REPLIES TO QUESTIONS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 304, 17 September 1908, Page 9

REPLIES TO QUESTIONS.

A DEADLOCK. Tho Minister for Education, replying to Mr. Hall, gavo tho following account of tlio deadlock between tho Government and tho Kducation Board of Hawko's Bay, in respect to the erection of a schoolhouso at Tamaki, near Daimevirko:—"A grant of £750 was authorised last April for a school at. Tamaki, according to a plan submitted by the board. In July tho board reported that the lowest tender for tho building, exclusive of furniture, fittings, and preparation of site, was £738, and an increase in tho grant was asked for. 'i'ho Department sent for tho plans, and from theso found, what tho boartl had not thought proper- to state, that tho building for which tonders had boon called was considerably larger than the" one shown by tho original plan The board was consequently informed 011 July 27 that, in tho ab • sonco of any explanation of tho enlargement of tho building, tho Minister did not soohis way to increase the grant. Yesterday, a reply was received that as information had como to hand that tho uumber of children available was increasing, and was likely to further increase, it was considered advisable to build the rooms larger than was at first proposed.' This may bo so, but I havo not ; had time to considor tho matter further. In any case, tho board should havo placed tho facts before tho Department, and asked for an extension of tho grant, when thoy decided to enlarge tho plans, and 1 cannot acknowledge any responsibility for tho delay that has arisen." TIMBER FREIGHTS. On tho matter of building timber'freights on tho railways, air. Hogg received from tho Minister for Railways a reply that tho existing rates for timber wore made at a tirno when that article was very much lower in valuo than it is at presont. Tho rates, moreover, wore reasonablo for tho sorvicos performed by the .Railway Department. Mr. Hogg said tho Minister's attitudo was calculated to mako things worse than thev were. Apparently, whilo concessions in freight had been made all round, nothing had been done in the case of timber. Ho said that at Utilui timber was quoted at 255. per hundred feet, and tho freight to his district was about half, 12s. 'ljd. Tho Minister for Railways SRid tho timber mentioned was of such a sizo that it had to bo carried on two trucks, and a great deal more font of a smaller sizo could have boon transported for the samo cost. "Thoro is such a divorsity of opinion and' Uncertainty as to tho facts regarding the 'importation of Oregon pine that the Government has decided to appoint a Royal Commission to inquire into and report on tho wholo question.-"—The Prime Minister. A committee will bo set up next year to inquire into tho methods of the l'ress Association in allegedly charging heavy entrance feos to country nowspapcrp.—Tho Primo Miwßtor to Mi. Jennings.

