POLITICAL NOTES

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16358, 1 November 1918, Page 7

POLITICAL NOTES

(SPECIAL TO "THE PRESS.") WELLINGTON. October 31. CABINET BUSINESS IN Alt REAR*?- 1 Thi3 afternoon's business in the i Hou-.c was cut short- by ; ( wiio iiH-irlf.-ntaliy spoiled a speech tuin. i | proniihod to be interesting. . Mi McCallum li.ul placed on the Oriirr Paper the New Protection Bui and he Uiraii to explain its provisions . on tin; motion :or its introduction. He , . - lid that the couutrv members were i i ol.iinrd for not showing enougn sym-1 j-.ithy for the consumers over the co>t. ■ oi living problem, and that there was 110 doubt the fanner? were doing ve.-.v -.veil at the present t' mo - " U'.t this far when Mr Mnssey inter rupted to say that, owing to deputations nnd other interruptions, Cabinet business was seriously in arrears, and be wanted the House to adjourn the evening in order that Ministers mkdu inert during the afternoon. Ifto Ilnu.-c adjourned accordingly. The reason lor this unusual step : s to be found in the that the debate 011 tho Address-in-Reply nearly ccllapsed last night. A whip managed to avjrt what would have been an embarrassing occurrence, sinre the Government is not quite ready with its Bills. Ministers are devoting this afternoon to putting finishing touches 011 tl-o business to be submitted to the House. WHITE PINE TIMBER. Mr Anderson has given notice of a question relating to white pine. He asks what steps the Government _ has taken to preserve white pine timber for local industries, nnd why the Government has not prohibited the export of white pine. TE OR A.VGA HOME. The exchange of Te Or.inga Home, near Christchurch, for a portion of tho Mt. Cook site in Wellington, was mentioned in the House to-day. Mr Witty sukod if it was true that To Oranga Homo and its estate were to bo used as a prison. The Minister of Justice (tho Hon. r. M. Wilford) said that tho Minister or Education had offered To Oranga Home to the Justice Department in exchange for a portion of the prison site at Mt. Cook, now required for tochnical education purposes. Tho exchange could not be completed without legislation, and a proposal would be placed before the House during tho session. Mr Wilford added that the Justico Department proposed to use the home as ton institution for the detention of girls who had come before tho Courts for tho first time, in order that these young and inexperienced offenders mignt be kept apart from women of the criminal class, and given a chance to reform. He believed from his own Court experience that there was groat neod of such an institution. • WATERSIDE ACCIDENTS' COMMISSION. Replying to a. question with reference to the recommendations of the Waterside Accidents' Commission m the House of Representatives to-day, the Minister of Marino (the Hon. T. M. Wilford) said that 27 recommendations had been agreed to by all tho members of the Commission, and nine had been decided by himself, after hearing tho view 3of the members. It would be necessary to amend the Harbours Act nnd the' Shipping and Seamen Act, m order to give effect to all the recommendations, and the necessary legiMa- ' tion was now being prepared, ihc Minister added that there had been a misapprehension regarding the finding of tho Commission with reference to 1 hntches. It had been stated, after an accident in. Auckland, that the man • would have been saved if a net had 1' been placed nndor tho hatch, in ac--1 oordaner with the Commission's recom- • mendation. The Commission, as a mat- > tc-r of fact, hpd not recommended the > use of nets in this way, and tho legislation would not provide for their use. Th-j Commission had suggested that hatches and cross-beams should be re- . moved without men going on the hatch, " nnd a regulation Was being made ac- ■ cordinglv. 1 CI CAMP. 1 Mr Pearco asked in the House yesterday for information regarding the CI Camp. Ho wantod to know how • many men had passed through the •' camp, how many had been transferred " to tiie reinforcements, and how many ' of the men so transferred were subsel quently discharged. Mr Pearco has T feinco been informed by tho Minister or ■ Defenco that it is notj>roposed to con- > tinue the CI Camp. The necessary or- " ders will go to districts and groups 3 shortly. Tne Ministor considers that • the camp has fully justified its exist--5 ence by providing over two reinforcements 'of First Division- men, but its coutinuance is not considered necos- > sary. A return giving tho figures ask- ■ ed by Mr Pcarce, is to be prepared. I A GENERAL ELECTION. "Tho British Parliament has decided 1 that tho war is almost at an end, nnd i that a general election is to be held . early in December," said tho Hon. D. 3 Buddo in the House to-day. "Wo in - New Zenland are the only self-govcrn--9 ing portion of tho Empire that has not e had a general election, and, depend upon it, wo are not going to be left s behind. I can assure those who think 7 thnt the supporters of the Government s should press for a general election, that d they will not need two hints if there is e a general election in the Old Couptry." d ——————— f