POLITICAL NOTES.

Taranaki Daily News, 2 October 1919, Page 4

POLITICAL NOTES.

SOLDIERS' EAILWAY PRIVILEGa ' (By Wire.—Own Correspondent.)' Wellington, Last NJgifc Mr. S. G. Smith (Taranaki) has asked if, in view of the fact that the Minister of Defence assesses the value of the four-week rail privilege to soldiers at £6, will he make a grant on application of that amount to any soldier who was prevented from taking advantage of the free "rail privilege on account of the recent railway cut?

WAR PENSIONS. Amendments to the War Pensions Act were suggested in the House to-day. Mr. Craigie (Timaru) asked for an amendment to the Act as applying to disabled soldiers. The Act, he eaid, contained anomalies. A man who had lost a leg at the ankle was entitled to receive 30s a week, while the rate for a man losing his leg above the knee was 325, and that for a man having his leg amputated at the thigh 34s a week. The gradation should be sharper.

The Minister for Defence said it aright not be possible to introduce ""'t'rting legislation this session. When the Bill was before the House last year the amount of the pension payable in respect of certain disabilities -was fixed by Statuc. He reminded the House that a soldier could receive an additional pension up to £1 a week if he could prove to the board that he was suffering hardship as compared with his pre-war condition, Mr. Poole asked for a special allowance for ren who had such a short stuap of leg. that they could not wear an artificial limb. The Minister said that so such-cases had come under his notice. If the cases were quoted he would have them invwtt* gated. WORKERS' DWELLINGS. Answering a question in the House tp« day, the Prime Minister said that the limit of the advance under the workers' dwellings scheme had been raised already. .He had given instructions some time ago that it should be raised to £6OO, and the Government proposed now to ask Parliament to increase the limit'to £750. Mr. Walker (Dunedin North) asked if. in the event of a worker having already raised a certain sum under the new regulations, he would be allowed to secure a further advance when the limit was extended.

Mr. Massey said the point would be considered when the legislation had been prepared. He had expected to ha?e the Housing Bill by this time, but the law draughtsman stated that the preparation of the Bill had proved to be difficult. He hoped to be able to place the Bill before Cabinet at the week-end, and then the whole matter would be considered.

Mr. Smith (Pahiatua) asked if the Government proposed to increase the income limit under the workers' dwellings law.

Air, Massey said he thought the limit ought to be increased to £3OO, so that persons earning up to that sum could secure dwellings. The Hon. G. W. Russell asked if, in the event' of workers or contractors building houses that conformed in all respeots to Government specifications, the Government would take the homes over and treat them as if they had been erected under the workers' dwellings scheme. Mr. Massey: Yes. We have done that in quite a number of cases already.