FORBIDDEN GOODS

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 250, 16 July 1920, Page 8

FORBIDDEN GOODS

DIFFERENCES IN PRICK Owinj. to tho fact that certain commodities are very much chcaper in Now Zealand than in any other part of the world, and that these cheap prices have been held by Government action or even Government subsidy in this country, there have been restrictions for some timo past on tho exportation even of small packages of those commodities through tho post. One of the things in very 6hort supply in the United Kingdom is butter, and tho export of butter is now prohibited. It'was permitted to soldiers during tho'war. So also the price of sugar here is about half the English price, and tho export of sugar is prohibited, oven in tho form of packages of jam,- or cake, or sweetmeats. Mr. Fraser asked a question in the House yesterday about the restrictions on the sending away of small parcels containing these commodities.

Sir William Herrips, Minister of Customs, said that as soon ns tho Imperial purchaso contract respecting butter was finished lie did not think there would bo any reason for tho retention of tho embargo on export. It had been kept on because, while the Imperial Government had contracted to the whole of our surplus of butter, it was not considered fair that even small> quantities should be exported to other people. As to sugar, he was simply carrying out the instruction of tho Board of Trade, which win that in no form was tho export of sugar to be permitted.

ALIEN NATIONALITY WOMEN WHO MARRY FOREIGNERS. Tho Registration of Aliens Bill, which is in charge of the Minister of Internal Affairs (Mr. G. J. Anderson) came up for second leadng in .the House Jnat night. This Bill is a complement of a war measure now woll known. Under it all aliens then in the country were required to register, and to comply with certain rules prescribed. The present Bill seeks to provide for the registration of aliens other thnn those provided for in the original Act, although tho original Act was thought to be comprehensive. The disoussiou in- the second reading was chiefly on the clauses requiring registration of persons not of alien, nationality acquiring alien nationality while in this country—as, e.g., a woman who by marrying an alien acquires the nationality of her husband. It was urged, chiefly by the Labour members, that the law put an indignity <m New Zealand women, based as it wna on the old idea that a mail has some proprietary right in the woman he marIc was urged that such an indignity would bo resented by women's societies, especially if it wero imposed Parliament composed entirely of maies. Mr. Parry invited "the pro-gressive-minded members of tho House to put the political hob-nailed boot into this pernicious clause." Mr. Holland sought to clinch his argument that the principle of the law vaa bad by thi3 suggestion: "What if you had applied this rule to Queen Victoria?" There were other opinions, however, and the Bill was read a second timo on the voices. The rules about acquisition of nlien or British nationality by mnrriago are determined by British statute law. There is nothing in the New Zealand Statutes on the subject, and the question raised by the Labour members is not one that New Zealand law can determine.

FISHING INDUSTRY The Hon. G. M. Thomson (Dunedin) yesterday gave notice in the Legistive Council of a motion suggesting that the Government inaugurate without delay a definito policy for tho development of the fishing industry of the Dominion in order to provide a supply of cheap food for the people and manure for the land, and in order also to build ud a fishing population on which the Navy might rely in case of emergency. QUALIFICATION OF BARRISTERS The Law Practitioners Amendment Bill, of which Sir Francis Bell has given notico in the Upper House, proposes to. allow young solicitors'who served in tha late war to count the period of their service as part of tho five years required to elapse beforo their admission as barristen;. _ The' Bill is intended to apply to solicitors who 6erved with any portion of • His Majesty's Forces, and not exclusively to those who served in the N.Z.E.F.

THE OTIRA TUNNEL The Minister of Public Works (Mr. Cbajtes) told a Canterbury deputation vesta' Jay that he exDoeted the Otirn Tunnel would be ready for the electrical equipment in six months. He hoped the tunnel would be ready for traffic in eighteen months, but, of courso, any delays would pnt back the wliolo work. The men at the Bealey end were now working apain. THE SPEAKER'S RULING Mr. H. E. Holland (Grey) gave notice in the Houss yesterday to disagree with the ruling- of the Speaker on a motion relating to the government of Ireland. Mr. Holland gave notice on Tuesday of a motion disapproving of British administration in Ireland, And the Speaker ruled the motion to l>e out of order and declined to plaeo it on tho Order Paper.