailed the railway administration. The General Manager of Railways was the special target of their attack. Members have an idea that Mr. Hiley, who is paid £3OOO a year to manage the railways, ought not to have blossomed into Colonel Hiley, whoso lime is occupied very largely with the work of the Defence Department. SECOND DIVISION, Sir James Allen, answering a question, made another statement regarding the Second 'Division. He repeated that the 'first ballot in the Second Division would be taken in October, and that the men selected would be taken into camp in January, it being intended to allow all married men three months between ballot and mobilisation. He had found that existing legislation did not allow the •medical examination to precede the baldot, and he was considering this point in ■connection with an amending Bill, which would be brought down shortly. ALLEGED GRIEVANCES. Members of Parliament are getting taore cautious than they used to be about bringing forward publicly the grievances that are represented to them by soldiers and dependents. They are ■finding that it pays to hear both sides of the case before they throw a brick at tho Defence Department. The other day Mr. Clover told a harrowing story of the mother who was being turned out of her house by a hard-hearted landlord while lier four soldier sons were fighting in France. But later the Auckland member, in tile light of futlier information, felt it necessary to apologise for having brought the matter forward. To-day Dr. Thacker mentioned a case of apparent blundering. A married man living at Palmerston had been arrested in his home, dragged away from his wife and four children and sent into camp, He refused to give the name, but the Defence Minister said he recognised the case and mentioned the name on his own account. The man's name was Gavin and the facts were quite simple. Mr. Gavin had enlisted twice volun'/irily at Palmerston and had be«si rejected on medical grounds. He appeared determined to get away and so came to Wellington and enlisted a third time. Ho stated in answer to the usual questions that lie had not enlisted previously and had not been attested. It seems that he omitted also to mention that he was married and had four children.

n The,man was accepted for service on this occasion, attested and ordered to report for transfer to the camp on a certain date. He did not present himself on that dato and in the ordinary course search was made for him. A mail who enlists voluntarily and tsikei the oath of attestation becomes a soldier and is not at liberty to change his mind subsequently. A warrant was issued for Gavin's arrest as a deserter, he was found nt Palmerston and taken into custody. Sir James Allen added that the case had beeen mentioned to him first by another member of the House, with the result that the facts had been investigated. \ RAILWAYMEN'S PROMOTION.

"If members want to alter the classification system I quite agree with them," said the Minister for Railways this evening in replying to a suggestion that he ought to give better chances of promotion to young men of proved ability. "Tlie classification is a cast iron rule. If a Minister should pick out a promising young man from the bottom of the classification list, he would have forty or fifty other men appealing against the appointment. The system is statute law and it a]most debars a Minister from making au appointment on the score of ability or promise unless the man who is at the top of the classification list Ims done something that would convince an appeal board that he ought not to have the appointment. Then the Minister who picks out a promising taan for promotion is always liable to be charged with, favoritism. I quite agree that it is a proper thing to pick out the best men, but unfortunately no Minister cafl do it when he is bound by a classification list."