PARLIAMENTARY NOTES.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 222, 19 September 1929, Page 28

PARLIAMENTARY NOTES.

m A POPULAR PREMIER. SOME LABOUR BELLS.' PULSELESS AFTERNOON" IX HOUSE. (By Telegraph.—Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, this day. After a sleep-inducing afternoon, when Departmental reports were discussed in an uninspiring fashion, the House of Representatives devoted the evening to private members' bills. Mr. H. G. R. Mason's Licensing Amendment Bill dealing with wine licenses, was referred to the Industries and Commerce Committee. The same member's Marriame Amendment Bill was put through committee without amendment, and passed. It validates past as well as future marriages with a deceased's wife's niece or a deceased husband's nephew. Mr. L. J. Howard's Workers' Compensation Bill was read a second time and referred to the Labour Bills Committee. United Party Conference. Following luncheon yesterday members of the United party adjourned to the Cabinet room to meet the Prime Minister and take the opportunity of expressing pleasure at his complete recovery from influenza. Some happy speeches were made and the sessional problems were briefly discussed. There is to be a further gathering of wider scope on September 23, when the Parliamentary section of the United party will hold a conference with the National Executive, which proposes to hold a meeting in Wellington on that date. Military Training Exemption. A question addressed to the Minister of Defence has been tabled by Mr. Mason (Auckland Suburbs), who wants to know whether the Minister is aware of the report that thirteen applications for exemption from military training, filed in the Magistrate's Court at Auckland, have been adjourned to October in expectation of the Government introducing legislation on the subject of exemption, and whether the Government will make a statement as to its policy and follow the statement with appropriate action. Foreign-born Mental Patients. Some statistics relating to the nationality of patients in mental hospitals are contained in a return tabled in the House on the motion of Mr. P. Fraser (Wellington Central). It is revealed that of S6S9 persons of nonBritish nationality resident in New Zeaand 211 are permanent mental hospital patients. Of 1!),13S foreign-born New Zealand residents, 208 are permanently confined in mental hospitals. There are 4604 British-born permanent patients (excluding Indians), of the total British population of 1,381,214. There are 17 Asiatics in mental hospitals of the total Asiatic population of over 5000. Thus it will be seen that there are 429 patients of foreign birth in our mental hospitals, as against 2948 patients of New Zealand birth. Subtracting the total of New Zealanders from the total of British-born patients, it is shown that <658 (including two Indians) are British patients, born overseas. Should Wrestling be Prohibited? Some laughter was provoked in the House when Mr. H. G. R. Mason (Auckland Suburbs) tabled a question to the Minister of Justice, asking whether he had noticed the words, "Wrestling is a cruel sport, and a man must get hurt sometime or other," attributed to Jack Sorensen, a wrestler who competed for the world championship, and reported in the "Auckland Star"; also, in a recent issue of the same newspaper, the words, "When Singh released him Gardeni lay on the mat with his arm doubled under him, and was obviously in considerable pain (it transpired after the contest that the shoulder was dislocated), and during the interval he writhed about on his chair." Mr. Mason asked whether the Minister would consider whether steps should be taken to prohibit public exhibitions in which the infliction of pain to the limit of endurance was,an essential element. Earthquake-Damaged Post Offices. The expenditure necessary to repair the Greymouth Post Office as a result of earthquake damage has been authorised by Cabinet. In regard to Westport Post Office, the site is to be cleared immediately, and the remainder of the building demolished. The post office will be established for some time in temporary premises and plans for the new build"ing are in course of preparation. Better Radio Programmes. A plea for more varied radio programmes was made in the House by the Rev. Clyde Carr (Tihiaru). He said" that prior to the inauguration of radio programmes no one had the capacity to listen to a concert programme every night of. the week, so it was not to be expected that listeners would appreciate concert programmes on the air night after night. An effort should be made to get away from this monotonous round, and to introduce more lectures, debates and appropriate plays. Mr.. W. J. Broadfoot (Waitomo): Wha't about a debate on the Estimates? Mr. Carr: That is not allowed. The Hon. T. M. Wilford: Oh, spare us that. Unfortunately the Postmaster-General had no opportunity of replying. Trade With Fiji. "What steps are being taken to develop trade with Fiji ?" asked the Hon. W. D. | Stewart (Dunedin West). He suggested that a Minister might visit Fiji with a ! view to improving trade relations. A j great deal of trade which should come to j New Zealand had been diverted to Aus- | tralia. "The Department of Industries and Commerce is keeping in close touch with j the Auckland Chamber of Commerce on i this matter," replied the Hon. J. G. ! Cobbe. It would be noticed in the ! annual report, he said, that our prinj cipal trade with Fiji was in sugar, but j it was a fact that, for some reason which he did uot understand, a great deal of ! the sugar trade which formerly went to Fiji had now been diverged to Java. Subdivision of Borstal Farm. Mr. Broadfoot (Waitomo) asked the | Minister of Justice whether he would i give consideration to the question of j subdividing and making available for j settlement that part of the Waikeria I Borstal Farm which lie 3 between the j Ngahape and Korokonui Roads, and | which contains about 1600 acres. "The | total area of the farm is over 4000 acres j and is in the middle of a close-settle--1 ment area," said Mr. Broadfoot. !j The Hon. Mr. Wilford, Minister of \ Justice, replied: "The question asked is | a very important one, and a conference 1 has already taken place between myself | and the Controller-General of Prisons, in legard to the same. I shall be pleased I to visit, the area with the member for I the district during the recess."

