PARLIAMENT

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 90, 13 October 1931, Page 11

PARLIAMENT

[TO-DAY'S PROCEEDINGS

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

The House of Representatives met at 2.80 p.m. to-day. A largely signed petition was presented by Mr. K. M'Keeu (Labour, Wellington South) asking for regulation of prices in the retail trade. Mr. F. Langstono (Labour, Waimalino) asked the Minister in Charge of Unemployment if ho was aware that cooks and assistant cooks working in single men's relief camps were compelled to work 14 hours a day for seven days a week, receiving 10s a week pay, that the wage tax was being deducted from the pay. Would the Minister givo an instruction that cooks should work 47 hours a week and that the ■wage tax and other charges should bo refunded-? The Bight Hon. J. 6. Coates said Mr. Langstone- had been misinformed. Cooks worked 14 hours a day and received from £3 5s to £3 15s a week. Mr. Langstone: "What about assistant cooks'?" Mr. Coates said he did not know about them, and he would inquire. The ■wages tax was deducted from the cooks' wages, but not in respect to men with 10s a week. Mr. C. A. Wilkinson (Independent, Egmont) asked the Minister of Finance what steps, if any, the Government was taking to safeguard the iulerosts of the Dominion in respect to the iuilow <iC Australian silver coin, which was rapidly increasing in circulation. Was the Minister awavo that it whs repotted }n Australia that silver coin was disappearing in a remarkable manner, and that it was surmised that New Zealand was absorbing a large quantity? Would the Minister indicate the nature of the present arrangement with, the British Government regarding the share of profit now allowed to New Zealand on the British coin we were now absorbing? The. Minister of Finance (the Hon. W. Downie- Stewart) outlined the provisions of" the Order-in-Council issued on 23rd July last in reference to the import of silver from Australia. He said ho was not aware of any reports to the effect that large quantities of Australian silver were at present coming to New Zealand, and he did not think that was the case-. Regarding the arrangement with the Boyal Mint i'or a share of the profits on Imperial coinage' used in New Zealand, he had to say it was based on a five-yearly average of the amount of now coin brought to New Zealand, less worn coin returned. Profits already received this financial year amounted to £13,820, find it was estimated that they would' reach, nearly £20,000 per annum. Regarding the suggestion that New Zealand should be allowed to mint its owii silver, the Minister read a cablegram from the Imperial Government in which the Treasury, regretted that under existing financial conditions such a. concession was impracticable at present, ■because sources from which the profit was derived to finance African and Irish arrangements had been dried up. An additional Parliamentary vote would be necessary before the matter could be entertained, and that was impossible to-day. (Proceeding.)