PARLIAMENT AT WORK

Dominion, Volume 15, Issue 270, 10 August 1922, Page 8

PARLIAMENT AT WORK

MINISTERS’ ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS '' ’ , I TAXATION REPORT PRESENTED When the annuaPreport of the Tourist Department , was presented in the House yesterday, members told one another what attractions for tourists were to be found in their electorates. The telling occupied most of the afternoon. The Taxation Committee’s report came down, but the debate on it was reserved for another occasion. Answers to questions elicited the usual expressions of satisfaction and dissatisfaction. The Daylight Baking Bill introduced by Mr. McCombs was read a second time, and the House rose shortly after ten o’clock. In the Legislative Council the Tariff Reciprocity Ratification Bill was read a first time.

' ’ STUDYING THE PUBLIC 1 IN FIXING SHOP HOURS In passing certain laws Parliament ▼as sometimes apt to consider insufficiently the convenience of the general public, said the Minister of Labour (Hon. G. J. Anderson) in the House last night. ’“Since the passing of the Shops and Offices Bill of last session,’ the Minister stated, “numbers of cases have come under my notice in which small, men aro compelled to close their ’ ‘'shops’when, I think it. would be to the advantage of the public if they were allowed to keep the shops open.” ' FRESH "OR"STALE? DAYLIGHT BAKING ' AGAIN » Mr. J. McCombs’s Bill to introduce tho system of daylight baking in New Zealand was before the House list night. Mr. McCombs asked tho House A to read tho Bill a second time and refer it to the Labour Bills CommitA ?tee, where he would propose that the ' Arbitration Court should be given ’ power to institute the system he desired. The Minister of Labour (Hon. G. J. ; Anderson) said that last year the Labour Bills Committee had recommended >. a-;similar Bill introduced by Mr. 'McCombs should not be allowed to proceed. The New Zealand public, he believed, would object to the stale bread which it would have to accept if daylight baking came into force. Mr.,G. Witty (Riccarton) exhorted the Minister to “be a leader of lie opinion.” “Why, doesn’t he tell the public/’ asked Mr. Witty, that stale bread is good for them —that they do not require the doctor so much it they got stale bread?” Bread interested members for more than an hour. Eventually the Bill was read a second time and referred to tho Labour Bills Committee. .RAILWAY PREFERENCE FOR LOCALLY-MADE GOODS MINISTER REPLIES TO A COMPLAINT A complaint by Mr. Masters (Strat- ■ romTTEat the railway tariff, with' its preferential rates on locally manufactured goods, was unfair, to country residents, was replied to' yesterday by the Minister of Railways (the Hon. D. H. Guthrie). ' I ’“‘As a matter of general policy, said the Minister, “it has for many ! years past been the practice to offer ’ encouragement to local industries by classifying articles manufactured in New Zealand at a lower rate than imported goods of the same clqss. .' The encouragement thus given, by making a concession in the railway rates, has been of material assistance to local industries. Tho Department is not in a position to stand tho financial loss that would result from a lowering of tho rate on imported articles to a level ivith the rate for New Zealand manufactures. If, therefore, the imported and locally.-produced alticlo were to bo placed on an equal footing it would bo necessary to raise tho New Zoalandmanufacturecl"Article to the level of the . imported. . This would involve an alteration irt the past and present policy, and it is very . questionable whether such an,.alteration would be beneficial to tho industries of the country.” . ‘‘UNDER CONSH)ERATION“ ,i BONUSES TO STATE FIRE ’ • POLICY-HOLDERS Mr. Atmore (Nelson) recently asked the Minister in charge of State Fire Insurance, whether there was, any possibility of bonuses being distributed in the near future to policy-holders in the State. Fire Office. Tho Hon. J. G. Coatee yesterday replied: “The matter is mow under care--4,,.Tu1. consideration.” : HYDRO-ELECTRIC~WORKS WILL PAY . “We should not be Justified in spending another pound if it was not - going to pay the country to develop nydro-electrio power,” said the Minis- " ' ter of Public Works last night. “The schemes throughout New Zealand .will pay provided that we don’t sell tho power too cheaply—and it will pay the public to buy at the prices we are asking.” ! I The lass sustained by the country by C 'the. compulsory retirement of Public ''.“officers was referred to yesterday in' the Legislative Council. The Hon. O. i Samuel stated that the arbitrary fixIng of- the retiring age at 6f> was - wrong. At the present time there were no fewer than five retired 8ur- ...» veyor-Generals in this country, and their valuable services could have been ' made use of still had retirement not been compulsory. Answering a question in the House, the Minister of Education stated yestehrday that he would see whether all school‘children travelling by rail to attend, dental clinics could be earned ' for half-faro. At present the halffore is allowed only to children under s .'the age of twelve.