"Tho present post-ofliieat Sliariiioii,'? said tlio Postmaster-General to Mr. Field, "is considered to lio worth about £500 _as it stands, and with a slight extension should moot the wants of this Department for a number of years to come.". ,T'hero is.,non;,no, objection to granting the. Library, Committep_ tlie use of 301't. by 00ft. at tho corner of c Section 231 on an undertaking being given ( to romovo the library, building in; tlio event' "j of tlio corner being required by the post office. - . Replying to a request for an experimental i station in Central Otago, the 'Minister jbcu- ] larly informed the llouso-that tlio'requests < for dairy schools .and experimental stations from Canterbury and Otago had"; been-/as numerous almost as the members representing those provinces. . . . i In reply to Mr. Okey's question on boned ! beef, the Hon. H. M'Nnb' stated:—"A cable i has been sent to the High Commissioner 1 j pointing out tlio steps taken li'cr'e'" rc-' garding veterinary inspection; and ■ that-,-|in ] addition, it is proposed to. make further re- ; gulations as to standard of meat to bo J packed." In regard to the damage caused in Courtenay Place somo months ago by the Stiite . coal motor-weggon, the Department,: doSs not admit any liability, nor does the evidence. '• iii its possession show (said - flie Hon.; .L M'Gowan) that the accident was^caused'. by negligence on the part of the driver'of the motor-waggon. "Tlio question of making provision for,,a ; courthouso and for additional polico, accommodation at Shannon is now receiving .con-- ' sideratiori," said tlio Minister .for Justice... Mr. Barber asked that a special board of, say, three members, bo.appointed to prepare the initial scheme of classification under tho Public Service Classification Act ;in'time.;to- : enable'it to be laid before-Parliament this session. The Prime Minister, • 'iri. reply,,: quoted tho provisions of ; the' Act-to' show that at least ono month's notice was re- | quired for purposes of appeal., -It-would . therefore be impossible for ; any board such •. as desired to complete the'work; in ' tiuie to :. bo presented to Parliament.;' • "The policy of the Electoral &ct,"'Jsaid the Prime Minister to Mr. Malcolm, '"is to. retain the electors ou the roll, and the pro-' vision for removing non-fpters therefrom was therefore modifiod under the Electoral Act, 1905, to the extent that instead of removing a non-voter from'-the'Voll' his \quali-' ' fication for remaining tllte'f'Mn;.is''inqhir<!d ' into, and . only those who:; are; disqualified arc expunged from the toll. ''Of the 79;516 ' electors who did not vote',' at 'tlio" general elections in 1905, 50,428' were qualified to' remain on the rolls, and 29;388 who liad lost' their qualifications were'reniovcd therefrom. The rolls are still further ' purged by tho . electors themselves, whcT'iiow, by means of tho single enrolment f<jtm, 'must disclose previous- enrolment wheff'." claiming in all-, other district, and 20 1 490 J .bieetors have been purged from tho rolls in" this way since' tho present main rolls were 'printed.". • V , . . .o'' ~ READY OR UNREADY? OUR VOLUNTEERS.. ' Mr. J. Allen asked the 'Hon.' Rv M'Nab.in the - House of Representatives yesterday : r whether tho report of tho memorial: :sorvico held in honour of Von Teihpsky~vrasvcorrect: —that ho , (tho- Ministcr)-''saidy- "-Defence ; problems would.be enormously; simplified. if l l such object-lessons were hioro frequent. ;lWe . I in New Zealand 'were living'Jh 'disc"; if so, would hotoxplain ;, meant, by, "fool's paradise." ' Mr. M'Nab replied:—"The report is !sub- -. stantia.lly correct., People" are said to ..'live ' in a 'fool's paradise' when-they hold-and act- ' upon views which are erroneous on .'questions which- aro vital, tlie erroneous" view mollis. . case' being that held byJ'rjjflhy.r.tOj.dajr,that,. < as we are at peace withi-the •whole ; world," there is'not tho call, for-.youngi/meh torjoin i. tho volunteer ' force or sacrifice, their-time-in tho service." ' '.- Mr. Massey said he would like to characterise the Minister's attitudo iii-'-language- ; that was not parliamentary. The Defence reV port had stated that volunteering had never been at so low an ebb as at ■ present: 'Yet the Government, he said, • apparently, not prepa.red to take the itiatter lip. properly j . they would not faco the position, lie "(Mr. Massey) suggested that young fellows under' 1 21 should be compelled -to dovoto two or three weeks, or whatever time S was-necessary, to learning drill, discipline, and tlie' handling of tho rifle. , The.Hon. T.. Y. Duncan -said.he-also- : was not satisfied with tlio maimer"'volunteering was being: ca,rried on. He recalled a petitionlie had presented recently-'"asking for' con-; cessions on'rail way'fares to volunteers "which had been denied. Such treatment-was likelyto foster tho feeling against' tlio' service,'"bef : causo there existed such "a -feeling ftV'presonfe He believed there" was auimpres'siort that discontent was being-fostered to'make conscription' necessary. If such was in the minds of tho Defence authorities, he would assure the latter that they wero oil ddh'gerOus ' ground. r The Prime Minister said that tho Government were doing their best'for the volun-'. teers, but no good could'be seen by .certain" individuals in anything tho Government did. • He said .the Leader of tho Opposition hedged in llis'statements regarding volunteering. ■ Mr. Massey told tho Premier'-if'lie.-was' prepared to do anything ho would find him (Mr. Massey) there ready to' support it. ■■ QUACKERY PREVENTION. THE BILL REDRAFTED. . IMPORTANT NEW PROVISIONS. . Mr. Hornsby's Quackery Prevention' Bill ' has been, completely redrafted, by the Statutes .' Revision Committee, to which 'it was rp- ; ferred by the Upper House.; its 'two; opei-a- ' tivo: clauses have become toil'. As passed by . tho Lower House, tho Bill madfc it unlawful to advertise or supply quack medicines, but in its new version the measure ~ contains nothing to prohibit tho supply of such preparations. On tho other- hand, .t-b(?' provisions dealing with atlyertisenients and other published matter are .made, more definite and more drastic, .'pl'aeo of-a . clause authorising tho Governor - ill Council to , mako regulations for,„carrying-. out., the Act tho • machinery for. the-, purpose is--definitely provided. ... r ...... It is mado an offenco to publish, or.causo to bo published, any statement ..which is in-. : tended to promote tho sale of any medicino, preparation, or appliance, and ;which is--false in any material particular relating.'.-t0,..th0- . composition,' operation, or effects. of tho article. A statement is deemed to be published if it is inserted in a newspaper, exhibited' in a road, street, or other * • jifiblic place, sent gratuitously through tho .itost;/or otherwise, or gratuitously delivered.-'"''•' " ■; ! Tlio maximum penalty,'"which stdod'lit', £50 as the Bill loft thc!' , Lowor ; 'HouSe,"'has i ; been increased to £100'-for a first-offence,- • and £200 for a second oifence. ' Tho printer, publishef,' and proprietor of a newspaper aro mado severally, liable for an oifence, without excluding ;il tho liability of any other person, but, are. not. to be-prose-; cutod unless before the (.publication of tho falso statement a warning-, ~from. tho Chief Health Ofiiccr has been; delivered to them. Every information, offence, against the Act shall, bo laid. byAtho Chief Health Officer, or by somo porson : authorised by him. .. . No prosecution shall bo -commenced with r -out tho leave of the Attorney-General.. , Every person convicted, iof,-.an,,,,offeitco' : against this Act shall; havo- a,,right of l ap.-.. peal under the Justices-of tho .Peaco Act j • 1908, on any question of . law,,or .fact,, what : ~ ever may bo the amount of tho. fine which, has • been imposed upon him. - -7,- . Every document which- at any time accompanies, and is distributed along' wit-h, *iiy uowspaper shall bo deemed, to form part of tho nowspftper. ■' Tho Act is to come - into oporntion on January 1, 1909. ! r ..-,

As a protest against tho\i»snUHfaetor.y'; state, of tho slicds niid -the boat liarb<\ur .generally,. a meeting of all those interested ili gating is... being hold to-night, at 8 o'clock, in Shed No. 13. As important matter's \Vill'bo diijcUSScia,' a full attendance is rcqMfitod,