REPLIES TO QUESTIONS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 269, 6 August 1908, Page 9

REPLIES TO QUESTIONS.

MAIL. SERVICE. The following answer was given, to Mr. Malcolm, 'regarding a : mail servico from Britain by way of Panama or Mexico:—"As the steaming distanco from Wellington to Panama and Colon to Plymouth is only 620 miles leas than tho routo Wellington-to Strait of Magellan, ltio do Janeiro, and Morito Vidoo, sajd tho Premier, '/ and as transhipment to tlie railway at' Panama and from the railway to tho steamer at Colon would probably ocoupy tho hotter portion of a day, there would be no advantage in considering the establishment of a mail .servico by nay . of Panama. Tho rbute would, in any case, bo of use almost solely for malls and passengers, so'that any subsidy asked mignt bo expected to bo very high. ; Leaving out the call at Monto Video and Rio do Ja.neiro, tho distance should be evon less'than stated.' By way of Capo Horn the distance would bo 200 miles moro than by way of the Strait of Magellan, f Even if mails wero sent , by way of Cape Horn, they .would,' as a rule, reach Plymouth not more, than about throe days later, .than--mails, sent by wriy of Panama. As' regards a mail service bjr way of Mexico, the only route for mails which would be practicablo is from. New Zealand to Salina Cruz and thonco by railway to Now York, tho latter, boing the only port at: present from which' fast steamers- run to-,'tho -United. Kingdom.': Salina Cruz 1 , approximately, 200 miles nearer Auckland than Vancouver—say, about, .thirteen hours', steaming timo in advantage of Salina Cruz. On the; other hand, tho railway journey from Vancouver to -New York is estimated, to bo shorter, than from Salina Cruz.tO'Npw. ; York,, so that, in',.point of speed no advantage*would bo gainod. by sending mails by,.way of/Mexico.- Apart from 'this, tnehj is no question jihat a connection with Canada.is of much greater importance to New Zealand than'one with Mexico would be. Another possiblo from New Zealand to Topolobampo, in the Gulf of California — has recently been brought under notice. As, hqweyor, it'will, bo some years before a'fast train service is likely to run from Topolobampo- to Kansas City, tho Gulf, of . California'route may be .regarded, in the meantime,:as.negligible. There is, therefore, noi.reaspn' to, abandon the negotiations 'nowgoing''on.; for-ati -Imperial fast mail service l on the 'Atlantic "and" Pacific, with, connecting {joints-,in Canada."

: HUMOROUS SNOWBALLINC." Replying to' Mr. Rutliorford's question , as to tho'escapade of a number of snowballcrs in the vicinity of the Wellington Opera Houa'a •on tho! night of -tho hailstorm "(as reported in The Dominion), the Minister for Justice said that a number of, youths and men.' apparently of the respectable class, had indulged in humorous snowballing. The police did their utmost to check tho .trouble *nd disperse tho crowd, but wero bombarded from all sides, and it was practically impossible to obtain evidence upon which initiate prosecutions.!• No complaints .of injury' had been received. '• 1

' TIMBER INDUSTRY. Regarding a question'by;Mr. Seddon as to whether the Den "of Ifuthvon, recently unloading. Oregon' timber, was subsidised by .the Government, -the Minister, said the steamer was one of'the Alley line, whiph iris subsidised 'by the* Govpftimfent, :';and there ,-jras no'restriction upon , the cargo the company brought ito'/our- shores: ■ v" SCHOOL BOOKS. • 'Replying to . Mr. the Minister for .Education says :—-"'From', the reports arid information to Journal' is being useci.rogulafly;.«s;.,'a»sup T plpmoutary reader throughout "the schools of. the Dominion^' empowered by tho'Actto select tli'o reading-' books to be.'iisod in .the several, djstriots, at' present,. jt = lio^\vitli ...thom to- say how, far, C.'s&all displace Aiiy"road-ring-books- tiiey. v ma'y have presoribed: With rcfercncfe to the matter .of text-books, ,I'hapo' to ?übmit to: tho House proposals bearing on this question diiring the .present, session."-

-The' ..Postmaster-Genefal .'.was called upon by Mr! Malcolm to deny a rumour that the Melbourne : steamers'• .mails , art ' sometimes not sent on-by the . first express from tho Blulf. The. ..PoStmaster-peneral said that in no instance -in recent ;times .had a possible connection boonlost. s On several occasions ■ recently /.connection had ■ only )>ecn missed by a narrow 'margin,' but this, was due to tho fact that the steamer had not ljeen. alongside'-tha wharf in sufficient timo and . "specials"' could. not bo held beyond a certain limit to tho interruption of ordinary traffic. , ■•

"I have not been' ablo to see my way to. convey library books at the desired rate of jd. each. To do bo/would. result ill a distinct loss, as the cost of handling and conveying would be far. in'excess of. the post-age derived."—The Postmaster-General. 1 The Prime Minister—"lt is doubtful if a Municipal Corporations Bill will be introduced uy the Government this session, and in any caso such a Bill would he limited to pressing amendments." s "Yes; it is certainly intended to'circulate the proposed National Superannuation Bill this "session."— I Tho Primo Minister. ; The Government cannot entertain tho proposal for. tho purchase of flourmills aiid tlio necessary land for,wqrking them. - ; Tho matter, of stopping Che export of- liauri logs is under, consideration.,' It is intended' to introduce tho Civil, Service Superannuation Bill this session, and the matter, of how ;to deal with "broken time" is under consideration:" . • It is intended to place on the permanent staff all casual railway employees with continuous service in the Department of five years or. over. The question of making some concessions 'to Justices in tho price of ■ the Consolidated Statutes will receive consideration. Thore appears little probability that timo ban bo found to amend tho Bankruptcy Act during tho present session—The Minister for Justice. A Shoddy Bill is in course of preparation. Stops are .to bo taken to open tho Makarotu Forest' Reserve as soon as tho necessary surveys have been made,'and surveyors will proceed with.the work, as spqn as.thoy complete tho present blocks. If timo perjnits 'an amendment of the Noxious Weeds Act will, be introduced this session! » ' . : A report-is to be. obtained frorrt tho Land Purchase Board on tho advisability of purchasing the estate of Ally Bros. at Hikutaia, for closer settlement purposes. :•>% • Tho regulations under tho Defence Act as attended aro in tho hands of tho SolicitorGonoral for revision before beirig printed. ■ It is not intended .that the Government shall orect any furthor sawmills at present.—/ Tho Prime Minister to Mr. Witty.