SALARIES IN JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOLS STATEMENT BY MINISTER OF EDUCATION “The salary of the principal for the largest type of junior high school (containing up to about 800 pupils) is fixed .at £650 to £7OO, with house allowance,” stated the Minister of Education yesterday in reply to a question. “This is only £5O per annum more than may be received by a primary headmaster in tho largest schools, and it is -£l5O per annum less than would be paid to the principal of a secondary school of the same size. Th© salaries of the assistants were calculated on the principle that they should bo at least one stage of promotion—namely, about £4O per annum—higher than would be received by the assistants whtrwonld be teaching the same pupils if thev were in a primary school. It will thus be seen that the smallest possible amount of increase has been made on salaries of teachers who at present control the majority of the pupils who will be in the junior high school, although the character rantre. and complexity of the work in tho junior high school will bo substantially of a more advanced character.” LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL SURVEYORS’ LICENSE FEES The Legislative Council met at 2.30 p.m. yesterday. The' tariff agreement (New Zealand and Australia) Bill and the Local . Bodies Amendment Bill were read a first time. In moving the second reading of the Surveyors’ Institute and Board of Examiners Amendment Bill, Sir William i Fraser said that the chief points of the Bill compared with the existing legislation wore that regulations would be issued bv one authority instead of two as at present, and the SurveyorGeneral become chairman of the board instead of merely a inember. The schedule would be altered, Loo, making the fee for registration £5 ss. instead of 10s. Rd. ! . , , 'l’he Hon. O. Samuel doubted the advisability of giving the chairman of the board a casting vote. On a vote to deal with a surveyor’s certificate this might give power which might inflict hardship. A clear majority should be provided for. Hon. Sir Thomas Mackenzie: There is provision for an appeal to the Minister. .... Hon. 0. Samuel: Against the refusal to issue,'but not against the cancellation! of a surveyor’s certificate. I It was not advisable, the Hon. Mr. I Samuel urged, to increase the fees for registration of surveyors. The practice of uniting the offices of Chief Surveyor and Commissioner of Crown Lands was nonsensical. Because a man was a good surveyor was no indication that lie wan qualified to decide important matters affecting the settlement of .the country. * Sir Thomas Mackenzie held the two offices went hand-in-hand. In many districts where surveys were practically completed, there seemed little need to have a separate chief surveyor One capiible man could do both. The {increase of the fees was not warranted, and he hoped the Minister would accept a modification. The Hon. Sir Walter Buchanan considered that the two speeches just made showed the desirability of having the Bill referred to the Lands Committee Htf was unable to see any justification for the increase in the fees for admission to 1 the service. In his opinion tho powers given to the SurveyorGeneral were too drastic. He considered that very great subdivisions .of land would take place in the near future. The Surveyor-General should have business men in consultation with him on the questions which would crop up. In the Speaker’s own district there had been sin stances where the surveyors had nOt scrupled to charge large amounts to tho Native owners of land which was being subdivided—■ fees that should have been paid by the Government. He moved that tho Bill be referred to the Lands Committee. The Hon, G. J. Garland commended the Hon. Mr. Samuel’s remarks. He hoped the Council would send the Bill to the Lands Committee for a report. Sir William Fraser said the reason for raising the fees was that the object of everv Government Department was to be self-supporting. A Councillor: Is the Department not self-supporting? Sir William Fraser : No, it isn’t. I am quite agreeable to the Bill going to the Lands Committee. The Bill was read a second time.! The Leadeb having expressed his intention of moving that the Bill be referred to the Lands Committee, Sir Walter Buchanan withdrnw/his motion. The Council adjourned at 3.30 p.m. until 2.30 p.m. to-day. THE INCOME TAX The Primo Minister explained in the House yesterday that the taxing Bill introduced on the previous night fixed tho rates of land tax and not of income tax, because income tax was not due til) February, while land tax was due in November, and authority for its collection had to bo given fairly early. Hie Bill dealing with income tax could wait for a time, so that he would bo able to see how tho financial situation, developed. Ho could not say yet what ho would bo able to do, but if It proved possible to make some reduction in the income tax no one would be more pleased than he.

