QUESTIONS IN THE HOUSE.

Press, Volume LXVII, Issue 20214, 17 April 1931, Page 15

QUESTIONS IN THE HOUSE.

replies by ministers. WIDE VARIETY OF SUBJECTS. ' (PBSBS ABSOOIATIOK TULBOmAM.) WELLINGTON, April 16. Ministerial replies to questions were circulated In the House of Representatives this afternoon. The Bt. Hon. G. W. Forbes, replying to Mr J. Linklater (8., Manawatu), said books, instruments, and planß constituting the records of the Land Trans-"-fer and Deeds Begistration offices it Napier were housed in rooms believed to be fireproof. They would no' doubt resist an ordinary fire or even an extraordinary fire, \if water had been available. The doors were locked and the window-shutters closed after the earthquake. The records of the Stamp Office that were destroyad were of comparatively little value. The most important records that office contained, namely documents registered under the provisions of the Companies Act, werq not destroyed. It was proposed to obtain a report from the Public Works Department, upon the question of the efficiency of the fire-resisting qualities of all rooms in other towns in which land transfer and deeds register records are housed.

Replying to Mr H. M. Campbell (8., Hawke's Bay), Mr Forbes said tho land transfer and deeds registers for the district of Hawke's Bay, having been totally destroyed, it was impossible to register instruments in the usual' way, but arrangements had been made for the reception, filing, and recording in Wellington* in the meantime, of all instruments that nifty require to bo registered so as to give all the protect tion possible underi the circumstances to persons dttaliiig with land titles. At* rangemonts were also being made to obtain copies of instruments of title in the hands of. solicitors and others/ to forte a new register, and a Bill was being drafted to provide as far as possible for the many difficulties that the destruction of the registers must have created. Begistration offices would be opened in Napier aB soon as the work it construction of new registers had beon put in satisfactory working order, and accommodation for the registers and staff could be provided.

Bond Issues. - Replying to Mr G. C. Black (Ind., Mottieka), Mr Forbes Batd the recommendation of the Tabocca Industry Committee that the law should be amended to provide for the registration of any 'Series of bonds issued by a joint stock company would be considered in connexion with the Companies Bill, which was now in coursq of preparation. Every: effort would bemade to introduce that Bill during the next ordinary session..

Beni -of Trenches, In reply to ,Mr & Langstone (Lab., Waimarino),- the Prime Miniate? said the New Zealand 'Government had not been charged rent for the trenches occupied by the Expeditionary Force while fighting .in France." Nor had it any knowledge' of such a charge being madS against Grest Britain or" Australia. _ to Jit A. Harris .(B^Wai-. temata), Mr Forbes -said in view of the .fact that the issufe of .premium /bonds in connexion with the - rehabilitation of the earthquake-strieken area wtald be a lottery within the meaning of the 'Gaming Act, and consequently illegal, the. Government did not pro* pose to adopt the suggestion. •'' ArapunL i Replying to lit J.S. Fletcher (Ind., Grey iSjotn), the B. Taverner said it was not possible at ,the present .time . to indicate when the Arapuni i Hydro Works would be functioning.

Banking Legislation. Mr T. W. McDonald (IT., "Wairarapa) had asked the Prime Minister whether he would introduce a Bill to amend tho Ijanking lavr so as to campel the banks to pay a reasonable rate of.interest on ijar-depositors' credit, .balances on cur■'irent aocouiita. He had also asked whether the Government would amend the law so as to compel the £6,000,000 in gold, held by the banks, aa a dead asset, to be forthwith made roveniie producing. > " v In reply, Mr Forbes said( the Govern- . menfc dia not propose to introduce any banking legislation this session. A similar answer ,wai giveh to Mr' P. Langstone, who jequested Gov-ernment-to stop the banks from imposing "erratic and high rates of interest upon the producers and-exporters of Now Zealand, thereby croatinga'dislocationof trade and increasing unem* ploypient." ' Mr C. H. Chapman - (Lab., Wellington Nortel) had asked the Prime Minis* ter"whether,'seeing the Government hadfour representatives on the directorate pt the Bknk oft' Ndw , Zealand, thV policy of the Government was indicated'to these representatives and, if so ; Was the' Government responsible for.tlTe large amount of ( the bank's assets invested in Australia? Mr Forbes rallied that while. the. Government '.did' Confer with its, nominees on the directorate of the bank, „it did not interfere with the general management of' the .bank, consequently 'the Government was not responsible -for the' investments in Austifilia, but this ' attention-the banks bad been drawn •to the Statement made. • v' ' _ Dumping of Goods. ' In- answer ;to *Mf D. Jones (8., MidCanterbury), who asked - whethey thq Government would pnt British Countries withj-depreciated currencies on the sapie footlng fts counrries and treat i the-importation' of; goods as ' dumping] . the' JPrime Minister replied that action had Already been taken* to meet the position ereated I>y the depreciated currency of Australia in cases whew secondary industries , were .'prejudiced through the importation of goods from that country. > pt'V ißatthaaagivßateK, 1 - s ' 1 i Mr J.O'Brien (L'ab.,,Weßtla4d) asked whether "the Government, would force the banks to bring the' exchange between New > Zealand'- and Australia to 1 treasonable' limits, whereby New Zealand commodities .could be sold in Australia' without being subjected to the penalty 6t the present„ high xate of . 'i i. ,* * .. . <<Thf> rates, of qiohange between- Australia and' New Zealand ,aie largely • governed by the - relative position of the t-atos of exchange of Australia oil Lob* #OA"ftnd New Zealand on London rereplied M* Forbes., The rates of exchange.eould'iiot be.brought' near parity without increasing the rates of exchange between New Zealand and (liondon: >lt: wbuld, appear that the Do* 3»ibioq already was being-prejudicially h affected by f Australian conditions, and w the honpui^bla' member sug* Swmld onlyteadttt increase our difficulties ' "