POLITICAL NOTES

Southland Times, Issue 17734, 11 August 1917, Page 5

POLITICAL NOTES

MINISTERS QUESTIONED. THE LIQUOR QUESTION. (Special to the Times). WELLINGTON. August 10. Mr V. H. Reed (Bay of Islands) asked the Prime Minister whether the Government will : (a p Immediately take over the management of all licensed premises, breweries, and wine and spirit licenses, during the period of the war and for six months after the next general election; (bl put the question of State control of the liquor trade to a referendum at next general election; and (c), and if confirmed continue the control of the liquor traffic until financial conditions permit of national ownership. The Prime Minister replied that the Government cannot see its way to increase the financial liabilities of the dominion during the war period.. CLASSIFICATION OF SECOND DIVISION. An amendment of the classification of the Second Division of the Reserve as suggested by Mr Parr with the object of classifying men who did not live with or support their wives and families on the same grade as members of the First Division, is unher the consideration of the Government, but the Prime Minister points out that these men cannot be transferred to the First Division without an amendment of the Military Service Act. TRAINING OF SOLDIERS. Some interesting information regarding the training of our soldiers is given by Sir Jas. Allen in answer to a question by Mr Anderson. The training in New’ Zealand is limited to the instruction of the recruit in drill, musketry, bayonet fighting, extended order work, etc. The training in trench work, bombing and gas work, is carried out in Sling Camp and Etaples Camp. The time spent in New Zealand limits the training to elementary work, but in any case the technical trench work is best taught near to the front where instruction in the result of each raid, or attack are constantly available. The New Zealand training fits . the men to ieam the special work in the training camps in the United Kingdom and France in the minimum time. SPECIAL TRAIN TO WELCOME P. C. WEBB. Regarding Mr Reed’s question as to whether the Railway Department ra na special train to convey the people to and from Greymouth to take part in a welcome to Mr Webb on the occasion of his release from gaol, the Minister of Railways states that a special train was run from Dunollie to Greymouth in response to a request made by the miners to the local railway manager. The train was a guaranteed special for which full tariff charges were collected. Through a misapprehension the matter was not referred to the Head Office, which had no knowledge of the proposal to run a special train until after the event.