QUERIES SOLVED.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 113, 14 May 1936, Page 11

QUERIES SOLVED.

POINTS OF POLICY. QUESTIONS IN THE HOUSE. MINISTERIAL, REPLIES. (By Telegraph.—Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, Tuesday. Several pints of Government policy were revealed in Ministerial replies to members' questions, which were circulated in the House of Representatives to-day, and members were allowed full scope for discussion of the various issues they had raised. The Minister of Education, Mr. Fraser, in reply to a question asked by Mr. A. C. A. Sexton (Independent, Franklin)', stated that it was the intention of the Government to organise as soon as practicable a supply of milk for school children wherever it is required. "The Government further hopes," the Minister added, "that by means of its general economic policy, particularly the increasing purchasing power generally, to increase the consumption of fruit by both children and adult:-*." >, The Minister said that the importance of fruit as an article of diet for children was fully appreciated, and a suggestion by Mr. Sexton that fruit should be supplied to country school children would be borne in mind. Reserve Bank Notes. According to the Minister of Finance, Mr. Nash, it is not the intention of the Government to issue a new series of Reserve Bank notes in the near future, but it was proposed, when a change was made, to ask permission for an engraving of His Majesty's head to be included in-the design for notes of all denomina-. tions. * Mr. Sexton, who raised the question, drew Attention to the fact..that a reproduction of the head of His Majesty does n6t appear on the present Reserve Bank notes; | Flax Industry. The Minister of Industries and Commerce, Mr. Sullivan, informed Mr. T. D. Burnett (National, Temu'ka) that it was not the intention of the Government at

the present time to increase-the price of flax wool-packs to provide a fund in the interests of that industry. 1 "The Government, however," said the Minister, "has under, consideration proposals for the stimulation of the flax industry by the introduction of improved methods of treating the green leaf and by the installation of efficient textile machinery to produce wool-packs and other products equal in qiiality to similar products from other fibres." Meat Export Industry. An indication of the importance which the Government places upon the quality of New Zealand's meat exprts was given by the Minister of Agriculture, Mr. Lee Martin t <in reply to a question asked by Mr. C. Morgan Williams (Government, Kaiapoi). "The necessity for the finishing and dressing of export carcases being up to a high standard is fully realised by all concerned, as the attractiveness of the meat plays a large part in marketing," stated ; the Minister. "It is proposed, therefore," he added, "to undertake at an early date an investigation, in conjunction with the New Zealand Meat Producers' Board, into the various methods of killing live stock in freezing works." Universal Half-holiday. "It is not proposed to legislate to provide for a compulsory universal halfholiday on Saturday," sated the Prime Minister, Mr. Savage, in reply to Mr. W. M. C. Denham (Government, Invercargill). "Provision is already made in the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Amendment "Bill," he added, "that the Court of Arbitration shall, when fixing the maximum weekly working hours, endeavour to fix the daily working hours so that no part of the working period falls on a Saturday. The legislation will result in a five-day week being adopted in many industries." Sustenance Problem. The Minister of Labour, Mr. Armstrong, informed Mr. S. G. Holland (National, Christchurch North) that the matter of making further provision for the most necessitous of the cases of men who were unfit for any class of employment was at present engaging the attention of the Government.