POLITICAL NOTES.

Taranaki Daily News, 14 March 1921, Page 5

POLITICAL NOTES.

REPARATION PAYMENTS. LEGISLATION REQUIRED. (From Our Own Correspondent.) Wellington, March 9. Mr. Lloyd George’s proposal that fifty per cent, of *the money due to Germans for goods supplied to the Allies should be handed to the Allied Governments as part of the reparation payment cannot become effective in New Zealand without legislation. The Government does not intend to deal with the matter this session. Ministers, indeed, are not attracted by the scheme, which they consider would be equivalent to the prohibition of the importation of German goods. Importations from late enemy countries are liable to special customs taxation, but if they were shut out altogether certain difficulties would arise. LITTLE MONEY FOR SCHOOLS. The financial stringency that is looming ahead will not permit much expenditure on school buildings this year. Demands for new and additional buildings are reaching the Minister for Education from all parts of the country. Referring to this matter to-day, Mr. Parr suggested that districts in need of increased educational facilities might help themselves by lending to the Government the money required for the erection of the necessary buildings. The raising of loans for educational purposes had been authorised by Parliament last year, but none of this money had been asked for owing to pressing needs in other directions. He believed that if local people liked to lend money for a definite purpose they would receive ordinary Government debentures and the money would be earmarked. TOTALIZATOR COMMISSION.

The Totalizator Commission cannot finish work, in time to report to Parliament this session. The Government promised last year that Parliament would have an opportunity to review the recommendations - before they became effective, &ut this will be impossible now, since ' the racing season commences in August, and the Minister for Internal Affairs must deal with the recommendations before them. Any new permits dt transferred permits will be operative before Parliament meets for ■the second session. It is intended that the Minister shall act on the recommendations when they are received. His decisiqns will be reported to Parliament when an opportunity offers. THE MORATORIUM. Thq Government will arrange some extension of the moratorium, which 'expires in Jurle, but the terms of its proposal have not been indicated yet. It is considered unlikely that an extension will be made without some modification. LENGTH OF THE SESSION. Parliament is expected to get to work quickly after the opening to-morrow. Ministers, as well as - most members, are desirous of completing the session before Easter, and with the aid of a few late sittings this probably can be done. Calculations may be upset, of course, by appearance of more business than I Ministers have yet planned.