LABOR REQUESTS.

Taranaki Daily News, 10 July 1919, Page 5

LABOR REQUESTS.

MINISTERIAL REPLIES. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, Last NightA representative of the Federation of Labor and New Zealand Labor Party placed a number of requests before Ministers of the Crown. The Ministers present were: Sir James Allen, Mr. MacPonald, and Mr. Hemes. Sir James Allen said many matters had been mentioned that would require legislation. This applied to widows' pen. sions, the amount of which was determined by law. His personal opinion was that the widow's pension, as provided by law, was not what it might be. He had no doubt the Government would give consideration to what had been said on the subject. He agreed that the Government ought to deal with mentally deficient children, but did not agree that nothing had been done ,till now. As to the request that the Government should do more in connection with the enrolment of electors, considerable efforts had been made to induce people to enrol, but certain electors apparently did not value the electors' vote. He thought a man had an individual responsibility to get on the roll. The extension of municipal trading powers was a matter for the consideration of the Government. He would bring the matter before Cabinet. The Hon. Hemes, referring to the question of the reduction of hours of work in shops, said an amendment to the Shops and Offices Act, Factories Act, and Arbitration Act had been on the stocks for two or three years, but recently there bad not been time for domestic legislation' Replying tq the demand for the release of the conscientious objectors, Sir James Allen said the law tied the hands of the Minister of Defence, and after some years' experience he was not sure that Members of Parliament had not been right in tying the hands of the Minister. The question had'been considered by the Government several times already, but had not yet been decided. The matter would be' up lor .consideration again at an early date.