POLITICAL NOTES.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 46, Issue 14200, 27 August 1920, Page 5

POLITICAL NOTES.

PUBLIC SLR VICL CO M.MISSIONHRS. * Replying yesterday to /t question raised in the House of Representatives l>y the lion. A. T. Ngata (Eastern Maori); Ihe Prime Minister stated that a bill was to be brought down shortly which would give lion, members ail opportunity ’of saying anything they wished* about the question of the Public Service Commissioners. The bill, he added, was intended to remedy certain defects ill the system, and to strengthen not to ■weaken, the position of the Commissioners. NEW ZEALAND POTATOES. Had the Minister for Agriculture, asked Mr T>. dunes (Kaiapoi) yesterday, any report to make to the House, as'to tlie lifting of 1 lie Australian embargo on the importation of New Zealand potatoes; and, if it was to be lifted, would tlie Minister take stops to see that' the necessary shipping space would be available so that the potatoes could be marketed to the* best advantage?' The Hon. W. Nosworthy stated that the Prime Minister had received a cablegram from Air Hughes, the Australian Premier, stating" that the Som.■monwoalth Government was prepared to send a. representative to New Zealand to inspect the potatoes, and’if the Government was satisfied that they were quite free from blight, it was prepared to admit a certain quantity into New South Wales. The representative would be - sent over here as soon as Mr 'Massey had cabled his consent to the arrangement. For himself, he would . be pleased to have enquiries made as to the shipping position and let the ’lion, member know the result. “PREFERENCE TO UNIONISTS.” The abolition of “preference to unionists” is advocated by the lion. J. MacGregor in the following motion, of -which lie gave notice in the Council yesterday:— “That in the opinion of the Council (]) section 11 of the Industrial Conciliation arid Arbitration Act, ltloß, which prevents loyal, patriotic and moderate workers from forming industrial unions under that Act, and paragraph (e) of section 2 of the Act, which empowers the Court to grant preference of employment to members of industrial unions, should be repealed, on the ground that the combined effect of such enactments is to compel, workers to become members of a union as a condition of employment, to prevent workers who join a union from taking any interest in its affairs, and to enable a few extremists who are neither loyal nor patriotic to dominate the unions, and so cause constant unrest; (2) all provisions in awards and industrial agreements made under the Act which give preference of employment to members of one industrial union should be anI nulled. ’ ’