POLITICAL NOTES

Evening Star, Issue 17880, 28 January 1922, Page 8

POLITICAL NOTES

EPIDEMIC PENSIONS STILL SAFE .WIRELESS AND DISTRESSES! VESSELS. i, [Feom Qua PAsmittstMßr 'SaoKtiaX . WELLINGTON, January '%k 1 MEAT SITUATION. 1 A further appeal from a farm©? ta, cemiro the operation of a compulsory meat pool was brought forward to-day by tho member for Bruce, who read a letter ijronll a constituent on the subject, which met* dentally mentioned that buyers werj? ofifflf* ing 6d a lb for lamb. ( Mr Massey replied ho was to hear it, and, so far as it hadOTno, ths meat pool was evidently justifying it 3 ‘ existence. Members : Docs it exist? Dir Witty ; There ore no results j Mr Massey : Don’t you read tho papatffj] Ho repeated his former assurance that iM meat pool legislation now being prepared will bo introduced before the end of the session. Another point connected with, the moat' industry was subsequently mentioned by the Prime Minister, who read a cable iron! the High Commissioner stating t “ I am informed that tho Liverpool storage charges on meat stored on and after January 1 are reduced 2s per ton per month.” Mr Massey expressed satisfaction with this news, as everything which reduced tho cost of handling was for the producers’’ benefit. Mr Wilford : It is a bid for business. Mr Massey i Yes I The correspondence which has boon published in tho British papers regarding tho meat pool has aroused a certain amount of interest, if & PROTECTING THE BUSH. Tho reported decision of the Wanganui River Trust to cut down tho bush overlooking tho Wanganui River near Taumarnmii was referred to in Parliament by Mr E. Newman, who urged tho Minister of Lands not to allow spoliation of a scenic asset. Ho understood (hero was strong feeling in the district over the matter. The Hon. D, H. Gutlirio, in reply, gave a positive assurance that ho would not allow a single stick of bush visible from tho river to bo cut down. Ho believed there was part of tho river reserve not visible from tho river which might bo taken for milling, but ho would not allow tho scenic beauty to bo interfered with. Inquiries would bo made into the report, and if the bush referred to was close to the town it would not bo touched. # I" I # WIRELESS., THE SAFETY ASPECT. An important statement regarding thfl use of wireless as a safety measure for ships was made by tho PostmasterGeneral in tho House in reply to Mr Bartram (Grey Lynn), who said that ho understood tho Awamii high-powor station was dosed from 8 a.m, to 8 p.m., and that tho first signal from the Helen B. Sterling was not received until after 8 a.m. Ho wished to know if this was correct, and if it could be arranged that the Awanui station should ho kept open to catch any distress signals that might bo sent out. . The Postmaster-General said (that Awanui was closed from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., and tho first signal was received from tho Helen B. Sterling nt 8.17 a.m. Thero after tho Awamii station received all messages scut out. The arrangement was that Auckland had a receiving range of 500 i< 1,000 miles, and was on tho watch when Awanui ceased to operate. If Auckland received any signals Awanui could ha called up and brought on to communicate. Auckland did not receive any message from the Sterling before 8 a.m. The wireless system cost New Zealand £4.000 a year over and above the receipts. It was realised that the system could not be a commercial concern, but was for safety; and his advisers informed him that there was a sufficient margin of safety in tho Auckland station. Whether that was so was being very carefully watched, as they realised that tho wireless should be able to pick up signals within a reasonable distance of tho New Zealand coast. If there were any chance of there being a weakness in the smaller stations a highpower station would be brought on and kept going continuously. At present the power for Awanui was obtained from an oil engine that had to he kept going. If they had hydro-electric power available it would reduce the expense. Mr Howard ; Why not establish a station at Lake Coleridge? Tlie Minister said that had not been considered. It would, of course, moan the .provision of a complete separate wireless plant. 11 Nor had the possibilities of Kora Hora as a site for a, station been considered. Jfc had h-een planned to have a station at Wairnarino, where it would be strategically safe. * * « « EPIDEMIC PENSIONS. Has the Government any proposal oi intention to reduce or abolish epidemic widows’ allowances? asked Mr 11.I 1 . Fraser (Wellington Centra!), with come anxiety, in the House. Mo explained that a widow with a family had informed him that her allowance had been very considerably reduced, and that it was her impression that thero was a scheme on foot to abolish these allowances altogether. Personally, he did. not believe this was the intention, for tho Primo Minister had given a solemn undertaking in the matter. ‘■Jt is news to me,” replied the Minister of Pensions (the lion. G. J. Anderson). It was true, ho added, that the department had curtailed the, pension .so far as widowers were concerned, but there had been no curtailment in tho case of widows. Ho could not, of course, say what would he the future intention. The Primo Minister also said that there was no suggestion or intention to interfere with epidemic pensions at present. He hoped it would not bo necessary to interfere with them. Ho would remind members, however, that this pension was not a statutory one, It had to be voted each year. What had happened lately was that certain widowers were claiming tho pension, and it was not thought desirable that they should be allowed to take advantage of it. •;;< # ■ if * ARMS ACT. AIR GUNS TO BE CONTROLLED. To facilitate the working of the Arm® Act an amendment was introduced by the Minister of Justice in tho House to-day. ‘Jt will enable privileges enjoyed by members of tho New Zealand Expeditionary Forces in connection with the possession of souvenir firearms to bo extended hr members of any of His Majesty’s forces or tho near relatives of such members if they obtain written permission from the Minister of Defence. The operation of tho Act in connection with licensed dealers in arms is subject to kudo amendments for smoother working. It is also provided that nilo clubs may obtain ammunition without having to secure a special permit. Regulations concerning the uso of ammunition for sporting rifles not exceeding .22 calibro may ho modified so as to dispose of tho necessity to obtain a permit. Licensed dealers must keep full records of transactions in anna and! ammunition, and a short but important clause empower tho Govcmor-in-Cbuncil to extend the operation of tho Act to air guns. The penalty for any broach of tho Act is to he a fine not exceeding £2O.