POLITICAL NOTES.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LIII, Issue 173, 3 September 1919, Page 5

POLITICAL NOTES.

(By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent.)

WELLINGTON, Thi § Day— A return for which Mr jtnnmgg ~(of Tauraarunui) intends toOsl: is on? yhqvvin.g transfers of lipid made in the,- m.s*t *“ live years, and ' cases in which ' lands • were transferred to persons who are already landholders. At n resent the payment of the wfiternity bonus under the N’-tonai Prdyi* dent Fund is.limited to whpio income Is £2OO a rear or less.: MrW-fl-ford h.\s given hotice to ask- the Minister in charge of the fund' whetherhe will introduce legislation to enable > bonus to be paid to persons in ■ receipt of incomes nt> to £250. . v*

St John Findlay has given notice to ", a-k the Prime Minister what action he propo«es to take to enable .jSoDth. Afri-ca-n veterans to take Advantage of < the Discharged , Soldiers’. iSettieTßent : Act. Sir John states that th© matter wan brought lander the Prime- tMinif(#eFs notice .hv a meeting. of. .Hastings .and Napier and he then piomised to consider it. . “Seeing that the term of appoint, moot of the High Commissioner, expiips on the 22nd October," s/ud the Hos. G. W. Russell, in giving notice fit » question to the Prime Minister yesterday, “will the Government .state ite'.intentions in the matter! Wan ft intended to appoint a resident **■ as a High Commissioner;,,and was it in* tended to offer Sir Thomas Mackenzie the, appointment, for the full tejJß. allowed bv the law. of three years.'". > Mr. NewiniJn wTsheg fc> aaJGthe Prime Minister if he will .give ao, of this sh"r e of the prodts from vtho, private ssl£. and when i wool growers Atpghf to receive payment. Many farmers had' agreed-to aKocsite tberr share fund for British sailors* t - ’ yCR. ' OTATHASI’S POSITION.

WELLINGTON. This Day. : >s ; Ft ba s been noticed -that member for- Dunedin CfiJsteal, Juts, not Lean, attending recent Reform caucuses. Speaking- on the subject, this morraag, Mr -'’.tat-ham said) ho haddedared ecudv that bo would not ha ablf.tp flfj ro d ibe Refom- - port alter the present session* jyheubo intended to exercise- bia.- indepenoe#^. As this was sa he fed iuioriwd , party that he did not f®®d -j J®, attending meetings at which they JWgbt , Up discussing the future -ppbey. , -- ,l > FINANCE BILL. The Finance Bill will come- up-*? consideration today., U wiH make usual financial provision. chiefly foe discharged -soldiers ‘tn*’ --r vote for which has been largely overdrawn. ’DEATH OF GENERAL BOTHA. -- ■ -* ir A motion of sympathy on the deals of General Botha will bo moved t<y day. CABINET RECONSTRUCTION. Thre» Ministers were sworn. in today, and it .is probable their poriiohoa will bo allocated to-morrow. A Uttfo . consideration- shows GiaC.ihis te Adt a matter to ho dealt, jw»tb hurriedly. There will apparently be imme ;i , of genera! re arrangmenl. Lobby optrtion inclines to T^e , T *° ;V gey will dlveH Himself oE all save Railways and pa«sibV theßonre of Trade and LnpeiiM. li es. *.J Sir James Alien 16 already _* u *v loaded with Defence ami Finance. dir, Francis Bell is expected to retain Internal Affairs and justice. ' ' ivfr , Retries, jJtesing .relieved of ways, may, lake Customs, and Marine, • ’ ’* . ’■ ■ \,t . It- is also suggested that as Sir J antes Allen is too fully occupied. - Mr* Harries may also lake Education. .• • One of the new Ministers, either Mr Coates or Mr Hine, is regarded as certain for Agricul'ure and. r ■ S?TST* thy is suggested as (taking -.Public Health. ■ , ■ i , ■ .-■* > , v-. ;ri'i ■' : • JllSfc at present ro fn-lner appoinv - rnents will be made, but,, possibly father eonsidcvati(|u will b*\ S IV * n the matter when. Ministers have settled down a little. '' - , vacancies were created <*i\ the Repatriation Board by iho-.-wsiguatiP® bf the Hons. Mac Donald aid Hamm. THe board prinemle will not be departed from, so the vacancies must M filled and it has bee n suggested. W a precedent having been established appointing *wo returned soldiCrs" the Cabinet ,* it will be earned .farther by giving both their places on the Repatriation Board, as one of them » hound to be Minister of AgnjewHure, The only difficulty will be to arrange for the representation of EdiKawnß. This may be done if-Mr Hereiest-ti^fc* (cat portfolio,--as will sprobably vj In the Chairmanship of ; the- JBoa^L