A Model Village. Cabinet has further considered proposals for remodelling the Maori village at Whakarewarewa, and has authorised expenditure to advance the plans and the lay-out of site and erection of some buildings. Public Servants in Politics. Mr. 11. E. Holland (Buller) asked the Prime Minister whether he would this session alter the law to give the public servants of New Zealand the same rights as were enjoyed by the public servants of the Australian States in the matter of contesting parliamentary election. "Public servants in the employ of the States are granted three months' leave of absence without pay to contest parliamentary elections, and are only required to resign in the event of being elected, in which case they must resign before taking their seats in Parliament," explained Mr. Holland. * The Rt. Hon. Sir Joseph Ward replied: "Inquiries will be made into the system obtaining in Australia, and when the Government have the whole of the facts before them they will give the matter the fullest consideration." Instruction for Maoris. The Government has decided to make available to Maori farmers wider facilities for instruction in agriculture and at a meeting of Cabinet to-day the Minister of Lands was authorised to appoint a field instructor to work among natives, particularly in the North Auckland district. Unauthorised Approval. A hearty "Hear, hear!" came from the public gallery of the House of Representatives last night when the member for Christchurch South was earnestly commending to support of Parliament his proposed amendments to the Workers' Compensation Act. "I got support from somewhere," commented Mr. Howard, and there came came an answer from above, "From a worker." The unauthorised interjector quickly disappeared, under the compelling persuasion of a constable. Road Work for Unemployed. To provide further work for the unemployed, Cabinet has authorised additional expenditure on the following road works:—Wanganui River Road, AwhituWaiuku Road, Blenheim-Hope Junction via Tophouse Road, Hawea-Wakarora Road, Opotiki-Matamau and OpotikiEast Cape Roads, Port Waikato to Tuakau Bridge and to Waikaretu Roads, and Huehue-Waimatenui North Auckland Road. Soil Deficiency. Another question asked by Mr. Broadfoot had reference to the steps being taken to solve the soil-deficiency troubles in the Ngaroma and Mairoa districts. "The solution of these troubles means the keeping and putting into heavy production some millions of acres of fine country," said Mr. Broadfoot. "The Government," said the Hon. H. Atmore, "has realised the importance of the subject mentioned by the honourable member, and, in conjunction with the Department of Agriculture, a co-ordin-ated effort on the part of the branches of science involved is in progress. Extensive chemical tests and analyses of the soil and vegetation on treated and untreated areas are being undertaken, and, in addition, officers of the Geological Survey are carrying out soil-recon-r.a:s>ance to test th'j vario.i.s pi mice layers and soil types. Tne r.uflological as/ict is be-.'ng investigated by a a export working in the field with the director of the Wallaceville Laboratory. Experiments in soil treatment and stock feeding already in progress are being extended in scope, and every effort is being made to obtain information as to the exact nature of the disease and fresh knowledge which should be of assistance toward bringing this area of country into a profit-earn-ing condition." An informative statement regarding mineral content of pastures, prepared for the Minister in Charge of the Indus- j trial and Scientific Research Depart-' ment (Hon. H. Atmore), was made available to-day. The statement, which was supplied to Mr. Broadfoot, shows that the year's investigations in the Mairoa district of the King Country have revealed the efficacy of a fertiliser dressing composed of a mixture of lime and superphosphate—f>ewt of the former and 2cwt of the latter—in reducing the incidence of . "dopiness" disease anion" sheep, and at the same time producing markedly beneficial effects in both carcase weight increase and in additional weight of wool. It was remarkable to note that good results followed applications of lime and phosphates only when these were applied together. Dressings of lime and phosphates by themselves apparently were ineffective.