PARLIAMENT.

Taranaki Daily News, 12 April 1918, Page 8

PARLIAMENT.

Wellington, Last Night. The House met at 2.30.

LOCAL BILLS. The Prime Minister gave notice of Ilia intention to move that local Bills he introduced this session though all formalities had not been complied with, and proceeded with next session as from the stage they reached this session, without being advertised.

11EPLTES TO QUESTIONS. Replying to Ml". Reed, Sir Joseph Ward said lie would inquire into the proposal that soldiers' tontine life insurance policies should be Ijcept in force as though the soldier was still alive- If anything was to be done provision would have to go into the Finance Hill. The difficulty hp saw at the moment was that such a step would, vitiate the first principle of the tontine system, but if it could lie done, no doubt it should be done.

Replying to Mr. Dixon (Parnell), Mr. Massey said if it was necessary the Government should intervene to regulate the price of butter they would do so. Tlie Government had been advised by the Imperial authorities that no more butter could be shipped to Britain, but that would not affect the industry verv much, as the bulk of the butter had already 'been shipped. The Government was framing regulations to deal with the whole position, which would be gazetted hi a few davs.

Replying to Mr. Anderson. Mr. Massey said the question of apprentices who returned from the front, and who desired to return to their trades, was coming before Cabinet in a. few days with a view to improving the position.