REPLIES TO QUESTIONS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 310, 24 September 1908, Page 9

REPLIES TO QUESTIONS.

RAILWAY TIME-TABLE. "Tho time-tablo for the train services over the Wellington-Manawatu Railway Company's line will bo to a largo extent dependent on t-ho through services between Napier, Now Plymouth, Auckland, and ■Wellington," Mid the Prime Minister to Mr. Field. "These will bo supplemented by local servicer,, which will lie arranged to, as far as possible, meet the requirements of the different localities along tho line, and I shall be glad to give any suggestions that are nintjo by lccal bodies careful consideration, with a view to arranging as convenient a time-table as possible; but it must, of course, bo borne in mind that in arranging train services the requirements Oi the whole of the districts to be served have to bo provided for, and as the interests or the various localities frequent'v clash it is not possible to lis a time-table* that will meet tho wishes of each locality." MILITARY* CLAIMS. "Will the Government bring in legislation this session to satisfy the numerous unsettled military claims left over or not dealt with by tho last Commission that inquired into tho matter"? asked Mr. Herries. . Tho Minister replied The following Commissions have already been set up, each of which was to bo tho' final" investigation into such claims: Colonel Haultain's Commission in 18S2; under 'Tho Naval and Military Settlers and Volunteers' Land Act, 18S8, claims to bo sent in by December 31, 1890; under a similar Act in 1891, claims to be sent in by June 30, 1892; under a similar Act in 1892, claims to be sent m by March 31, 1893; and under Tho Naval and Military Settlers' Claims Extinguishment Act, 1896, ' tho latest date up to which claims could be sent in being December 1, 1896. It wjli thus bo seen that every claimant lias had ample opportunity' of placing his claims before the proper authority, consequently,- I can only repeat what was stated to similar questions in 1905 and 1906, jihat it was clearly understood when tho last Commission was set up that it would no the final opportunity of investigating the claims which should have been sent in many years ago.' "

It is not true," said the Prime .Minister to Mr ; Fisher, " that the Postal Department is about to call for tenders, or has called them, for a postman's helmet weighing 21b." Tho shako probably referred to weighed 7oz.

_ It is not considered possible this year to introduco an ainendment of the Licensing Act to give Maori electors within tho Maori electoral districts the right to decide 'whether liquor should bo supplied to Maoris 'within such districts—Reply to Mr. Ngata.

The employees of tho Government Printing Olfico, said the Prime Minister to Mr. Fisher, como within tho provisions of tho Public Service Classification Act, and. a completo scheme for tho classification of this Department had been submitted to,the Classification Board.

Mr. R. M'Kenzie naked the Minister for Justico when the Public Accounts Committco was likely to consider the petition presented by him from a number of tontine policy-holders in the Colonial Mutual Life Society. Tho Minister replied that the committee at its last meeting had commenced an investigation into the matter.

The' question of 'translating the dairy regulations into Maori is to rcccive consideration.

Tho matter of the State taking over the spraying of orchards cannot be entertained at present—The Minister for Agriculture to Mr. Hogan.