PARLIAMENTARY NEWS.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 14354, 20 July 1917, Page 7

PARLIAMENTARY NEWS.

MORE RAILWAY'S: A CANDID MINISTER.

(From Our Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, this clay. •Several questions of general interest were discussed by "Mr Massey and Mr Eraser yesterday/ In reply to* a deputation of Otago members, who urged the vigorous prosecution of railway extension and- afforestation, and "■ urged State maintenance of arterial roads, Mr Fraser said bluntly that as regards railways the question was not whether there should be an extension, but whether railways should be built at all during the \\ar. Tlie main difficulties were lack of money and shortage* of labor. It 1 was more difficult to get £2000 to-day for public works than £20,000 before J the war, and only 2000 men -were now employed on puiblic Avorks instead of I 10,000. S-ven railways imder constrncj tion were stopped last year, and it was [ futile for any members to ask for new j railways while that position prevailed. The question of upkeep of arterial roads undoubtedly was a crying need, but it would have to be left m abeyance until after the war. What was first wanted . was a substantial reduction m the number of local bodies who were unable to fulfil their functions. Legislation would be required --educing the number and extending the powers of the larger bodies. Mr Massey endorsed this. He said the great increase of motor transportation necessitated an improvement of main roads. As for afforestation the Government had already set apart m Otago 31,034 acres as timber reserves. PAY WITH DEDUCTIONS. A kit bag and towel were produced as mute evidence of what Mr Wilford described as absolutely contemptible treatment of a private m the 23rd reinforcements, discharged from camp as unfit for service, through slipping upon a bayonet and sustaining a serious wound. He was granted £1 a week pension, but , when he came to draw the £2 ss. pay * due to him 6d. was deducted for the kit bag because his name was pencilled on it, lOd. for -the towel, ; and £1 for ■the only pair of boots "he had m the world. 'Hie Minister of Defence promised to make inquiries. MENTAL TROUBLE: TREATMENT OF SOLDIERS. The presentation of th 9 Mental Hospitals report feave Dr. Thacker an opportunity of protesting against soldiers who came back, with mental derangement being placed m the ordinary wards of mental hospitals. He was sorry the "Minister had refused the offer of a splendid home for this class men at Hutt Valley. Many of these splendid men were well enough to know where they were. Tliey should have a thoroughly up-to-date establishment of their' own. Tlien a large percentage would recover. This plea was strongly endorsed' by a number of members, but Mr Jtussell, m reply, said that no point raised had been overlooked by his department. Tlie ablest men m the mental hospitals of New Zealand were attached to special institutions at Kari- , tane, where returned soldiers with mental trouble were given the finest treat- ] ment, with open air life, boating, fish- I ing, etc. A similar institution, called the'j Wolff home, wa. established m - Auckland. It was realised, that unless these men could be ( won "back to mental, strength within the first six months ' they might be inmates of an asylum ' for life. Consequently no expense or ' trouble should be spared over these un- ' fortunate cases. Of •44 mental cases \ among, returned soldiers 29 had been ( discharged cured, four -placed- under re- ■ ception orders, and only 16 remained. , This was a magnificent record fpr 10,000 1 > returned ' soldiers, m view of the fact '< that 7.80 cases of mental disease oc- i curred among every 10,000 civilians, and - 1 only seven soldiers were under restraint ' m mental hospitals. It was highly de- ' sirable not to have these men herded ! together. Everything possible should ■ done to take their minds away from the ■ dreadful things they had. experienced. . Though tliere was a magnificent Wolff _ Home well furnished m Auckland, not ; one inmate was there. ] SHIPPING SPACE THREATEN33D. Mr Witty asked the Premier if there was any truth m. a report that some of \ the seventeen overseas ships to be load- • ed m New Zealand had been diverted; * Mr Massey replied - that no information ] to that, effect ihad reached him. He ■ had, however, received official communi-' * cation -from England on the subject of ' shipping m the last day or two, and. ' the Imperial .authorities -were not very ! optimistic about keeping up ihe supply ( of ships required for the Australasian _ trade. 'T cannot/go. further than this; • and I have had no notice about the" < ships referred to by the member," ad- 1 ded the Premier. ' i ■sQAiRiNG- coal* p*ric__3. *; The Minister o£,ijMiii [ es_ : was asked by , Mr Wilford why the price of coal was _ still going up. Mr Mac Donald replied 1 that several causes were contributing to. ] the increase, ._ including 20' per cent in-' i crease to miners aii increase of 2s :6d ■ per ton- in {.eight,' and an ' increase of ■ wharf wages, besides" other ! factors. "Tli. Slinister explained that a J few weeks ago he wrote to the Board of Trade, asking for .an inquiry into th^, wliole^ matter, in-order to see if eyV cessive prices being charged. He thought the matter would be dealt with shortly. Mr Payne asked if it' was hot a fact that the increase to the miners only rm.ant about 6dV a ton. Mr Mac- . Donald": Yes, but tjiat is only one por--tion of the increase ; it . costs us now something like 13s 4d per ton for Liver^ pool coal f.o.b at Greymouth, and our . selling price .leaves a margin- of. only about twopeace" per ton. I understand : ccffll is going .up anotlier two shillings 1 this week, and I am firmly of opinion i that an inquiry into the whole question is necessary t<> ' find 1 out who is really making the money. ' ' THE Ma_MBEfR EOR NAPIER. In the. .Address-in-reply debate Mir • Brown .(Napier) . complained that what ' was supposed to be a National Cabinet had deteriorated into* a Farmer's' ,Government." Iri many of its actions it was displaying Toryism, which was characteristic of the farmers. . There was nothing national about the, Government, especially about the Minister for Defence, who was ..a self-appointed autocrat. He condemned t^e inadequate nature of the pensions awarded to widows and mothers : of soldiers, arid declared that the House never intended such niggardly treatment to be meted out. Whatever-, the Government intended, now that the Second Division was about to be called up, the position had become more acute, and he doubted if the Minister for Defence was capable of dealing witli the position. . He ought to be relieved of his position as Ministers m Britain had been relieved. He dqfended the butter-fat tax and the pur_ha_e v _f wheat m Australia, which he contended had kept down the price of bread. Tlie Government should assist the soldiers Avith. insurance premiums and generally do something practicable to help the boys going out to fight. The trouble was that nothing was being done, and while -members might talk all talk was m, vain. It/ seemed to him that nothing but an election would bring Ministers -to their senses.. .. ... '