QUESTION TIME IN HOUSE

Press, Volume LXX, Issue 21244, 16 August 1934, Page 12

QUESTION TIME IN HOUSE

+ WIDE RANGE OF TOPICS REPLIES BY MINISTERS a'BBSS ASSOCIATION TEX.EGHAU.) WELLINGTON, August 15. Written replies to questions were circulated and discussed by the House of Representatives this afternoon. Mr A. Harris asked the Minister for ' Finance whether the Government wili this session introduce an amendment tc section 140 of the Companies Act, 1933, ' with the object of reopening the bene- ; fits of that section to persons who have not been deemed eligible for membership in the New Zealand Society of Accountants, it having been stated that many professional accountants have been improperly excluded from the benefits intended to be conferred upon them under this section. The Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates replied: "The Government does not intend to introduce amending legislation in the direction indicated. Careful consideration was given the matter when the Companies Bill was before the House last year. Arrangements were made to prevent any person who could produce evidence of appointment as the auditor of a limited liability company from being prejudicially affected by the legislation." Mr J. O'Brien (Lab., Westland) asked the Minister for Employment whether he would take steps to have relief workers under an unemployment scheme, who met with accidents, paid adequate compensation to keep them in the necessaries of life. At present, relief workers meeting with accident , while at work receive only two-thirds of relief rales of pay. The Hon. J. A. Young replied: "The question of the measure of relief paid to workers during periods of disability

arising out of their employment 011 relief works is at present under consideration." Mr H. G. R. Mason (Lab., Auckland Suburbs) asked the Minister in charge of the Police Department, whether he had noticed the very long period that in recent cases elapsed between the time when a murder was committed and the time an accused person was tried, and, if so, would he have such reorganisation made in the police force as to secure the holding of trials when the memory of the witnesses was fresh? The Hon. J. G. Cobbe replied: "The first requisite condition in all prosecutions is to have all available evidence complete to place before the court. The time this may take depends upon the circumstances of each case, and is, n.i a rule, beyond the power of the police to control. The police, however, fully realise the importance of bringing their witnesses to court as soon as possible after a crime, while the events are fresh in their memory, ami always cio so without avoidable delay." The Rabbit I'cst Mr T. 1). Burnett Tcmuknt asked the Minister for Agriculture whether, taking into consideration the great nit naee the rabbit pest is to the sheepraising industry of the Dominion, lie will consider first a belter equalisation price for rabbit skins spread over the whole period of the year; second, t!ie setting of expert specialists in the Department of Agriculture and those of the Department of Scientific find Industrial Research to discover now j rabbit-poisoning methods; third, con-

Ceiling willi similar department® in Australia on the same subject? The Hen. C. E. Macmillnii replied: "Kir: t, tl.e Govcrnnifm i.; unable to :re i! way ;•» exercise any decree ol' control over rabbi' :);j;i prims. Second. a i;re:.t dr.-. I »,f investbullion awl fJi'ini.-y h;i> been conducied ;:i an endi -ivour to lind new and bcller methods of rabbit-pi ; j:i 111;;. 'l'll is will j be eo'ii iii'i'-il. Third, elo; e contact i.'; main!a!iiei.l between scientific workt rs in Mew Y.i•aland ami Australia all matters conn< cted with tin- pastoral industry, and the point raised will be Civen particular attention." Mr !l. A. WriMht iJnd.. Well inr,ton Suburb. > asked the Prime Minister whether the Government, intended to introduce a Superannuation liill this'j session, and if so would organisations I interested be given an opportunity of considerim; the proposals before their introduction to the House, with theobject (if burj;estinj,' amendment.-.? The TU. Hon. G. W. Forbes replied: "This matter is still under consideration, and will be dealt with in the budget." Cold Held by Hanks Mr W. Na.sh 'Lab., ilutt) asked the j Milliliter for Finance: U> Why he had!