MEMBERS’ QUEST lONS A BUDGET OF REPLIES LOCAL BODIES AND LOANS IN NEW ZEALAND Statements made by Ministers in reply to members’ questions are quoted below. . , Minister of Internal Affairs (replying to a suggestion that municipal corporations should have power to declare an election unnecessary when a vacancy occurs at any time during the lifetime of the council); ‘ln® suggestion will receive duo consideration . but another suggestion has been made that a vacancy on a council should be filled by the candidate receiving the next highest number or votes to the lowest elected, candidate, and it is suggested that it would, be desirable that both proposals should be considered by the Municipal Conference before any alteration in the existing law is made.” . Minister of Agriculture: It is not tho intention of the Government to repeal the Board of Trade 'Act. It is not correct that one of the while still in Government pay, is buying grain from millers and trying to form a millers’ combine. Minister of Internal Affairs: 1 here is power to limit the number of birds that may be taken or killed by any ’ one sportsman in any one day, and a limit not exceeding twenty-five is always fixed in the case of native game, such limit including the several kinds of such game that may be taken or killed. Tho question of fixing a limit in the case of imported game depends on whether, the acclimatisation society concerned desires a limit fixed. Minister of Defence: The Govetnmont is entirely in accord with the proposal to form a New Zealand bi actional Rifle Association on the same lines as the National Rifle Association in tho United Kingdom. The Department will bo pleased to co-operate with the committee. and will place' at its disposal its musketry experts to advise and frame conditions on the lines of those adopted in England by the National Rifle Association. Prime Minister (in reply to a suggestion that for the sake of mortgagors local bodies should be discouraged from floating large loans on the local market)This matter is ifeeeiving consideration, but local authorities would be placed at a considerable disadvantage if restricted to any particular market. The advantage of borrowing abroad when terms are favourable is well recognised by local bodies several of . whom have already, raised huge . sums both in London and in Australia. Prime Minister: There is no provision in the Land and Income lax Act by which subscriptions to unemployment funds can be exempted. Monevs subscribed to. duly accredited unemployment funds are not liable to amusements tax. Where it is proposed to give the proceeds of an entertainment to an unemployment funu, application should be made to the Commissioner of Stamp Duties for exemption. ■ ARREARS OF LAND TAX £300,000 OUTSTANDING “What is the amount of income tax outstanding?” the Hon. J. A. Hanau asked the Prime Minister yesterday. Mr. Massey replied that he was not able to reply 7 at the moment, but that he would obtain the information "ought Arrears of land tax amounted to £300,000. PUBLIC DEBT SINKING FUND The accounts, of the Public Debt Sinking Fund branch of the State Advances’Offiee for the year ended March '3l last, show that during the year £2-5.485 was advanced on mortgage to settlers and £427,900 advanced on debentures to local bodies. I ho rates of interest earned were as follow’. —Settlers, £258,816 at 5 per cent., reducible to 4J provided instalments are paid within 14 davs of due date; local bodies. £87,225 at 41 ner cent., and £1,317,417 at 4J. None of the Public Debt was repaid during the vear.