BUILDING MATERIALS

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 272, 11 August 1920, Page 8

BUILDING MATERIALS

COUNTRY'REQUIREMENTS. ' The. requirements of th? country in the way, of building materials wero mentioned in the House yesterday by Mr. E. Newman. He asked tho President of, the Board of Trade whether lie would exempt from the control regulations materials such as bricks _ and cement quired for farm buildings and country workers' homes,.

Mr.-Lee said that he jyns afraid that he could not agreo to tfie exemption of the materials for these buildings. The present procedure was quito simple. All that tho applicant hnd to do in the case of a house to be bu-ilt wa6 to apply to th'e county council, and no doubt the reply would bo p.Mmpt. If it should happen that application had to be made to the Board of Trade the applications were considered promptly, and replies given without undue delay. He refused to believe that serious hardship could be caused by the delay of a_ few days in such a matter as tho creolion of a building. ' " Mr. Newman 6aid that he had brought the matter up at the request of the Rangitikei County Council. He was informed that the council had already some WO applications 1 waiting, apd no replies could be obtafcied. He 'believed the matter was one of Bomo urgency. Mr. Lee said that ho would inquire into the matter. • The County Council had power 'to issue permits, and ho could think of no reason 'why so many permits should be held up.

SUGAR WORKERS THREAT OP A STRIKE. The Auckland sugar workers have not settled their dispute with the Colonial Sugar Company, and Mr. M. J. Savago (Auckland West) asked in the House of Representatives if the Prime Minister would see that the matter was dealt with under the Industrial Disputes Investigation' Act, in'order that a striko might, he avoided: Ho added that a strike, which would stop tho output of sugar, was timed for August Ifi. -The Minister of Labour (Sir William Heiries) said ho was hopeful that a settlement would be reached. Tho workers had heen preparing to file a dispute under the Industrial Disputes Investigation Act when the employers had filed one under, the Conciliation and Arbitration Ac l :. The conciliation proceedings had failed, and the right thing for the union to do now was to let the dispute go to the Arbitration Court,, which was at present in Auckland. Tho workers would be breaking the law and striking a blow at the general public if they went, on 'strike at the present- stage. He had asked the Conciliation Commissioner to make another effort to arrange a settlement.

TEACHERS' SALARIES THE PROMISED INCREASES. Tim Minister oF Education (Mr. Parr) stated yesterday that Cabinet had agreed to find another quarter of a million pounds for additions to the salaries of primary school teachers. "This sum," onirl the Minister, "will he available for distribution soon as we can eet out a imt and equitable scheme of increnso— a difficult task, upon which the officials of the Education Department are now ■ working. Provision is also being mado for increases for technical. Native, and secondary school teachers. I propose to ask Parliament to. pass legislation this session to do away with the present unsuccessful system of paving technical an secondary school tcaehers out of a capitation grant, and to substitute a more satisfactory basis. Any delny in pavment in this particular case, however, will not be material, as the increases will bo retrospective to April 1, 1920." WANGANIOIVER LANDS SURVEYS PROMISED. Last year the Government took powir to release for settlement by returned soldiers and others certain lands on the banks of tho Wanganui River belonging to tho Wanganui River Trust. Since then nothing has been done to mate the lands availablo for settlement, and Mr. Glenn asked in tho House yesterday what the reason was for the delay. Ho asked that the Minister should have the landß surveyed at once. Mr. Guthrio (Minister of Lands) said that although the total area of the lands affected by the legislation was some 13.000 acres, it had been found on inspection I thnt no more than 4000 or 5000 could be I settled. The rest of the land was such that it should ho reserved to keep (he scenic beauties of tlio hanks of the Wanganui River. The surveys of the available portion would have been made long ago but for the fact that it v.ould have'to ho done by a stall 1 man, for-he would have to conform to the requirements of the Scenery Preservation board ns well a? lo those of tho Land "PoariT. The matter was now in liand, luraever, and n surveyor would be free to ui der(ake.tho work either at (he end of next month or during tho month of October. TE AROHA~LANDS GRANTING THE FREEHOLD. A Bill proposing to givo tho option of freehold to lessees of certain lands in the township of To Aroha was introduced in fho House of Reprosenlatives yesterday. The Bill had' been before tho House lieforo in tho form of a clause in a "Washintt-Up" Bill in an earlier session, and members recognised an old friend at once. Mr. Wilford (Hntt) asked if the proposal was tho ono that the Government had withdrawn on another occasion, and Mr, Mnssey replied that it was. The Minister of Lands (Mr. Giltlirie) explained I hat n Coninn'sfiion had recommemlcd Iho arrangement embodied in tho Bill. Members had obiected to tho provision being nmd» in a "Wasliing-Up" Bilt in * nrovioii* session, and tho Government hat! Undertaken to bring down a separate Dili. Mr. M'Combs (Lyitolton) said tint tho Bill was simply a concussion to a group of favoured individuals, who were to havo the freehold at a very low price.