POLITICAL NOTES

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 241, 6 July 1920, Page 6

POLITICAL NOTES

THE ADDRESS-IN-REPLY DEBATE CONTINUES THIS WEEK It is expected that tho debate on the Address-in-Eeply and the no-confidence motion may go on for tho whole of this week. There seems to l>c a disposition on the iMirt'of tho Government to take a decided part in this debate, and not to allow any statements, however irresponsibly made, to go unanswered. In past years the policy of Government members has been to allow suuh things to go, and to assist the Government tu get the business through by themselves keeping silence. But, they have very recently come through an election campaign, and possibly it has taught them something about the wisdom or otherwise of such a policy. At niiy t j'atc, it is reported that they have no intention of keeping silence in this debate. At same stage the Prime Minister hopes to take part in the debate, hut no "time can yet be feed for his speech. There is still doubt as to how the Independents will vote. It ssoms that they will ho split on- the issue of tlic_.no-coniideneo motion, for the general belief":'s that some of them will vote with the Government, and that some of*them will vote witTi the Opposition for the amendment. The only one of the Independents who has yet declared himself is Mr. Ijysnnr, of Gisborne. But without tho votes of any of the Independents, the Government is quite supq of a decisivo majority over the combined forces of Liberals/ Independents, nnd labourites.

THE SUGAR CONTRACT SUPPLIES ABE SUFFICIENT. Jit is the hope of the authorities in New Zealand that now, wjth the increased price to be allowed for sugar, there will be ample for New Zealand requirements. The Government has secured 65,000 tons of sugar at tho price of MI per ton,' but as the world market now is, the price for further purchases would have to bo very much higher. As hasy been publicly stated already, the price of Java sugar, which is the only other sugar available at reasonable pr.ee for the New Zealand market, is upwards of ,£BO per ton. It is understood that already the'sugar company has-sold all it<? surplus at an adranee on the price at which the contract with New Zealand was made. From jfhis.it seems safe to deduce that if the contract had to be bargained again on behalf of New Zealand, there would have to be an increase in the price. NADROISCHASE NEW ZEALAND PAYS ITS SHARE. The money for tho New Zealand share in the purchase of the assets of the Pacihc Phosphates Company at Nauru and Ocean Island wn.i paid over on behalf of New Zealand in London on June 3il. Speaking on the "NaTTru matter in the House of Representatives some days ago the Prime Minister 6ajd that he hoped shortly to have information about shipping and other things in connection with the change over from the coin- x 'pany control to the mandate control. This information he has not yet been able to obtain.