POLITICAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXI, Issue 40, 2 October 1911, Page 5

POLITICAL.

NOTES BY THE WAY. Mr. Hi ns is to ask the Minister of Railways whether he can state when die Fohckura section of the StratiordOngarue railway will bo taken over from the Public Works Department and opened for- traffic. The*member for Stratford is also to ask the Minister of Lands whether, in view of tiie fact that the men engaged on the railway construction .vorks of the Stratfora-Ongaruo lino are desirous of taking up land, lie will place before them for selection a portion of the large area of Crown land now lying unproductive in the Taranaki district.

Mr. Okey has given notice that he will ask the Minister of Defence whether it is his intention to bring forward a measure this session to amend the Defence Act, giving power to exempt from enrolment those who object from conscientious principles, and also any young man who can show that lie is the chief breadwinner of the home. (Note. —Instances have leen given where widows who are carrying on dairying for a living are left with J families of six to eight children to maintain, the oldest being about sixteen years of ago and the chief support of the home). Mr. Okey is also to ask the Minister of Mines whether he will instruct the ofiicers of the Geological Survey Department to have a detailed survey and report made of the coal area in the vicinity of Whangaraomona, through which ' the Stratford-Ongarue railway line passes. (Note. —This lino, it is anticipated, will be opened to Whangamomona during the coming summer, and it is of the utmost importance to the whole of the Dominion that the line should be pushed on to these fields with as little delay as possible, as by that means the line would immediately pay interest on the total cost of construction, besides providing fuel at a reasonable price to the numerous dairy factories in the diQtrict as well as to local consumers over a large area between New Plymouth and Wellington). Mr. Joseph MeCluggagc will speak it Cardiff this evening. On October 3th Mr. MeClnggago is to address the electors at Bird Road, and on October 10th in the Town Hall, Stratford.