POLITICAL NOTES

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 27 June 1924, Page 5

POLITICAL NOTES

THE: SESSION BEGINS. (By Telegraph.—Special to the Star.) WELLINGTON, Jape 26. With the usual picturesque formality Parliament was opened by the Gov-ernor-General, and exceptionally- large attendance of the public showing that many were anxious to obtain a glimpse ol His Excellency's final appearance in the. chief official national act of the year. 'Hie House of Representatives did no business excepting the receipt of indices of motion and questions, which provided a preliminary sign of important topics 'for debate, these including the moratorium. State advances, pensions and the railway strike. It meets on Friday to pa.ss motions of condolence and the monthly Imprest Supply Bill, NO CONFIDENCE, Mr. WilfonE s notice of motion of no-confidence was the only one of its kind noted to-day, but it mfiy.be taken for granted that Labour will shortly table a. somewhat lengthy amendment ■specifying a number of items on which, in its opinion, the Government has lost the confidence of the House. PENSIONS EXTENSION. Both the Opposition parties were in agreement regarding the necessity for more liberality in the pensions scheme. Mr. Wilford gave notice to' ask the Minister of Finance' if he will this session introduce a comprehensive measure dealing with the whole of the pension* of the Dominion, and for an extension of their provisions to blind and invalided persons. The members of the Labour Party were more explicit. Thev tabled questions to the Pensions Minister suggesting increased pensions to £1 5s in respect of widows and 10s 6d for each child. Mr. Atmore. from the Liberal Benches, asked for increases in old age and widows’ pensions. MORATORIUM ANXIETY The Governor-General’s Speech contained an assurance that '/the moratorium will be the subject of legislation, and the urgency of the matter was shown by a number of private members’ questions. ' The Hon. Mr. Buddo asked the Minister of Finance: In view of the great anxiety of farmers regarding , the termination of the moratorium, that legislation be introduced at the earliest possible moment. Mr. De La Perrelle declared in liis question; That, seeine that the Government’s taxation pdliev is making it increasingly difficult to borrow money on the security of rural lands, am 1 that many fanners now beginning to recover from the slump will fail unless the protection of the moratorium is continued, will the Government give an immediate assurance that full consideration will be given to each case by separate boards of experts for each province before the protection of the moratorium is removed, otherwise the sudden lifting of the moratorium will mean financial ruin to a large number of the Dominion’s producers. jr STICKS’ POLITICS. A surprising assertion was made by Mr. Sullivan (Avon) in a question to the Minister of Justice, that the police, when investigating regarding candidates for commission of the peace have ascertained their political opinions. He asked by whose authority such inquiries had been made, stating that in two instances in Christchurch, where the police: had ascertained the political opinion of persons recommended for commissions of peace in the Avon and Lyttelton electorates, no appointment had been made. RAILWAY FREIGHTS. The Leader of the Opposition (Mr. Wilford) suggests in a question that., as the present railway freight ,on butter is excessive and disproportionate to other railway charges, and as road competition is seriously affecting the department’s revenue, the Minister of Railways should immediately make a reduction in freight. Air. Lye (Waikato) in a similar plea for reduced freight, stated that it was particularly high on skim milk powder. NEW BILLS. t An unusually small crop of private members’ Bills made their appearance to-day. Air. Sidey disguised his familiar friend under the title of the Summer-time Bill and Air. Wilford reintroduced the Justice of the Peace Amendment Bill, which will give the Legislative Council the opportunity of relenting dn the question of the admission ol women to commissions of the peace.