POLITICAL NOTES.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16634, 17 January 1922, Page 5

POLITICAL NOTES.

ANOTHER SOLDIERS’ LOAN. | [From Ovr Correspondent.] WELLINGTON, January Id. ! The Prime Minister to-night indicated the Government's intention to raise another loan for the purpose of clearing up obligations under the Discharged Soldiers Settlement Act. The matter arose as the result of a suggestion from Mr M’Combs that if the Government could finance the meat pool it could provide for soldiers still requiring houses. Mr Massey suggested that the member for Lyttelton, with an eye to the general election, was always endeavouring to score for himself, but the meat pool was different from soldiers’ settlement, as the former would not in ail probability mean the actual providing of money. The Government intend ed to raise a loan for making better provision for housing soldiers in the centres, and clearing np its obligations. This could not be done during the present financial year, but he desired as soon as possible to clear up these matters. THE BUTTER MARKET. The coincidence that the improvement in the butter position at Home had synchronised with the proposal of the Australian and New Zealand Gov- ; ernments to purchase stocks was men- ’ tioned to-night by Mr Vigor Brown, j who drew the inference that cables j from Home forecasting falling prices ! were manufactured. For the last six i or eight weeks, he said, cables had been I arriving through the Press Association. J always saying that butter was coming j i down. He thought there should be a j i censor, and had no doubt that many j I cajoles would never be sanctioned. The j .possible intervention of the Australian j and New Zealand Governments frightened them, he said, but the cables had the effect of bearing down the price in our markets and robbing our producers j of millions a year. Interested parties, j he concluded, ought not to be allowed i to furnish this information about f prices. Mr Massey replied that he was not ; in a position to give any more informa- j tion than the member possessed. He j agreed that it was rather a coincidence that directly the Governments ’ talked of joining forces to purchase surplus stocks the latter came to an end. “There are,” he said, “’certain people at Home who are returning to New Zealand soon, who are interested in the sale of New Zealand butter, and I will be very glad to hear wliat they i have got to say.” COUNTRY TELEPHONES. More liberal powers of raising loan- ! and provision for construction of pri ! vate telephone lines by the Govern j ment are contained in an amendment . to the Country Telephone Lines Bill, which was read a first time to-nighi Section 2 of the principal Act is amended, so that a special rate as security i may be levied over the whole district j o-' the local authority, or over a spe j cial rating area, instead of over the lands of signatories to the petition as j before. In addition any local authority may levy a special rate over all rateable property in its district for the purpose of defraying charges in respect of telephone lines. A local authority may arrange with the Government to erect and maintain lines, indemnifying the Government against loss. A consequential clause provides for the strik ing of a special rate over all rateable property in any defined area to meet any such contract of indemnity. A MYSTERIOUS RETURN. Motions from members for returns are only moved subject to the consent of the Prime Minister, and hi;; attention was called by Mr Witty to-night to the fact that forty of these requests for information had banked up. Mr M’Combs asked if a return would be granted when a member was prepared to pay for its printing. He wanted a return which had been prepared showing the cost of living statistics over the whole of the groups, and not of food groups alone. ‘ ‘ How do you know there is such a return?’’ asked Mr Massey. • ; I have a note from the Minister of Inter ini Affairs about it,” replied Mr M’Combs, “ and when the Government discovered that the figures went j against them they declined to T et me > have the information.” Mr Massey replied that ho knew nothing about the matter, but be would not permit members to pay for printing returns. What, cost money was not tho printing, but the preparation.