SOME QUESTIONS BY MEMBERS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 952, 20 October 1910, Page 4

SOME QUESTIONS BY MEMBERS.

— « :■ 1- , AND ANSWERS BY MINISTERS. .Replying to Mr. Okey, the Prime Mifi> ister states that, the matter of bringing ' down legislation to amend the Old; Age Pensions Act is receiving attention, a Compensation, ; i : . Mr. ■ Mliaren asked- the Minister: of. < Lands recently the reason why, in 1 the case of George .Campbell, who was tilled whilst bushielling for, the Governmeht at. ■ Waitatau, the widow, was ': grantedl;only by way of . compensation, instes.d of ••300, which is the amount the widow- -: oould have claimed from-a private ,1 em- .' ployer under similar . circumstances,Si'"aocording to the provisions of the Workerfi? Compensation for .Accidents Act. ■is In replying, the' Minister says thai under paragraph (a), section i, of the Wort ers' Compensation Aot, 1909, the minimum ' compensation in case of death is fixed' at .£2OO and the maximum at ,£SOO. i'The Public Trustee, as'/ the v legal ' , ; : ; tive of the dependents of the. aeceiised, was paid the Bum-af'i64oß : ; beingi'tha amount payable in accordance, with! tha Act, and.he was satisfied that the piopor amount had been determined. | - ■ Sparks from Railway Engines. i{ The Minister-of Eailways was asked last... week by Mr. Buchanan whether a oable from Sydney on October' 12, stating that a farmer there had been :..iOOO for damages caused by a spark llroma railway engine, which , set . fire to [ his ■ property, had come under his notice,'[and - whether he would take steps to amend " .the law; and confe# the right uponfthe ' New Zealand farmers to sue- the Govern- : , .'nient,'. under'similar oircumstainces.■.Sl':'ln : " v reply, the . Minister.says hfl has seen- the cable. It did not, however, give ifany . details of the cause of action orii the - ■ grounds on , which the verdict' was if ar - rived at, and,,in the absence of suchlpar-" ticulars, it was impossible-to form' ! any ■ opinion as to the merits of the case.' He" would make inquiry into the'matter. At ..present, however, 1 ne Vcoiild.: not isei his way to recommend .any alteration in the existing law. - '<x:

Domestic Servants. ' './Replying; to;. Mr? M'Laren's query as to whether, in connection with the records compiled- and published by :-the-:-Labour Department giving the numbsr of- domeatic_ Eervants wanted and the, number.ap.: plying for .situations, any steps are taken to uiake certain that those who are applying for domestic servants are •: bona . fide-in want, of same/ the'fMinister . says-it is possible that: in a-few cases applications made by employers to the women's branches of the Labour Department for domestic . servants: are . not really: bona .fide, i but the- demand for -'this -dass.' of. labour is so great throughout: the .whole of .New Zealdhd:that: such cases must be rare, if they .;.exist.-at;' all. ,:In : almost every, instance' the domestic servant is in the position ;of ; having, the choice of her emplo^r.,::..^;:.;::'-:-.;':? Goods Shed at Te Aro. -. ;

Will the Sinister meet. the demands : for a healthy, expeditious, and economical condition for. the 'handling of tho largo ' quantity of produce,-fruit, and milk'that is carried on in connection" with - our., rail- • way system and the markets at Te Aro . . and other southern parts of -Wellington, by establishing a .pronerly* equipped 1 goods-shed adjacent to the To Aro Sailway Station?".- Such was a question put to .the Minister for Railways by Mr. J.; : P. Luke, M..P. The Minister has repliedstating that ithe Department has no land available at ■Te 1 Aro on - which a goods shed could be erected, and tho whole-of the existing v yard accommodation is ro quired fpr_ the purposo :of shunting passenger trains. The conversion ol what . is intoV'onel-h .'; dealing with all: classes of traffic would v necessitate, the Department acquiring city .-- land at a prohibitive cost, which the'ciroumstances do - not warrant. The establishment of a goods depot at To Aro, bosides being a most yexpensiveS matter, would' practically convert Jervois Quay : ■ into a railway, line that would; be con-' ■ stantly, in uso bjr tho shunting engines and goods trains if the : goods business as-.. sumed any dimensions.- 'The working of - the- Harbour, .Board's, sheds, along : the . water-front would; be ' considerably inter- .V ' fered with, and strong opposition to the frequent • running -of trains would- herefore eventuate. 4 Apart, . however, from ■ this aspect of the, question, the -cost 'of \ ' • establishing, a goods depot at Te Aro . would be so great; as to make it impos-. ; sible to carry ths suggestion into effect.. / Tho milk traffic has for years past been dealt, with at the station, and reasonable accommodation Hits ;been provided' for the . -Vi purpose. ■ Railway Trucks!' v ;• The Minister, for Bailways was asked by Mr. D. M'Laren last week what pro-; vision■ was. being'jmade- for supplying ditidnal: railway.. trucks to cope with the". ; requirements of the' Wellington coal trade, i aIn his reply, the Minister says that every year tho supply; of rolling stock is largely . augmented,; and, v speaking; generally/ the' ; v"; available wagons are sufficient to meet re- : v. quirempnts. It, however,- occasionally happens that coal boats arrive at porra.. with'heavy cargoes'of;coal at. the'same . : timo that an unusual demand for railway trucks'.exists in respect .to merchandise, X wool;- f and:grainV traffic.,/v Every ;:effortis,-/V jft-' howevor; made to obviate inconvenience ;t as far as possible.... The officers ,of the . .'jv Railway Department are just as anxious : to give dispatch to the traffic as aro the owners; of ships -to v' the s cargo 'l; from'; their vessels. .It must/However,' be ffecognised that coil is put > out of vessels at a -much :faster ■ rale ' than it: ; ? - can bo dealt with by the consignees, and. • the Railway: Denartment cannot under- ; . take to have a large - number of wagons v standing idle "at., ports; in.:, anticipation of the arrival ,of'coal boats.,