POLITICAL NOTES.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LX, Issue 143762, 10 April 1912, Page 2

POLITICAL NOTES.

A CHALLENGE ACCEPTED. (By Telegraph—Own Correspondent) WELLINGTON, April 9. The Hon. Mr. Laurenson, speaking at Stratford the other day, challenged any member of the Opposition to meet him there on the public platform. Mr. F. M. B. Fisher, member for Wellington Central, has promptly taken up the challenge, and as he is a fluent, humorous, and effective speaker, /the residents of Stratford may look forward to a very interesting evening. THE LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION. Mr. Massey left for the south tonight to take part in one or more political meetings. He' has had. a remarkably enthusiastic reception' wherever he has been in the North Island, and everywhere the impression was, found to be that the present Ministry will have a very short life. MILITARY~TRAININQ. When the military training system was instituted, a defence league was formed here with the object of assisting tile Government and the authorities in carrying it out. Recently there has been considerable dissatisfaction with the way in which the compulsory clauses of the scheme have been administered, and there has been a fear that unless the spirit of the law is carried out, the scheme may, after all, end in failure. A deputation from the league will to-morrow wait upon the Hon. Mr. Myers with a view to ascertaining the actual position. The deputation will be headwl by Mr, W. Fraser, M.P., and there is a possibility that some of the Labour representatives, at present in Wellington, may also wait upon the Minister to put the case, from their point of view, against the compulsory clauses of .the Act. Indeed, it is suggested that they may attend at the same time as Mr. Fraser’s deputation, in which case the proceedings may be lively.