POLITICAL NOTES.

Taranaki Daily News, 5 December 1918, Page 6

POLITICAL NOTES.

(Special Correspondent.) ' k , _ Wellington, Oec. . „ [ MOTOR LORKIES. I Tt-.p suggestion that the Government should taUo titeps to secure lor *\e»v /-..1..U1U ;of.ii; ijuajes some of the innumerable aiotor lorries used 'by the British a. ii.,. - uariiig uio war was mentioned iryain in the Hqu's6 oi Representatives Lo-itiiy. i'lie Prime Minister said that the Government had the matter in naiid. lie was .inquiring about tiie price to be charged for the lorries and about the prbteibie requirements oi the local bodies in Xew Zealand. A Dii'l'iiKENT MATTER. The .Minister for Public Health stated in tiie House to-day that he did not think it would be possible fov the Government to undertake the payment of compensation to hotelk«epers, hairdressers. and others whoso places of business had been closed eompulsorily during His epidemic, lie would be more inclined to do something for the workers who had lost wages, through the closing of such places, bur. that question was hedged round witli diJliiulties. He thought tiie epidemic might to he reaardod, as far as questions of compensation were concerned, a? the act of_God. A member interjected thai the epidemic mic'it he the act of God, but ti'.s dosing of the hotels was the act of the Health Department "The matter of providing for the dependents of members of the public service who have died during the epidemic will have to be considered by Cabinet," said the Minister for Railways in answer to a question. "It probably will be impossible to make a general rule. Each case will have to be considered on its merits." THE AVIATION' P1T,1,. Wellington. Xhe. 2. The Aviation Bill, whic-'\ wi put through, committee and passed to-day without debate, provides the basis of the rules and regulations that are going to covern tl:«i iiavigsviJOi oi the air its far aa 'New Jfcalwsd is yOßseraed. Such a Bill, la normal times, would have received considerable attention, parti a. l Id-'V/ JEtom Av'ckhtiid and Owitorliury •j.f-iiibttfl, aviation sdioola in theiv o-tm districts. Put &s K.«w r,t pscscnt .?!<!«ns_ uispoied ' ; :o (.."J tvH iv,.-.] iics-j J.iio'ngil ".ts quickly - [iOK'.iM<\ TH:E ELECTRIC POWER BILL. The jMeetric Power Bill, which Tfas put through all ite stages, proilitcad u little diat-MKio 1 , dirseted fliieflv ta the ipveetfeu o£ local £8 gainst (n"i:r:\r".ent control. Many m™ b '~ TS w is!i the PovviimoTit ti> •'*and distribute n.ll the hydro - _d'*tric !'.0.'.e.: an «. &Uto monopoly. 'fh« jii.iisii-. iot replied wait 'rader present wwdHfa*. Win (•'o\?rn'i:TJßv not add tn Si* Cvta-nefel harden* ia i whoh-sale ;-"ay tfml Uwi.t ' i '' l " thorities, which can borrow in London on their «*-n .iccouut, innGt endortake ■some of: Uns water-power .levelopment if rapid ijiwrisw is to be made. Members tftc obvious reply that the interest would have to be paid whether the local bodies did the borrowing or the Govflvnmeniti. But the Minister for Finance insisted that there was a difference. He mentioned incidentally that he did not expect the Government would enter the London money-market for some years to come, but that he believed it would be possible for the local bodies to borrow abroad.