POLITICAL NOTES.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 18220, 7 October 1919, Page 8

POLITICAL NOTES.

rFROM OCR CoRRIBSrONDENT.] WELLINGTON., October 6. UNION STEAM SHIP COMPANY. !. The member for Taranaki asked the I'Prime Minister to-night if he would -take Bteps to break down the monopoly .Feld by the Union Steam Ship Company. He proceeded to put point to bis request by informing Mr Massey that the steamer Adolph Woermann. was recently advertised to sail for Sydney with accommodation for a limited number of passengers. When several intending passengers applied for berths they were informed that before they xxrald be booked the consent of tho Union Company would have to be obtained.

Mr Massey replied that he was not aware that such a state of things existed, and he would be very glad to .make inquiries into the actual position «f affairs. VOLUNTEER ENCOURAGEMENT. Two questions were put to Ministers to-night dealing with encouragement to volunteering in New Zealand. Mr Russell gave notice to ask the Minister of Defence if he would consider the desirability of introducing legislation to revive naval volunteers at the principal ports of the Dominion, so as to develop our first line of defence- _ Mr Witty asked the Minister of Defence to place a sum on the Estimates for the encouragement and maintenance of volunteers, and to do away with the present expensive system of military training. GERMAN WOMEN AND CHILDREN. “ I have not heard that Germany has been ruined by the war/’ declared Mr Ell in calling the Government’s attention in the House to-night to a circular being sent around the Dominion calling for subscriptions to assist German women and children by sending them milk and clothing. If this was to be circulated he thought New Zealanders ought to be aware of the infinitely worse sufferings of the French people in the devastated areas. Mr Massey stated that he knew nothing about the circular, but no goods could be sent to Germany without the consent of the Minister of Customs, who would look closely into what was , going on. i Replying to another question, Mr Massey , said he knew there was great hardship in many European countries. \ The Hon G. W. Russell advised hiß successor in the portfolio of Internal Affairs that no fund could he established unless approved by the Minister, otherwise the fund was illegal. A GERMAN TRANSPORT. “Was the steamer Adolph Woermann the right class of vessel to transport New Zealand troops?” asked Mr Walker (Dunedin) of the Prime Minister, when bringing forward a complaint that this vessel was rejected'' by the Canadian authorities. He had been told by a soldier who was on board that the sergeants’ mess was right in front of the hospital, and the ship wjs only built for short runs and was in a bad state of repair. Mr Massey said that the Defence Department would make inquiries. He suggested _ that the. name of the sKp ■was sufficient to satisfy him that it was not much account. Mr Walker: Give us some guarantee that that class of ship will not he nsed in the future.