POLITICAL NOTES

New Zealand Times, Volume XL, Issue 9092, 10 July 1915, Page 8

POLITICAL NOTES

THE COALITION SUGGESTION II f CIDENTS IN YESTERDAY’S' SITTING. N ci further development was reported ycsl in-day in connection, yith the suggesljid '‘National Government.” The cart:us of the Reform party has authorised the Prime Minister, ns reported in yesterday’s issue, to confer furthier wjth the leader of the Opposition i'( igarding -the coalition idea, but it is u nderstood that the party leaders have not yet met again. ! A SIGNIFICANT FACT. There was a considerable paucity in ,-tho attendance of members at yesterday's sitting of the Legislative Council. -The absence of the solid phalanx.of Government nominees who turned up to ■ vote against the Hon. W. C. F- Carnoross being elevated from the position of Chairman of Committees to the Speakership was significant. When Government. patronage has to be bestowed on personages of the proper political colour and Liberal measures passed by ch© other chamber have to be shelved, they can always be relied upon to ho in their places. Yet, according to . Sir Francis 8011, th© Legislative Council is an “honourable body of men” utterly devoid of party feeling. - THE RAILWAYS STATEMENT. In answer to a question from Mr G W. Russell (Avon) yesterday, tho Minister for Railways said that he could not yet fix a date for the presentation of the Railways Statement. The docu. ment was in course of preparation at the present timePATRIOTIC FUNDS AND PENSIONS. "This payment of twenty-five shillings a week for a completely disabled man is a mere pittance," said the Hon. D. Buddo yesterday, when the War Pensions Bill was being dismissed. “What about the patriotic funds?” interjected tho Minister for Defence. “I don't think the patriotic funds should be considered by tho Government.” said the member. “The money subscribed by the public will be required for special cases. This is a question for the State, and the pension paid to the disabled man, or to the widow, should bo not merely reasonable, but actually generous. Twentyfive shillings weekly is not reasonable." A NEW ORDER. OF THINGS. “When war is over and the danger is righted, God is forgotten and ’ the soldier slighted.”

"That,” said Mr G. W. Bussell, discussing the Pension Bill last night, "was the case in the old iays in the, Old World, where the pensions given to old soldiers were bare pittances. But that cannot he said in the immediate future, because Canada and Australia are going far ahead of the Mother Country, and New Zealand, as the most democratic and foremost of the oversea Dominions, is in turn going further still-" Mr Bussell at the same time commended the Government for not going too far and committing the country to a scheme which might place too heavy a burden on the finances and run the risk of breaking down altogether. "ACT OP VANDALISM." The action of Dr Thacker, member for Christchurch East, in taking a sample of the contents of jr mattress aboard the hospital ship was mentioned in the House of Representatives yesterday. The Minister for Defence said he understood the member had cut a piece out of a rug. in addition to damaging a mattress. "I am sorry that this act of vandalism should have taken place." added the Hon. James Allen. "If the honourable member who committed it had wanted to serve the country which he pretends to want to serve, he could have represented the case to the Minister for Defence." Mr Payne: "He knows the Minister is incompetent." The Minister; "He would have received

full satisfaction and information." ,Di* Thacker said ho had cut no rug. Ho had taken an Austrian or Bavarian labe), off one rug. He hod out a small hold in tbe end of one mattress and had taken out a sample of tho hair. The. material was mostly wood fibre and nob hair at all. Dr Thacker was proceeding! to reply warmly to tho charge of van* dalism when he was stopped by tho Speaker, who said he must not go beyond the limits of a personal explanation.