POLITICAL NEWS.

Taranaki Daily News, 18 October 1919, Page 6

POLITICAL NEWS.

DOMINION FINANCE. MORE TAXATION FORE-SHADOWED. Wellington, Thursday. By Wire —Own Correspondent. The Prime Minister made an emphatic statement regarding Dominion finance to-day in reply to a suggestion that sellers of hide 3 a.z me, Governments prices should receive grants from the Consolidated Fund to bring the prices up to the export value. The Consolidated Fund has its limit, he said, and we have very nearly, reached the stage where it will be necessary to ask for more taxation. Enormous demands have been made upon the pub- ! lie funds during the last six months. There are the bonuses to State employee? on account of the increased cost of living, the cost of the epidemic, the subsidy on wheat and the subsidy on butter. All these things mount up and our expenditure has increased by leaps Mid bounds. Presently we will have "to take a pull." Speaking on the same subject later in the day Mr Massey' said that any large'■ addition to the public expenditure must be accompanied by increased' taxation. He did not see where this taxation was to be placed. Parliament would' have to meet early in the New Year and consider the whole financial position. | TRAFFICKING IN HOUSES. When the Housing Bill was committed to-day Mr C. A. Wilkinson (Egmont) asked what provision the Government proposed to make to prevent trafficking in houses. The object of the Bill would be defeated if people were allowed to sell the houses at a profit. He suggested the State should retain the title under some arrangement. Mr Massey said the tenants would not be allowed to sell for ten yeara. He thought that this safeguard probably would be sufficient. It was not' possible to compel people to live in y>e same place indefinitely and some provision for transfer would be necessary. WOMEN IN PARLIAMENT. Wellington, Last Night. Mr. Massey told the House to-day that it was impossible to reach an agreement with the Legislate Council regarding the amendments to the Women's Parliamentary Rights Extension Bill, and that the House must choose between accepting the Council's amendments and losing the Bill. He preferred to accept the lesser evil, and moved that the amendments should be agreed to. This motion, was carried, after a little discussion. The position now is that women are entitled to become candidates for seats in the House of Representatives. Mr. Massey stated that he had arranged with his colleagues in the Legislative Council for the introduction of a Bill there containing the provision for the admission of women to the Council. This will get over the question of privilege raised by the Council, and the Councillors will have to vote on the direct issue. They probably will decide to accept women as members of their Chamber. MENTALLY WEAK CHILDREN. The need of additional provision for the training of children who are mentally weak was urged in the House to-day. There are at present two institution* dealing with these children, both in the - .South Island, but the institutions are full, and many children who need the training arc remaining in their homes, where there is little chance of their mental incapacity being overcome. Members asked the Government to recognise the fact that dull children unablj to assimilate instruction at the ordinary schools could be made useful citizens by special training. The Prime Minister replied that the matter was receiving attention. Girls were being trained at Richmond, near Nelson, and boys at the older school at Otekaike. A general scheme to meet tho needs of these children was being drawn up, and would be submitted to Parliament next session, The problem was a particularly difficult one.