FIREBLIGHT BILL

Dominion, Volume 16, Issue 2, 27 September 1922, Page 8

FIREBLIGHT BILL

PROTECTION OF FRUITGROWERS The Fireblight Bill was considered at the committee stage by the House last night. Mr. J. A. Young (Waikato) desired an assurance that no district would, be declared a “commercial fruit-growing district” in which all hawthorn was liable to destruction, until the residents had had an opportunity of expressing their views. He spoke in -the interests of dairy farmers who used hawthorn hedges for shelter purposes.

“This is a good Bill,” raid Mr. Atmore (Nelson), in whose electorate the fruit-growing industry is of importance.

The Minister of Agriculture (Hon. W. Nosworthy) said that if Mr. Young’s suggestion were adopted valuable iime that might have been used i’K opmbating fireblight would be lost in debate and discussion. There would be no needless destruction of hawthorn. He would personally see how his Bill was administered. There was no intention to declare any part of Mr. Young’s electorate a commercial fruitgrowing district while the district remained as it was to-day. There would be no likelihood of a declaration unless the fruit industry became established there on a large scale and was threatened by fireblight. Mr. J. V. Brown (Napier) thought that if orchardists were going to benefit by the cutting down of other men’s hedges they should pay something for it.

The Bill was .reported without amendment. and was read a third time and passed.

A LITTLE WRANGLE ABOUT ECONOMY

£5OO FOR A COLLEGE JUBILEE

Although the hour was fairly late when a Bill dealing with the affairs of Canterbury College came up for discussion last- night, members found sufficient energy to wrangle for half an hour over a proposal that the Board of Governors should have authority to spend £5OO on celebrating the jubilee of the college. Mr. J. R. Hamilton (Awarua) began the trouble by arguing that the present was no time for spending money on such things as jubilee celebration®. This was a time for economy. He had the support of several other members. Some members, however, were found who were bold enough to say that £5OO was not enough to make such a fuss about. As one of them pointed out to a previous speaker, who had talked about the need for spending, money on many more necessary things, such as pensions for the blind, £5OO wouf.d nob go very far towards making New Zealand a bettet place eveh if the sum were devoted to the best social objects. It appeared that the Board of Governors had hoped to obtain authority to spend £2006, but that this had been whittled down as the Bill underwent revision.

The House eventually decided that £5OO for the jubilee of an -mDortant college would not be so very extravagant after all.

GAMBLING IN MARKS

CABINET’S OPINION

Mr. G. Mitchell (Wellington South) yesterday asked the Prime Minister to state what Ke thought of gambling by New Zealanders in German marks. “The matter has been considered,” said _ Mr. Massey, “and Cabinet has come to the conclusion that the publicity given to the matter through its mention on a former occasion in this House will he quite sufficient to deter persons from speculating' in German Mr. Mitchell: You don't approve of it?

Mr. Massey did not reply. SUBDIVISION OF LAND FOR SUBURBAN HOLDINGS Mr. J. A. Young (Waikato) is asking the Minister of Lands whether, “in connection with the scheme lately adopted by the Government of claiming 5 per cent, of all farm lands being subdivided into suburban holdings,” he will consider a proposal to take a percentage of cash on all sales in lieu of land, and dedicate the money so received to a fund to be used to cover the cost of acquiring sites for either parks, schools, or other public utility purposes in the localities over which the money is acquired-

The Hauraki Plains Amendment Bil was passed by the House of Representatives last night.