Ministers receiving salaries are paid £1000 and upwards, with an addition of £220 yearly for house allowance.
It was manifestly unjust, said Mr Parata, that the other members of the National Ministry holding high and responsible positions should be expected to make further sacrifices by being denied even the expense of house allowance in Wellington, where, owing to their duties, they had to reside.
• A fire at the edge of the Town Belt bush, near Mr Theomin's residence, was discovered shortly after noon on Saturday, and the brigade was summoned to deal with it.
The outbreak was suppressed without difficulty.
There was another small fire in the bush at Maori Hill on Saturday, but only scrub was destroyed.
• Encouraged by the success of their previous match, the ladies' team of ''soccer'' players from Mollisons played a men's team from Butterworths, the latter playing in hobble skirts, which greatly retarded their movements.
The game, which was in support of the patriotic funds, did not attract a large number, and was not as interesting an exhibition as that played in the earlier part of the season.
The first spell was evenly contested, and created some amusement to the onlookers.
The ladies made stronger efforts in the second half, but towards the end showed signs of tiring.
They had bad luck in not scoring from a penalty shot, which struck the upright.
This was their last chance, and the game ended in a draw.
• On learning of the call for harvesters, a Tauranga man wrote to the Labour Department, Wellington, as under: ''I am an experienced man at all farm work, and, together with another young acquaintance of mine, am willing to go south to assist with the harvest. We would like to commence at the beginning of the harvest, and follow it right through.
"I would be prepared to contract with any contractor or farmer to help with the reaping, stooking, and stacking, and then go on with the thrashing machines and chaff-cutter. Then, if a suitable position offered, we would take permanent positions as ploughmen. As I am married, I cannot afford to go south unless assured of steady working in the harvest field for three months or more.''
The Labour department notified the man that they could assure him suitable employment, and in accepting the proffered engagement, the harvester wrote that his sole object was to help the Empire in its trial.
He said that he was now in remunerative employment, but having had experience at harvesting, he recognises that he can best serve the country by helping the farmers to gather the harvest, which cannot wait.
• ''Speaking of esprit de corps reminds us of the Trentham story,'' says the Tahitian Tatler (the journal of the Fifth Reinforcements).
''Some of the Thirds landed off the Saturday night train with one of their number unable to stand, let alone walk. They were in despair about getting him past the main gate until one genius conceived the idea of removing the weary one's boot and binding up his foot with many handkerchiefs. Thereupon they bore him triumphant past the guard as a case of badly-sprained ankle.''
- ODT, 23.8.1915.
• COPIES OF PICTURE AVAILABLE FROM ODT FRONT OFFICE, LOWER STUART ST, OR WWW.OTAGOIMAGES.CO.NZ
