POLITICAL NOTES.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 20042, 3 September 1920, Page 8

POLITICAL NOTES.

[From Our Correspondent.] W ELLINGTON, September 2. ' i SOGKBURN IMPROVEMENTS. Mr Witty, who asked- the Minister of Railways when the much-needed, long-promised improvements to the Sockhurn railway station will be carried out, has been informed that the work is in hand and will be finished as early as possible. CASHMERE SANATORIUM. An assurance was recently given that no curtailment of patients’ privileges at Cashmere Sanatorium would be entailed as a result of the transfer of control from the military to the civil authorities, but this was questioned by Air M’Combs. To-day lie told the Minister of Defence that lie had had a complaint from the men that their military clothing had been surrendered and they perforce had to do fatigues in civilian atliro. Sir Heaton Rhodes admitted tho veracity of the statement and’ that tho transfer had been postponed until a satisfactory arrangement had been made with the Hospital Board. GRIMSBY ROAD* SUBDIVISIONS. Mr I). Jones, who raised tho question of inadequate road reservation at the Grimsby Road workers’ dwellings site, has been informed by the Minister of Labour that tho block of land for workers’ homes at Papauui has been laid out oa,modern town-planning lines. Tho road is sufficient in width to allow for traffic, as the street is not a through one. It is not considered expedient to lay off wide roads for purely residential purposes, particularly as in this case tho distance between the fronts of the houses is greater than is usual, the minimum distance being 106 ft. Provision is contained in the Laud Laws Amendment Act, 1915, to reduce the width where such roads are intended to be wholly for residential purposes. WAS IT A LOCK-OUT? It was suggested by Mi; Sullivan, in a question to the Minister of Labour, that the recent action of employers in refusing to engage labour on the Wellington waterfront constituted a lockout. He wished to know i: it was a fact that the Crown Solicitor hold that there bad been a breach of tho law by tho employers. ■ Sir William Henries replied that nothing had been decided, but tho matter was under consideration of the Crown Law officers. • SUPERANNUATION. Resolutions of superannuated public servants, asking for increased pensions, were brought under the Government’s notice by Mr M’Combs, who was informed by the Prime Minister that the Government hoped to submit proposals >o the House. Colonel Aiitchell produced a reply from the Postmaster-General stating that Cabinet had decided that it could nob make increases in the superannuation ox postal servants. The inombei wished to know if this was a final decision. The Prime Minister’s answer was that the question had been before Cabinet several times. THE WOOL SITUATION. The Prime Minister informed Mr Malcolm that in order to facilitate the disposal of accumulated stocks of wool tho iNew Zealand Government had urged upon the Imperial authorities by cable the desirability of lending all possible assistance to enable Continentalwoollen mills to increase their output, and stating that if the New Zealand Government could assist in any way it would be glad to do so. 1 DEFENCE STAFF -ECONOMIES.' Evidently some pruning of the Defence staff is about- to commence, as General Richardson, officer in charge of administration, has issued an instruction requiring all officers of tho New Zealand permanent forces to appear before the Medical Board for the purpose of being medically examined as to their fitness for active servile in any part of the world. He lias issued a circular to members of the staff corps and permanent staff, stating: “ In view of a probable reduction in the number of officers in the New Zealand Staff Corps, Royal New Zealand Artillery, Permanent Staff, Ordnance Corps and Army Service Corps, will you please reply to tho following questions(l) Are you wiling to retire from service if granted compensation (2) Are you willing to he transferred to any other Department, provided a suitable vacancy is available? (Note —It is anticipated there will be very few of these vacancies.) (3) Do you desire and are you willing to be transferred to the British or Indian Army in tho event of your qualifications as to age and physical fitness conforming to Army regulations?” WAR MEMORIAL POLICY. Air Sullivan asked the Government whether, in addition to the provision made for a national memorial, they will consider allocating a sum Tor the purpose of assisting, by way of subsidy, efforts being made in the three chief centres outside Wellington to provide memorials. The Alinister of Internal Affair! replied that it bad been decided by the Government that no subsidy should be granted towards the erection of any war memorial outside the national war memorial. T.E AROHA LEASEHOLDS. Air Witty, in preparation for the fight which the leaseholders intend to make against, the Government’s intention to dispose of the leasehold principle, not only at To Aroha but in regard to National Endowments, lias given notice to move for a return showing the number of persons who held original miners’ leases at Te Aroha and hold them now, the number of transfers that have been made and the number of times those rights of each section has been transferred and the dates. WORKERS’ COMPENSATION. A suggestion is made in a question by Air Witty that the Government this session should amend the Workers Compensation Act so as to make an employer of labour liable for any accident that might happen Jo his employee whilst employed by nim, whether the employee makes his living from such labour or not. ’ MILITARY SERVICE In order to maintain power to punish defaulters under the Military Service Act, although the Expeditionary Force has ceased to exist, the Alinister of Defence has introduced a Bill providing that defaulters, instead of being tried under the Army Act, shall be deemed to have committed an offence under the Military Service Act, and be liable on summary conviction to imprisonment for one year. The former maximum was fivo years. . No proceedings shall bd taken under this section in respect of any offence for which proceedings have already been taken under tho principal Act. TREATIES OF PEACE. An amendment of last session’s Act empowering the New Zealand Government to make Orders in Council for the government of Samoa pending the arrival of the mandate from tho League of Nations, extends the duration of this Act for another year. SCHOOL COAIAIITTEES’ GRANTS. Tho Alinister of Education promised tho House to-night that he will ask the Government to make further provision on the Supplementary Estimates for school committees. This was in response to a request by Air Witty, g U ,,. ported by a number of country members, that school committees ought to he more fairly treated. The Hon 0. J. Parr said that grants in 1914 totalled £48,000, but were now £90,000. As ho recognised there were some exceptional cases not met by ordinary allowances, lie would take the action lie had indicated. He gave credit to school committees, particularly in Canterbury, for the excellent work they had done* quite independently of the grant 1 in improving solwwl grounds. ’