SECRET SESSION OF PARLIAMENT.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLII, Issue 10109, 26 September 1917, Page 5

SECRET SESSION OF PARLIAMENT.

HELD LAST EVENING

DISCUSSION OF WAR MATTERS

MAIN BODY NOT TO BE GRANTED

FURLOUGH

INCREASE!) PENSIONS AND ALLOWANCES.

Members of the House of Representatives met the Ministers at a "'round table" conference last night in order to receive it statement regarding the Government's proposals for increased pensions and allowances, and to discuss mutters connected will' "ie war. There was a full attendance ol i) bers. The proceedings were private Tlie official report issued by the Minister for Defence announces that il has been found impossible to arrange furlough for the Main Bodv men. and gives-sonic figures regarding the increased expenditure involved in tin- new scale of pensions and allowances. The details of the proposals are not given The repoit. was as follows: THE MAIN BODY. "At the meeting of member* information was conveyed, with very much regret, that there were difficulties and dangers in carryinn out the scheme for the granting of lurlough to member? of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force, and these difficulties, were of such moment that it had become mcissarv to cancel the arrangement. The position was fully explained to members, and the following resolution wa-s p'-Wsod: Member., of the New /.aland House

of Representatives of this conference ■ assembled, with all the information which has been supplied to them, unanimouslv but most regretfully agree that the proposals for giving- furlough to the Main Bodv :o that thev might bo able to visit their homes in New Zealand cannot under existing circumstances be given effect to. "Knowmg the great disappointment to the men who have given such untiring and devoted service on behalf of their country and the Empire and how grieved their next-of-kin and the people in New Zealand must be, the Government placed all the facts before members.of Parliament. "It onlv remains to ask the relatives of men at the front and the oublic to accept with fortitude the change which ha- of necessitv to be made. To the men the assurances must go out that this disappointment makes them more dear to their own people in New Zealand who share the m, appointuien) with them. '••N.-v. Zcalanders fully recognise now the members of the Kxpeditionarv I-orco hav#- plaved their part, aid are fully a: -tired thev will continue to do so II will be a consolation to those at the front to realise that, the, people of the Dominion have made up tlomr mind.-, to plav their part bravelv also, and that thev will wail with added'eagerness the end of the war and the return of their loved ones to their homes in this country."

PENSIONS AND ALLOWANCES

The Government proposals for increases in pen-ions and in allowances were placed before memb.-r-. The Bill dealing with pensions will be introduced without delii; . The proposed increased allowance- I<> wives, children, and other dependents of soldiers were explained to honourable mem. bers.

The pr :seni liability for pensions j s • 413.000 Tin- proposed increases on the pre sent liability amount to Intimated increased liability £ tf do alteration were; made in pensions, tlie estimated liability twelve months from now would be .■ Under tli-> proposals, the e.-ti mated liability twelve month* from now would be . 1.0bi.000 Estimated incieased liability £210.000 Allowance? to wives, children, guardians, ar.d widowed mothers: — . £ At present rates 322.788 At new rates 711,461 Increase if brought into operation at once £^88.576 The estimated liability at September 30. 1018. for wives, children, guardians, and widowed mother.-: At present rates 030,577 At new rates . . . 2.057.601 Incrou* £1.093,111 At the present rate the liability is £522.788. New rates at September 30. 1918. £2.037.691. of which £930.577 is accounted for by increased number of wives and childhcn: £ Increase 1,714.903 Deduct 939.577 Leaving £775.326 for which the new-rate? alone are responsible. In twelve months th" new rates involve an increased liability of:- £ Pensions 240.000 Allowance? 775,326 Total . . £1,015,326 Ministers and members were in conference for nearly four hours, and there was a thorough and frank interchange of opinions. Members generally appeared satisfied afterwards that the experiment \\iid been a success. They had gained information that would not have come their way in the ordinary course of Parliamentary procedure, and they had now a better idea, of the difticultics. as well as the intention,-, of the National Government.

VIEWS OF PR LSI DENT OF SECOND DIVISION LEAGUE.

(Put Peesb Association.) WELLINGTON. Sep'. 26

Referring to the official statement regarding the proposed future pensions and allowances for soldiers and their dependents, Mr Armstrong, president, of the National Federation of Second Division Leagues, said the figures quoted were very bald, but taken on their face value they showed inadequacy that fully justified the anxiety of members of the League throughout the Dominion. Regarding the Ministerial attitude towards the leagues' proposals, it was impossible to deal with details, because adjustments would rlter cases. Adjustments, however, could not alter the fact that the .totals indicated in the provisions proposed must, be hopelessly inadequate. It was sincerely to be hoped that as a. result of last night's conference, the Government would reconsider the whole matter.

THE EXPERIMENT A SUCCESS

(Fbom Ons Pabliamentar? Reporter.) WELLINGTON, Sept. 25.

Members arc disposed to regard the experiment of a secret session as a success, They wen' ill conference with Ministers for nearly four hours thi.s evening, and during that time they managed to secure u good deal of information that would no!, have been placed within their reach in the ordinary course of events, and they impressed the Government with their views rather more effectively than they could have done in open debate. The oflicia.l report that was issued by the Minister for Defence did not give details of the Government's proposals with reference to pensions and allowances. These proposals were tentative to some extent, but they seem to have been approved generally by members in the light of certain statements that were made regarding the probable duration of the war and the extent of the Dominion's financial obligations. The proposals do not go as far as the Second Division League has asked, but they represent a substantial increase on the existing provision.