QUESTIONS IN THE HOUSE.

Press, Volume LXVII, Issue 20302, 30 July 1931, Page 11

QUESTIONS IN THE HOUSE.

■rr —♦ replies by ministers. OU)B AKD OTHER MATTERS. if ; ' "trUM ABSOCUrIOK TKLEGE\M.I WELLINGTON, July 29. ■ Written replies to questions asked jaiaisters were circulated in the House at SeprOKQtatives to-day. ließtHoiu-G. W. Forbes, replying t» Mr E T. Armstrong (Lab., Christdnrtdi East), said there was power drier the existing legislation to proMJit the importation of motor-cars, ato not proposed, however, to take BcJi.attioa as it was considered it mH «ot be in the best interests of Sor Zealand. Jfr 4rP rfT ? ,l gj submitting the fgpriia. ptggMtad that the prohibition '^vdiild'"provide employees! fw way workers in reconditionag ued cut. Artificial Silk. Jteplying to Mr C. Carr (Lab., Timaru), Mr Forbes said the question lit imposing • duty on silk and artifaul nit if ot tßritish origin, and iateuhf the doty 0,11 such fabrics of jru a matter for congovernment did not proParliament to allow BritafclWl goods to be admitted free Maiiqßeods were largely made in IfliHblr'- ' Irfjfer pointed out that the duty on wa much lower than that a rata "goods. '? Sinking Funds. IfaH.G. B. Mason (Lab., Auckland cd s whether legislation i introduced to enable sinking |»tp«ylawf? by local bodies to be retocod, thus affording *®« itfier to ratepayers, especially in Ifcjjaafef tie particularly heavy sinkifJWtwnieata .to -which Hospital ftefrveie Sable. '*F«rbes ed that the matter Mi;** live consideration by bodies concerned in order mined in all its Jfo general application of the ywjgfltertfld bad been made to the , ; ftwra Lands and Tenants. to Mr W. H. Field (8., mtJw .Boa. E. A. nsom said ] ijjWliwiJ Committees set up under rero.Lawg Amendment Act, 1929, g'M'flPWtod and reported on most iP^'aadi .throughout the Dominion, ly tyoameadations in respect of *s*l wtable for development had regWvaicfu] conside/ation. Twelve ■*»»,. Mmprisinij about 70,000 acres, 1 process of devcloplestion of developing now receiving considr T. D. Burnett (R.> »om said the Depart - ,n< Survey was well Acuities encountered >ominion by. ~ Crown ; of the prevailing dolowers . had. been cond Boards in the way Authorities to recomicationa from individelief in such cases Sympathetic considerareply when speaking i said the valuation iras not in any sense 3 present depression, was the fall in the iucts of the country, ssion was not a jus|i•ermanent revaluation the Doihinion, and if luation it would bring ich greater than at aid cause a tremendt Foods. r J, A. Young (R.» orbes said the Govsist on the advantage i exchange rafcp not to consumers in the ds such as bran, polotherwise the proteceal growers would disrould result in more iab., Timaru) asked ition would-be given ims' to bo released in bush land iu the Doese animals were not aring high grade fur Otago Acclimatisation .. do la Perrelle said ider the consideration » - • E. J. Howard (Lab., th), the Hon. A. J; cablegram had been ! Commonwealth Gov-

ernment on the subject of lifting the embargo on New Zealand potatoes en-i tering Australia. In reply to Mr C. A. Wilkinson (Ind., Egmont), Mr Forbes said the Government had invited the Canadian Government to send a Minister to New Zealand to discuss the question of concluding a reciprocal trade agreement between the two Dominions. It was not considered any useful purpose would be served 1 by sending a" trade delegation to Canada at. tbe. pr.esent time. He thought his, recent statements would have made it obvious that the Government. would continue to use every possible means to arrange a satisfactory trade agreement (between the two countries.

Penalty on Overdue Bates,

Mr W. J. Poison (Ind., Stratford) asked the Minister for Internal Affairs whether he )yould extend for a further twelve months the right to forgo tho 10 per cent, penalty on overdue rates given to local by tho Finance Act of the short session. Mr de la Perrelle said the Government would be quite prepared to consider the matter provided representations along the lines suggested were made by the local body associations concerned.