POLITICAL NOTES

Evening Post, Volume XC, Issue 83, 6 October 1915, Page 8

POLITICAL NOTES

| INCIDENTS IN THE HOUSE l From Trentham Camp affairs Dr. Thacker yesterday turned his attention upon another Defence matter. He asked the Minister for Defence if the fully-trained soldiers in the Defence Department, on clerical work, could not be relieved by men who were not equally fit to go to the front. The Minister: "To whom do you refer?" Dr. Thacker: "To the Defence Department." Mr. Allen: "To what part?" Dr. Thacker: "To the whole Department, and to the Minister if you like. We can do very well without him !" The Minister had already stated that the 'officers of the Defence Department had all desired to go to the front, but could not be spared. To prevent any surreptitious trading with the enemy, either from New Zealand, the Cook Islands, or Samoa, the Prime Minister stated yesterday that it is probable the Government will appoint an officer to investigate this matter. "The heart of the Native Minister is not hard towards the Maoris, " declared the Hon. W. H. Herries in the House last night, referring to himself, " but circumstances appear to make it so. Being Minister for Railways for three years -would do anything to a. man's heart." 1 (Laughter.) Certain moneys derived from the sale of Native lands and held in trust for the Natives are put under the Public Trustee's care. Last night, in Parliament, the Hon. W. H. Herries said that he had in mind the establishment of an entirely separate trust office devoted to Native affairs. The Public Trust Office at the present time had all its attention devoted to pakeha affairs, and Native affairs, he was afraid, were regarded rather as a nuisance. He did not want to do any injustice to the Public Trustee. The fund he suggested .would assist Native landowners and Europeans settled on Native lands. Yesterday the Hon. James Allen was asked questions in the House respecting the nationality of Quartermaster-Sergt. Reuss, tho question being whether he was not a German and held a responsible military position. Replying last night, the Minister said that Q.M.S. Reuss was born at Auckland, and had been some years in the Territorials. His father was born at Manchester and his mother in Wales. The Minister said that members of the House should be a little more _ careful and considerate of these men in making these assertions publicly in the House of Representatives. (Hear, hear.). This man was a good citizen of the Empire, and he did regret that anything should attach to his name that would be detrimental to him, either in his private capacity or as a soldier. He would ask hon. members, if in future they had any doubt about a man's nationality, to make enquiries direct with Mm the Minister before putting 'a stigma, upon his name. A few days ago, he added, Dr. Thacker had asked what was the nationality and military career of Adjutant Flohr. He was a lieutenant in the 2nd East Lancashires, and in the Royal Field Artillery during the period 1900 to 1909. One of his parents was Italian and the other English. He was born in England. He was shown in the Military List as a captain in 1902. • The Minister repeated that he would always be glad if members in these matters would first communicate with him. Mr. Anderson: But they would not get any advertisement out of it. The Prime Minister was asked by Mr. R. Fletcher last night when he proposed to give him an opportunity to move his motion on the Order Paper that there be laid before the House the report of the Advisory Board of Experts appointed to select a suitable man for the position of war correspondent. Mr. Massey replied that he might give Mr. Fletcher his chance while the House was waiting for the Appropriation Bill to come down from the Council. This would mean that brief period at the end of the session usually devoted to what is known to the "Mock Parliament."