POLITICAL NOTES

Press, Volume LXV, Issue 19772, 9 November 1929, Page 18

POLITICAL NOTES

[THE FEESS Special Service.] WELLINGTON*. November ?. Payments to be Made. Several items of interest appear in the Appropriation Bill passed l<y the llouse of Kepresentatives to-day. A payment of £4OO is authorised to a London legal tirm for professional services rendered in connexion with the application of O. F. Nelson to the Privy Council for leave to appeal against his deportation from Western Samoa. For services rendered si grant of .£IOO is made to Mr K. B. Hammond, former Director of Town Planning. Mr Hurst Seager is to receive £ L > ."»i> for services rendered in • connexion with the Wellington citizens' war memorial.

An ex gratia payment of £2OO is made to Xlrs Moni-rUvff. mother of the late Lieutenant Monerieff, victim of the attempted Tosman aerial flight. A grant of £4OO is made to Mr W. F. Neill, late Surveyor-General, being the equivalent of six months' salary in lieu of leave on retirement. For wool research work at Massey College, a grant of £ 2oU is made. To cover his expenses at the Postal Union Conference, the secretary of the. P. and T. Department (Mr "G. McNamara) is to receive £ 1400. Local Bodies' Loans'. Objection was made in the House of Representatives in the early hours of this morning by Mr J. S. Fletcher (U., Grey Lynn) to the principle! of the Local Government Loans Board being authorised to validate a variation of the purpose for which a local body loan is raised. He moved that the clause in the Finance Bill referring to this be deleted. The Acting-Leader of tho House (Hon. Mr Forbes) said that the provision had been included in the Bill at the instigation of the local bodies. If it were felt that too much power was g*ven he was prepared to drop the clause. When the Minister gave an assurance that he would have an amendment introduced in the Legislative Council to give effect to his promise, Mr Fletcher withdrew his motion. The alteration will involve some reconstruction by the law draftsman. Best Homes. Parliament to-day, with slight amendments, passed the Government measure providing for the establishment and maintenance of rest homes for persons una" le, through tge or infirmity, to take proper care of themselves. The description of "destitute persons" was deleted from the title of the measure, which now becomes the Rest Hemes Act. References tj prison procecfcire or phraseology were omitted, and the minimum term of reception was reduced from twelve to six months, Secondary Industries. A Parliamentary Committee is to enquire during the recess into the means necessary to increase the efficiency and promote the development of the coach and motor-body building, engineering, blacksmithing, rope and twine works, fruit preserving and jam making, woollen mills, and clothing industries. The Committee will comprise the Minister for Industries and Commerce (Hon. Mr Cobbe), Messrs A. Harris (R., Waitemata), H. E. Jenkins (U., Parnell), and D. G. Sullivan (Lab., Avon). The setting up of the Committee was proposed by Mr Cobbe in the House of Representatives to-night. The Leader of the Opposition (Mr Co«tes) asked in what way, for instance, did the Committee hope to improve the woollen industry. Th© whole matter was a most delicate one to handle, and as such a recess Committee had not been set up since about 1912, Mr Coates asked for a fuller explanation from the Minister. Mr Cobbe said that most of the members of the Committee had had some business experience, and he thought it would be able to bring down practical proposals. Mr Coates: Won't it be a case of these manufacturers educating the Committee ? Mr Cobbe: Well, that would be an advantage. I may say there has been a demand from the manufacturers for the setting up of an Industrial Development Committee. We could not agree to that, but have decided to set up a practical committee. Mr Coates: Well, good luck to youl The motion setting up the Committee was then agreed to.