POLITICAL NOTES

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 17319, 3 December 1921, Page 8

POLITICAL NOTES

(sncui to "ran press.") WELLINGTON, December 2. Workers' Homes at Papanui. . Mr Witty to-day asked a question about tho rent of the Government houses at Papanui He wished to know if the Government would give a 10 per cent." rebate on the rents. The occupants might not bo able to pay rente of 30s. The Minister of Labour said the Government was at present collecting .10s. but if the costs permitted of a reduction, the occupants would l>«> credited -witii. the difference. There was no intention of giving a 10 i>cr cent, reduction, which would simply be a gift to these people, and the Government was not in a position to make a gift to anybody in these times. Wheat and Flour. "Has the attention of tho Prime Minister been drawn to tho very big fall in. the price of wheat and flour in Australia, as reported in tho Auckland papers of Thursday?" asked Mr Parry in the xiouso of Representatives to-dnj\ .Mr Massey's reply was brief and to tho point. He said* "Yes, I have seen the papers." Small Incinerators. Mr Parry asked tflio Minister of Health (tho Hon. C J. Parr) to-day if he had received the promised' information regarding tho feasibility of establishing small incinerators for tho destruction of garbage in tho cities, to rcpl«oe the present rubbish tips. | Mr Parr said that Mr H. W. Johnson, tlhe technical expert of the Department, had reported on the ninltor. Mr Johnson had been in charge of the sanitation of Featherston Gamp, so that, ho had a considerable amount of experience in the matter. He stated that ui.e was of opinion that the metheds used in camp for the disposal of nibbisli could not bo adopted for town refuse. Two men would be needed constantly at. each incinerator, and there would also bo the matter of fuel to add to the' cost. The destruction of rubbish could only successfully be oarricd out by means of destructors such as were established in the larger towns, where it was possible to utilise tUie heat of the process. Sir Donald McGavin also agreed that tho method adopted in the camps could not bo successfully utilised by the Department. It would therefore be seen that the suggestions mad© were not practicable. Instruction in Swimming. A fear that tho capitation received for instructing school children in swimming and life-saving, expressed by tlhci South Auckland Centre of the Amateur Swimming Association, was mentioned to the Minister of Education (the Hon. C. J. Parr) to day by Mr J. A. Young. He said that he would lise an assurance from the Minister that tJiie system obtaining last year, enabling the education boards to arrange with the Association, would be continued. Mr Parr said that the communication wfhich he had seen rather suggested that there was an annual vote in aid of the teaching of swimming in the schools. He hardly thought that this was so. So far as his memory served him, tihero was no special vote. There was provision in the rrrannnl and techniual regulations for capitation. These regulations were a.t present in force, and he knew of no reason to suppose that they were likely to be affected for tho present. Cost of Telegrams. The Postmaster-General (the Hon. J. G.'Coates) was asked by Mr Clutha Mackenzie whether he would consider a substantial lowering of the charges for the transmission of telegrams to, say, sixpence or eightpence for the first dozen worcta, in order that the old principle of low charges and an increased turnover migjht be tested. If it was successful, perhaps the same principle might be applied to other services. The principle had been overlooked'for the past few years. Mr Coates said that the increased charges were brought into operation in New Zealand simultaneously with a| similar dhange in Great Britain. The results were that for a six-monthly period in Great Britain the business fell away by 16 per cent., while the increase in revenue amounted to 74 per cent. In New Zealand the volume ofi business fell by 15 per cent., and the: revenue increased by 75 per cent. Therewas a substantial loss on the sending of telegrams. It might almost be said) that it would be better to pay people not to send telegrams. To some extent, tho telephone would take the place of the telegraph, and he thought it was only, a matter of time when with improved services and long distance lines that this process would grow. It was not the policy -of the Government to make anything out of the telegraphs, but it was tho policy to make the post office pay, if it was possible to make it pay, and put it on a good working basis Then concessions might be made to the public. Non-Paying Water-races. The determination to effect necessary economies in the Public Services has led to tho discovery of a number of instances in which certain sections of the public have boon getting the better of tho Treasury. One such case relates to water-races in goluiuiuing districts. Mr T. E. Y. Jioddon to-day brought up the question of the Kum'ara water-races, which, it was rumoured, were to bo abandoned by the Government. The town was, he said, dependent upon the water in case of fire and also for ordinary use. He suggested that the Government might make arrangements with the local bodies to take over the races. There was a possibility of developing hydro-electric power up to ICOu k.w. tor Greyuiouth. The Minister of Mines (the Hon. G. J. Anderson) said he would be quite willing to go down there after th e session and see what arrangements could be made in regard to developing power or making the races pay. If they did not pay thev would have to go. The loss during the last six years was £6294. while the gold won was valued at £48,V98, and the number of men employed was enly 36. It was quite impossible for the Government to go on finding water at a huge loss like that. The alternative was to charge a price for the water that would pay expenses. The Government did not want to make any profit. An increase in the charges from 2Jd to sd. and 8d in the case of sawmillers would enable the races to pay expenses. If these rates gave more than thvi expenditure they would be lowered accordingly. Mr Bitch<?nor mentioned tho matter of the Mount Ida water-race. The miner*, he said, were greatly concerned about the probable closing down of this race. Mr Anderson said this rac e was practically in the same position as the others already referred to, except that the position was a little worse. In this case it was possible that the water might be used for irrigating land, but he did not lenow what it would cost to bring th e water to the land. The Department was endcavounng to reduce expenses ar.d to make these services pay. and thsy looked to the public to back them up. Soldier Settlements. Mr MeCombs to-day asked a question of urgency in regard to returned soldiers who wished to build homes, and now, he said, found themselves in difficulties. They had applied to the Land Hoards for grants, which had been approved, but on reference to Wellington