POLITICAL NOTES.

Taranaki Daily News, 8 October 1917, Page 8

POLITICAL NOTES.

LAND FOR SOLDIERS. From Our Parliamentary Reporter. AVelltagton, Oct. 3. The Prime Minister stated to-day that the Land Purchase Board has power to purchase the freehold property of any member of the Expeditionary Force should it consider the land suitable for sub-division and settlement and the price reasonable. An amendment of the Discharged Soldierß' Settlement will be introduced shortly granting further facilities to enable all classes of holdings to be acquired for discharged soldiers. TRENTHAM AT CHRISTMAS. The Minister for Defence states that during the Christmas holidays Trentham camp will be emptied of all but the mini-, mum staff and some 1200 men of the junior draft mobilised early in December. These latter will be accommodated in the canvas camp at Heretaunga, There will, therefore, be opportunity to air the huts adequately. SENDING SUGAR TO ENGLAND. The fact that sugar may not be imported into the United Kingdom except under license was mentioned in the House to : day,* Some people in New Zealand haye been in the habit of posting parcels of sugar to friends in the Old Country, but the British Post Office i s stopping the delivery of such parcels and tbfe PosJmaßter-General has conveyed this information to postmasters in this Dominion. CAMP GOODS FOR OFFICERS. Mr. J. Payne (Grey Lynn) asked a rather pointed question in tlje House today regarding the supply of coals and groceries from the military campsito officers residing outside the camp. He produced a telegram purporting to show that:two boxes of groceries had been despatched from Trentham camp to an officer residing at Upper Hutt. The Defence Minister said that he had no information on the point and asked that the question should be placed on the order-paper.

STEEL FROM SCRAP. The Industries Committee reported today on a petition from a Christchurch firm, which asked for a subsidy from the State for the production of steel from ecrap. The committee had no recommendation to make. The report'gave rise to a debate which wandered from the utilisation of scrap steel to the development of water power and of New Zealand's mineral resources. North Island members expressed their keen anxiety for the "harnessing" of some of the rivers and lakes of their districts and pointed to the success of the Lake Coleridge scheme, the Government's initial venture of this kind, as proof that delay was unwarranted. They mentioned a dozen schemes that ought to receive the immediate attention of the Public WtSrks Department. There was no reply from the ministerial benches. Ministers have explained already that they cannot find money for the development of water power while the war is making unexampled demands on the State's financial resources.