POLITICAL NOTES.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 12063, 19 July 1917, Page 4

POLITICAL NOTES.

[From Our Correspond/int.] WELLINGTON. July 18. LEAVE OF ABSENCE. In accordance with his notice of motion yesterday, necessitated owing; to an objection raised by a section of tno House, Mr Walker to-day moved that P. C, Webb should be granted a week s further leave of absence. Vvben :11 Speaker put the question seveiai explosive "Noes" were heard, but the objectors did not go to the length of demanding a. division, and the leave Bought was granted NOT CREDITED. Mr Brown asked the Prime Minister to-day if there was any truth m tho report that Mr Malcolm Ross the New Zealand war correspondent, had been appointed military censor. Mr Massey replied that ho knew nothing about any such appointment, find that"he did not believe that Mr Koss had been so appointed. TYRE DUTY AND PETROL. A revision of the tariff so ns to secure a 10 per cent t-nx 011 motor tyres tor payment to local bodies to maintain roads was .suggested by Mr Talbot. The Minister of Customs replied that there is little prospect of the matter being dealt with in tho near future, but the importance of the upkeep of roads is fullv recoguised by the Government, and a measure, no doubt, will be. introduced dealing with tho matter as soon as the war is over\nother question was addressed to the Hon W. H. Hemes, urging the reduction of the freight rate for petrol. The Minister replied that there, is no present intention of reducing railway rates during the continuation of the u'-u- The'representations made in re-o-nrri to petrol have, however, been noted and will b 0 considered when the tariff is being revisedFINANCIAL HELP FOR SOLDIERS. Tn answering an inquiry by Mr Parr whether the Government would provide for the payment of interest on mortgages owing by men of limited means Second Division. Sir Joseph Ward stated to-day that assistance is alrendv being rendered when recommended bv the Soldiers' Financial Assistance Board, set up under the Military Service Act, 1010. and will 00 continued to men of the Second Division. The Minister added that it lias been possible ever since the war commenced for married men tn obtain advances from the State Advances l)e----partinent for the. purpose of repaying mortgages on their homes. Sir .lames Allen, in reply to a question 011 the subject of insurance, stated that the Government had already made provision to meet tlw obligations of soldiers respecting life insurance, enabling every case to be dealt with on its merits. THE PROMOTION PRINCIPLE. Sir James Allen again expressed regret to-day that there are no vacancies available for the .appointment of Territorial officers of the First Division to a rank higher than, that, of secondlieutenant. He points out that is nil rotlloH principles of promotion in the New Zealand Expeditionary Force that steps to higher rank should be gained hv examination, and adds that, the officers concerned would haTo an opportunity to gain promotion by meritoriouvi service in the field. TERRITORIAL TAMPS.

Replying tn a suggestion that Territorial camps should be_ discontinued during the, war period. Sir James Allen pointed out lha f . Territorial camps do not begin until next February, and remarked that the discontinuance or otherwise of t.he annual camps _ must depend on the conditions existing in the Dominion at that time. Every consideration will be (riven to the needs of tbe country. Sir James Allen added that it is not considered advisable, to discontinue the holding of parades at present. OTIUA TUNNEL. Replying to Thackor's request for an investigation into the alleged unhealthy working-'Conditions in Otira. tunnel, the .Minister of Public Works , stated that the practice in the tunnel I liad always been that in wot places men receive eight hours' pay for .six hours' work. Tlio men had endeavoured for some time paist to hare six hours de- | dared a day's work throughout tho tunnel, wot or; "dry. They had on several occasions been informed that this request could not be acceded to. The engineer in charge of the tunnel reported that there was no dust, in dry places as water was being used with all tho drills and winches. A water-spray also was used when firing blasts. Every possible attention was being paid to ventilation. SCHOOL HOOKS. " Standardisation of class books throughout the Dominion involves a change, in the books now in use in a largo proportion of the schools. Such a stop is not regarded as desirable when economy is imperative in so many homes," states trie Hon J. A. Hanan replying to Mr Witty. COUNTRY LIBRARIES. Mr Talbot has been, informed by the Minister of Education that, a sum of £2ooo was placed on the Estimates last year for country libraries and distributed accordingly. It Mas not considered that under present circumstances tho urgency of the case wa,s ouch as to require ibis provision to bo repeated annually. ft was not proposed. therefore, to provide a cote for the purpose during the current session. WOOI; SCOURING. Arrangements are in operation for scouring in .New Zealand a considerable quantity of the wool purchased on behalf of the, Imperial Government. The total quantity set asido for this purpose up to the present ie 7!,20'i bales, states tho lion W. I). S. MaoDonald. The rest, of the clip is being shipped to the United Kingdom in the greasy state, in accordance with the. wishes of the Imperial Government. COUNTY SUBSIDIES. Mr Dickie, or. behalf of Selwyn County, and Mr Witty, in the interests of Faparua County, asked the Government to amend the law so that counties formed from the old Selwyu County should bo placed on the same footing as all other counties in New Zealand with regard to subsidies. These counties are not receiving tho subsidies they are entitled to, which are received by other counties. The Hon G. W. Russell, Minister of Internal Affairs, replied: "This question was placed before me on July 14, 1916, by a deputation, which was informed that the matter would, be reconsidered after the war. That de- i cision still stands." # j NO RAILWAY CONCESSIONS. Railway concessions _ to theatrical companies, says the Minister of Railways, represent the application of a worla-wide railway practice, being a concession in accommodation, not on ordinary rates, and as it mainly referred to people who were travelling for a livelihood it was considered undesirable to suspend the regulation in the first case, but the question of withdrawing the concession now was under consideration. To a suggestion that railwav fares of university students should bo reduced the Hon W. H. Herries stated that the policy is in the direction of removing concessions in fares from all sections of the community in order to prevent the overcrowding of trains, tho number of which has been reduced to enable military requirements to be met as far as practicable- \ MINERAL RESOURCES. The Primo Minister, in answer to the member for Wallace, stated this afternoon that arrangements are being made by the Imperial Government for an exhaustive report on tho mineral resources of every part, of the Empire, New Zealand included, and an organisation lias already been set up with this object in view. MILITARY SUPPLIES. Although suppliers of military equipment have, experienced many occasions which have, necessitated the adjustment cif their staffs they have met tliA '