POLITICAL FOOTS

Evening Star, Issue 17429, 12 August 1920, Page 3

POLITICAL FOOTS

[Fuou Otm. Pmiummsr Bcpokteh.] WELLINGTON, August 12. TABLET OTAT3ON ARRANGEMENTS. Tha’ Minister of Railways has accepted Mr Horn’s suggestion that ho arrange that a shelf be erected- at all railway 'way-side-abater sheds where thqra is no officer in charge, either outside or inside, so that foodstuffs can ho placed beyond the reach ol dogs. ‘ * * *. RAILWAY EMPLOYMENT. The Minister of Railways, replying to a suggestion by Mr Sidey to extendi the fge limit for appointment to the permanent railway staff, states that tha ago limit at which men may bo taken on the permanent staff of the department baa been fixed as the result of experience extending over a long period. Tha representations made.will, however, receive careful consideration when investigations that are now being made are completed. DUTY ON DAIRY MACHINERY. The attention of the Minister of Customs was called by Mr Masters to the injustice perpetrated by the Customs Department in connection with tha importation of dairying machinery from Denmark. As the department charged duty on the value of the kronor at an advance of 25 per cent, the duty was based on £572 instead of £294. '±le wished to know if this unfair assessment was the regular policy of the department. Sir Wm, Merries undertook to give a reply in, writing. ♦ * ♦ BUILDING PROBLEM. ULTIMATUM TO EDUCATION BOARDS. The Minister of Education, in endeavoring to solve the difficult problem of catching up arrears in school buildings, is badly handicapped owing to lack of knowledge regarding the relative urgency of the large number of requests. He informed your correspondent that early in April the Education Department asked the nine education board® to indicate their building requirements for the next three years, and the order of importance of the various items. This is necessary so that the problem may be systematically tackled and the most urgent cases taken first. But only one small board has supplied the necessary details, while the department continues to receive almost daily further requests for buildings. The building ques*lon _ ls 450 remarked the Hon. that it cannot h© overcome in piecemeal, unsystematic, wasteful fashion. We must have a proper scheme to work upon, and until the information I have asked for is supplied I must refuse to make many further building grants.” ALCOHOL FROM POTATOES. ! IMPORTANT SCEENTmC OPINION. In reply to a question caked by Mr D. .Tones (Kaaapoi) regarding the possibility of manufacturing spirits . from potatoes, the Munster of Agriculture has furnished a report from the Director-General of Agriculture quoting a statement by Dr Maclatrrm, Dominion Analyist. that one ton of potatoes should produce approximately £( gallons of alcohol. One gallon of petrol would equal approximately one gallon of absolute alcohol when each was used in an engine designed for that class of fuel. A ton of potatoes should therefore produce at a cost of 20s 3d for manufacture alcohol worth ■ £$ 19s. taking the retail price of petrol at os 8d per gallon; that is to sav. the alcohol from a ton of potatoes should give a net return of £3 18s 9d, less the cost of potatoes delivered at the factory and less ti© cost of selling. “ This return would not, in my opinion, enable a grower to obtain a sufficient price for the potatoes on Ms farm to warrant his producing them tor the purpose of being nsed as raw material for the manufacture of alcohol.” As the matter is of great importance the Director-General is going more fully into it. and will furnish further report. SWISS OR GERMAN? Mr Jones has also interviewed the Min■l £ f I ClJ ® tol ? s > Sir Wm. Herries, who said that his department would not put any unnecessary obstacles in the wav of or Germans. _ It was alleged hy Mr right in a question to the Government wn- a i? Um ¥ r u Germans had arrived in Wellington by the Niagara posing as natives of Switzerland. He wished to know n the Government will investigate the Wltb 5. settlement m New Zealand if they are undesirable immigrants. * * 9 MILITARY JUSTICE. PARLIAMENT HAS DOUBTS. A case which ha® formerly taken up public attention was revived in the House to-day, when the Public Petitions Committee reported in regard to a petition by H. H. Thompson, who was convicted bv court martial in New Zealand, and served 95 days imprisonment on a charge of knowingly making a false statement regarding the sobriety of Captain Hotop The committee recommended Thompson’s petition for redress to the Government’s favorable consideration. Mr Dickson, chairman of the committee, mentioned that they had reported favor- ? b *y “ ”S aTd to Thompson last session, but the_ Government did He regarded it as a serious case of injustice. Mr Veitch strongly condemned the svstem of military court martial. In this case Thompson charged a Captain Hotop with drunkenness, and whether he was mistaken or not it looked as if the officers stood together to protect a brother officer Mr, Young; A conspiracy to protect a captain, and condemn Thompson. ~ Ir , V f i^ il: I would not like to sav that, but if you say so I won’t contradict Mr Isitt declared that the petitioner wa D victimised through the mistaken idea a tllow^officer 6 *° f t0 *“° tect Various members discussed the matter, ,J he . of Defence promised to look into the case, having in mind what he _had heard-in the House. idopt°ed CQminiitee ' fi recom Mendation was WHO WERE THE REBELS? PARIHAKA FROM THE 31AORI VIEWPOINT. Til ® . Douse dealt quite flippantly with tho BdJ proposed by Mr Vfright (Welhngton South) to greatly extend°theWe of the Maori War Medal There were obvious indications of stonewalling, and the best contribution came from the Hon Dr Pomare, who asked who were the rabek in the Maori War. He reminded the that the war arose over Europeans taking the Maori’s land, although they were supposed to have their interests protected by treaty; consequently the Europeans broke the treaty, and were the real rebels. He would not say that the European volunteers were not brave, but they had a jolly good time at Parihaka, and were well repaid by the loot they got from the Maoris, including greenstone meres—family heirlooms. Mr Parry: They got the land, too. Dr Pomare: That came later. The European has a, veiy taking way with him. (Langhter.) An Hon, Member; They arrested Te Whiti and Tohn, and kept' them in gaol for nine months till a law was passed which could convict them. ’‘Yes," added Dr Pomare, "they all ought to have medals,. but I would like to have the writing of the inscription ” (Laughter.) Mr Harris, who followed, eaid he sunported the Bilk , ” A chorus of members; You deserve a medal • AGAINST PIGEON MATCHES. la the House to-night Mr Statham moyfcd the second reading of the Public Offences Amendment Bill, which he explained was intended to put down the very cruel practice of holding lfv e pigeon matches. “It is not a sport at all,’’ commented a member, who commended the Bill to the sympathetic consideration of the House. The second reading was agreed to without discussion*