QUESTIONS IN THE HOUSE.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 18152, 15 August 1924, Page 11

QUESTIONS IN THE HOUSE.

REPLIES OF MINISTERS, j (rEEss association telegeau.) , ; ■ WELLINGTON, August 1-1. Replies of Ministers to questions placed on tho Oi'dcr Paper in the House of Representatives during the week, were tabled to-day. Among the replies wero tbo following:— That tho Government is not aware of any unusual movement of ca.pital to Australia from New Zealand. The exchange rates are operating so adversely that business of . tho . kind must be negligible. Thac instruction in bacon curing for export does not form' a feature of Departmental activities, it being considered desirable that for tho purposes of the export trade bacon curing should be earned out in properly 'equipped and inspected factories, where facilities exißt for turning out a product of as good and uniform'.a quality as possible. That if specific instances are given whero it is possiblo to enforce tho eradication of noxious weeds on native lands, the necessary action will be taken, but there are few cases in which the applicable clauses of tho Act can be utilised.

That the. proposed' Railway Commission will not bo.concerned with the question of tho construction of new railwav lines.-

That arrangements have already been made'to set up a Special Committee of scientific men to investigate ■ fully the existing system of observation, and record in regard to both meteorology and hydrology, the question of what additional apparatus should bo obtained for.the Dominion will bo included ; in tho scope of "Che- committee's enquiries, and the whole! matter will receive attention on receipt of the report of the committee. That the question of amending the constitution cf> the .Arbitration Court in the direction of doing away with permanent assessors, has been considered, and that it has not been deemed adrisablo to amend the law as suggested. That the problems of cancer, and its causation, are essentially tho same in New Zealand as in other parts of the world. For this reason the Health Department, is undertaking no investigation into the subject of its own, but is .keeping; in close touch with various organisations overseas which have specially equipped to study the disease.

That the' Government- has oh .more than one occasion intimated that ' it would bo prepared to make a substantial payment to anyone discovering' an effective destroyer of blackberry which wo-]ld be economically satisfactory. That the Health Department quite appreciates the necessity for dental treatment at primary schools, and the treatment of all school children, both in town and countrv districts, is the end at which the Department aims. This is being attained as rapidly as possible, but it will some years before a sufficient . service is available to meet the needs of the whole Dominion.