POLITICAL NOTES

Press, Volume LXX, Issue 21244, 16 August 1934, Page 10

POLITICAL NOTES

[From Our Parliamentary Heporter.l WELLINGTON, August 15. Customs Revenue Customs and other revenue collected by the Customs Department during the year ended on March 31 last totalled £10,843,724, according to a return tabled in the House of Representatives to-day. Of this sum, £4,969,287 was provided by Customs duties other than petrol—tax and duties on rubber tyres for motor vehicles. .The next largest individual sum obtained was that of £1,847,333 realised by the sales tax. From the duty of 6d a gallon on motor spirit, £1,438,663 was collected. The largest sum collected at any individual port of entry was £3,748,966, for Auckland. At Wellington, £3,149,664 was collected. The collections at Lyttelton and Dunedin were £1,332,835 and £1,233,892 respectively. Irrigation at Glenavy The Government, it is understood, has approved the initiation of an irrigation scheme at Glenavy, in South Canterbury, and it is likely that the work will be put in hand shortly. In his annual report to Parliament last vear, the Minister for Public Works (the Hon. J. Bitchener) emphasised the value of irrigation, and stated that he did not consider it desirable to abandon proposals for its future extension. He mentioned that surveys had been completed for the suggested irrigation of about 30,000 p,si-es near Glenavy. The investigations had shown that the water could bo conveyed to these lands from the Y.'aitaki river at a very low initial cost, but as it was rjoubtful if such a large area would be likely to demand irrigation, schemes for coping with smaller areas nearer the source of supply were being considered. It is understood that the present scheme is based on the irrigation of an area of about 5000 acres. Meat Exports Notice of his intention to introduce a Slaughtering and Inspection Amendment Bill was given in the House of Representatives to-day by the Minister for Agriculture (the Hon. C. E. Macmillan). The purpose of the bill is to widen and make more definite the Minister's powers of control over the operations of meat export slaughter houses. It is understood that the bill will give the Minister power to regulate the quantities of different classes of stock killed. The bill also embodies a proposal in the Meat Export Control Amendment Bill, introduced by Mr W. J. Poison (C, Stratford),earlier in the session, requiring export slaughter houses to kill for any owner-producer who requires them to do so. Harbours Amendment Bill There is no hope of the Government taking up the Harbours Amendment Bill introduced by Mr H. T. Armstrong (Lab., Christchurch East) to secure an additional representative of the city of Christchurch en the Lyttelton Harbour Board, according to a statement made to-night bv the Minister for Marine (the Hon. J. G. Cobbo) in the House of Representatives. ' Mr Armstrong had moved the second reading of his bill pro forma, and had moved that it should be referred to the Local Bills Committee. Mr Cobbe said he had gone into the matter very thoroughly, but he could hold out no hope of the bill being accepted by the Government. He understood the board desired to secure an extra city member; but he explained that on a population basis the city was already well represented. Christchurch had now the same number of city representatives as Auckland and Wellington. He saw no reason for an increase. However, he had no objection to the I bill going to the committee, and this [ course was adopted. I Licensing Law Breaches ! "No doubt there are breaches fit ! the licensing law, as there are of all other laws, but the member for Lyttelton (Mrs E. R. McCombs) can be assured that the police do their best to enforce respect for the licensing law, to detect breaches, and to prosecute offenders," said the Minister for Justice (the Hon. J. G. Cobbe) in the House to-day, replying to a question by Mrs McCombs. The Minister added that the breaches of the law at the Riccarton Hotel had been brought before the notice of the local police. ! Mrs McCombs had mentioned eviI dencc given at the recent inquest I into the Riccarton murder. Transport of Prisoners "Prison vans used for the transport of prisoners arc made as inconspicuous as possible, and they are not dissimilar to many classes of commercial vehicles," "said the Minister for Justice (the Hon. J. G. Cobbe) in the House to-day, replying to a question addressed to him by Mr Clyde Carr (Lab., Timaru) recently, in which he was asked to "consider the humanity of dispensing with regular,prison vans for the carriage of persons from railway trains to prisons." The Minister added that a closed vehicle was essential in the interests of safe custody, and to ensure that Die in-1 mates would not be subjected to the public gaze. It was not practicable to keep a variety of vehicles for the conveyance of prisoners and persons under arrest. Prisoners in bad health received special consideration. ;