extended the period in which the trading banks carrying on business in New Zealand may continue lo hold coin and bullion on their own account; <2) Iv.oukl (he- extciii-jon be in any v, ay applied to the retirement of Treasury bills, v.-itn consecpienlial additional payment of interest by the Government; (3,' would the trading banks continue to pay note Lax on their own notes in circulation afler August. 1? The Reserve Bank of New Zealand Act, 1933, confers the rights to issue notes on the Reserve Bank. and provides for the surrender to the Reserve Bank by each trading bank operating in New Zealand of all gold bullion held by it on its own account. The ordinary procedure provides for the powers of the bank to issue notes as from August 1, and for gold bullion to be handed over by the trading banks on that day. The Rt. Hon. J. G. Coatcs replied: "(1) In terms of section 15 of the Reserve Bank Act, made operative by ; a proclamation issued in January last, alt gold coin and bullion held by the trading banks was required to lie handed over to the Reserve Bank on August 1. The proclamation referred to provides for coin and bullion being handed over within a period of three months from August 1. This second proclamation has been issued merely to give sufficient time for the transfer to the Reserve bank to be made in an orderly manner by mutual arrangement, between the Reserve Bank and the trading banks. From a practical point o£' view, it would hardly have been possible for such a large amount of coin to have been counted and formally handed over on one day. No other significance attaches to tho second proclamation "(2) The extension of the period has not in a»_y way affected the retirement of treasury bills. In fact, all treasury bills held by the banks have already been paid ofT.

"(3) The trading banks will continue to pay note tax on then- own notes ! while they remain in circulation after August 1." Rural Rates Mr F. Lye (C., Waikato) asked the Minister :for Finance whether he would, when framing, the estimates for the current year, make provision for a subsidy to be paid to counties on rates already struck, in order to give a measure of relief to primary producers. Mr Coates replied: "Provision is beir.f> made In the current year for the usual subsidy payable to local bodies in terms <•)£ section 37 (1) of the Finance Act, 1930, on general rates. Payment of a special subsidy in addition to the above is not contemplated." Mr W. A. Voitch (Ind., Wanganui) asked the Minister for Employment whether it was a fact that in some cases class B unemployed men who had physical disabilities were being called iiflpn to sign documents indemnifying the Unemployment Board from liability under the Workers' Compensation Act, and if so what was the justification? The Hoix J. A. Young replied: "The Unemployment Board does not itself initiate action requiring a relief worker suffering from a physical disability to contract himself out of a claim for compensation. What usually

occurs iK that the man himself applies. statins he is physically unfit to perform ordinary relief work, if the disability is of such a nature that it may possibly give rise to disablement at any time. The action taken is merely the same as would be taken by any ordinary employer." Rednccd Unemployment Mr A. E. Ansel I Chalmers) asked the Minister for Kmployment whether, in view of the improvement shown in the unemployment figures for July, 1034. an improvement of nearly 10,000 against the July figures for 1933, the Minister would favourably consider making' such increases in the allocations for rural and suburban districts as would bring such allocations up to or nearer the amounts payable to relief workers in the main cities. Mr Young replied: "The reduction in the numbers of men referred to does not necessarily result in a reduction in the Unemployment Board's expenditure. The board advises that it is taking advantage of such improvement as has occurred in

general conditions to intensify the policy of transferring men from rationed work under scheme No. 5 to full-time work at standard rates of pay, involving payment of subsidies to employing bodies: and while such men are not technically unemployed, the subsidies paid toward their full time wages engage a substantial sum weekly from the Unemployment Fund." Mr R. W. Hawkc <C., Kaiapoi) asked the Postmaster-Genera) whether he would reduce the radio license fee to £1 Is, as Australia proposed to do. The Hon. A. Hamilton replied: "Tiro matter is at present receiving consideration." Alleged Disloyal Speech Mr W. P. Endean i'C.. ParnelD asked the Minister for Education: (1) Whether his attention had been drawn to the reportoort r a disloyal speech in the "New Zealand Herald" of August 6 delivered by H. D. Dickinson, a lecturer on the Auckland University College staff, and lent by an English university to the New Zealand University: and if so, did the Minister concur with the views expressed in that speech? (2) What action did the Minister propose to take? Mr Forbes replied: "My attention has been drawn to the report. I do not concur with the views expressed in that speech. I can take no action, however, as Dickinson is employed by and is under the control of the Auckland University College Council." —,M i