POLITICAL NOTES

New Zealand Times, Volume XL, Issue 9095, 14 July 1915, Page 8

POLITICAL NOTES

COALITION? DISCUSSION STILL PROCEEDING. Th© Prime Minister and the leader of the Opposition had a farther meeting yesterday. Mr Massey informed a "New Zealand Times" reporter late last night that ho had no statement to make regarding the "National Goverr.ment" proposal- Ho indicated that the discussion had not reaohed a conclusion, and that the outcome might not bo announced lor some time. WAR PENSIONS. - - The House of Representatives discussed the title clause of the War Pensions Bill for over tour hours last night, the debate revealing a unanimous opinion that the pensions and allowances ought to be enlarged in several directions. Members paid particular attention to the proposed payment of 25s weekly to totally disabled men. The Minister for Defence pointed out that the scale he had prepared was the most generous in the Empire, and that the financial burden involved was a very heavy one. But the debate showed that the feeling of the House was against him, and after Mr G. : W. Russell and' the Hon. Dr McNab had clinched the matter in short, incisive speeches the Minister agreed to refer both the schedules of the bill baok to the Secret Defence Committee for further consideration. The course of the discussion indicated that the amended scale is likely to provide not less than 5s a day in case of total disablement. UNSEEMLY INTERJECTIONS. During question time in the House yesterday afternoon when matters of serious import regarding the Trentham camp were being brought before Ministers by. Various members of the Opposition, interjections were made by some Government members, at which resentment has been expressed. On one occasion when Mr Glover, of Auckland, was pleading on behalf of a relative of a wounded man on the Willochra for a right to see the soldier on the arrival of the steamer, the relative being too poor ■ to travel from Auckland to Wellington, the member for Palmerston North (Mr Buick) laughingly interjected; "Oh, lot him kiss him for his mother/' On another occasion the case of- a wife of one of the returning soldiers was being referred to by Mr Craigie, who wanted information to give to the v ife regarding the nature of her husband's wounds. He pointed out in passing that the woman had a number of very young children—one having been born after the soldier left New Zealand, whereupon Mr Dickson, the member for Parnell, made an interjection which was regarded as quite out of place. FIFTY THOUSAND MEN. Mr A. M. Myers, Auckland East, has given notice of his intention to ask the Minister for Defence whether, in view of the fact that New Zealanders are leaving for Australia to enlist in the expeditionary forces there, under the belief that they will be-able to complete their training more expeditiously, the New Zealand Government will take in J o their immediate consideration; (1) the desirability of compiling a national regis ter of all men in New Zealand between nineteen and forty years of age, with a view to ascertaining the number,of single eligible men who have not yet en- , listed; and (2) the desirability of increasing onr expeditionary force to fifty thousand men? THE USE OF FIREARMS. A paragraph in the annual ro’i<m v port by Commissioner Cullen st-'w.— - "As -serious injure? have Tv-en jHPrtc' upon persons in various parts of the Dominion during recent and in «-rr r cases death has resulted through th criminal or negligent use of revolver; and pistols by persons who should never he allowed to possess such weapons, I beg to suggest that the time has now arrived when stringent legislation should be passed regulating the sale and possession of 'all classes of firearms through-

out the Dominion. As th© law novi stands there is nothing to prevent persona inclined to crime and homicide from possessing and carrying firearms. The law on this subject is quite different in, Great Britain, where the Pistols Act, 1903, contains stringent provisions relating to the safe of and licensing to carry pistols and revolvers." , QUESTIONS FORTHE MINISTER FOR DEFENCE. There is no rest for the Minister for* Defence. To-day ho will be called upon, to reply to a 1 fresh hatch of questions, Mr Ell (Christchurch South) wants to know "who was responsible for advising the Minister to keep the tents on tint Trentham camp ground surrounded by mud inches deep, when right-alongside--namely, on the Trentham racecourse —• there was a fine area of well-turfed land admirably adapted for camping purposes?" Mr Glover (Auckland Central) will ask how many deaths have taken place each week since 3lay I tst laet connection with the Trentham camp, and the causes of death in each case, Mr Noswort.hy (Aehhnrtoni suggests a military camp on the; Oran-Rangitata Plain, while Mr Craigie (Txmaru) and Mr Yejtch (Wanganui) advocate the special suitability of their constituencies in the same connection. SLIPPERS FOR SOLDIERS. A suggestion to those in charge of natriotic funds was ipado in the House last evening by Mr W. D- S. MacDonald (Bay of Plenty). He said that there were at present in the Trentham. hospital sick men- who had nothing to wear on their feet but navvy boots. Ho thought that money from the funds should he voted to provide these bice men, with, slippers. • PETROLEUM PRODUCTION. In relation to a question which Mf Ukey (Taranaki; intends putting to the minister ioi - alines, ne points out that oir Marcus iiauiuei, chairman of the oueu .transport company has maae misleading statements in regaid to tne proouction ot ou m tne -Dominion. TUc cucli Company, Mr Okey explains, prospected in a ousinct wnere there were no indications of tne existence of oil and no account was taken of tne large yield oi a uiiiimn gallons ot crude petroleum m the Taranaki district. note to ms question Mr OKoy says:—"These remarks oelng sent oroancast at the present ~i mp py a company wnose holdings ar© 90 i>er cent, foreign, and the chairman a. crorman Jew, appear to be made with some ulterior motive, and as the de-. veiopnient of a successful oilfield is of such a national consequence a full explanation should be made of the staU',. ments made by the chairman of thei bhell Company by ihose in the highest authority." THE LATE HON. JOHN BALLANCB. Mr Veitch, the member for Wanganui,, suggests me removal of the present statue of the late Hon. John Eallanoo in the Parliamentary grounds, and the substitution o f one" more in keeping with that deceased stateman s achievements and exalted talents."