POLITICAL NOTES.

Waikato Times, Volume 106, Issue 17836, 8 October 1929, Page 7

POLITICAL NOTES.

MONDAY’S SITTING.

LITTLE BUBINESS DONE. VARIOUS REPORTS DISCUSSED. (Times Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, Monday. Monday sittings in the House were inaugurated last night when reports from select committees and the annual report of State Departments were discussed. Announcements were made by the Minister of Labour (Hon W A. Veitch) that with a view to introducing amending legislation next session during the recess investigations would foe conducted separately into the operations of the Workers Compensation for Accidents Act and the Shops and Offices Act. The main business to-day will be the committee stage of the Land Laws Amendment Bill.

AMALGAMATING DEPARTMENTS. LABOUR AND IMMIGRATION. ! MINISTERIAL ANNOUNCEMENT. Ctlir.es Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, Monday. The Cabinet has decided to amalgamate the Departments of Labour and Immigration. In making an announcement to the above effect to-day the Minister of Labour (Hon. W. A. Veitch) stated that up until a short time ago numbers of young people from the Old Country were being brought into New Zealand and placed among farmers for employment by the Department of Immigration. The Government had now decided to merge the Immigration Department with the Labour Department and utilise the organisation of the former to distribute young New Zealanders into suitable employment on farms. It is well known that the Immigration Department Is not now bringing young people into the Dominion from overseas for the purpose referred to. It is understood that under amalgamation scheme the department will be known as the Department of Labour and Immigration, and that th'e joint portfolio will be held by Mr Veitch, who will take over the portfolio, of Immigration at present held by the Minister of Marine (Hon. J. G. Cobbe).

The present head of the Labour Department (Mr Rowley) announced his retirement some days ago, and it may be taken for granted that the head of the united department will have as its permanent head Mr H. D. Thomson, at present Under-Secretary of Immigration. YOUTHS ON THE LAND.

750 PLACED ON FARMS.

85 PER CENT. SUCCESSFUL,

(Times Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, Wednesday. The Department of Immigration under its youth employment scheme placed 750 boys on New Zealand farms recently, and returns show that 85 per cent, of the cases turned out successful.

REPEAL OF ARMS ACT.

REQUESTED BY SPORTSMEN. (Times Correspondent). WELLINGTON, Monday. Claiming that the Arms Act was foreign to the nature of loyal subjects and cast a slur on their characters, Frederick Edmund Thornton, school teacher, of Wellington, and 3848 members of the New Zealand Sportsmen’s Association, petitioned Parliament to-day for the repeal of the legislation. The petitioners affirm that the restrictions under the Act are inefficient and unnecessary.

PETITIONB. FAVOURABLE CONSIDERATION. (Times Correspondent). WELLINGTON, Monday. Mr W. J. Parsons and another, of Rotorua, recently petitioned Parliament for permission to freehold their pastoral leaseholds. The Lands Committee to-day referred the claim to the Governmerft for most favourable consideration. The Petitions Committee referred to the Government for favourable consideration tho petition of Minnie E. Connolly, of Te Kulti, for relief in respect of two orphan grandchildren she has to support.