POLITICAL POINTS

Evening Star, Issue 18030, 26 July 1922, Page 3

POLITICAL POINTS

[From Our Parliamentary Reporter.] WELLINGTON, July 25. CEMENT QUESTIONS. —CLOSED WORKS. , . The Minister in charge of the Board of Trade, questioned regarding the closing of the Golden Bay Cement Works, stated: The position has not altered since the works stopped production. The two companies at present manufacturing can. more than supply the demand. It cannot be expected that, the Golden Bay Company could be induced to start again to work at a loss, much as they may sympathise with the men who may be out of work There is over £120,000 worth of plant at present ’ Iving idle. .It is safe to assume that it will not be allowed 1 to continue idle for a single day, longer than is necessary. The company has given the department an assurance, that the plant is being well looked after: that as soon as tho building trade improves and a demand sots in the works will be reopened. Tho Minister of Customs, asked if he thinks it advisable to enforce dumping legislation in connection with, imported cement, stated,: Should a large shipment of British cement arrive, as suggested, the necessity or otherwise of leyying_ ft 1 dumping duty would not be finally decided until inquiry bad boon made to ascertain the factory cost of New Zealand-made cement,tho selling price in comparison with the landed cost of imported cement, and its felling price. The term “ can be sold in ‘ Gazette ’ notice ” means can be sold at a reasonable advance on factory cost, which would, where necessary, have to be ascertained.

♦ * * * PENSIONS DEMANDS.—A WARNING. Members who had been informed to-day in printed answers to questions that a further extension of pensions benefits could not be considered, although pensions to the blind would be if the financial position improved, criticised the Government for delaying this necessity. The Hon. G. J. Anderson, Minister of Pensions, told them that the total cost of all demands would ha £1,000,000. The Hon. W. F. Massey (interrupting): If this thing is pushed too far the whole pension system will break clown. Mr Anderson went on to say that superannuation funds were top-heavy, and gave reason for careful thought. Nothing would give the Government greater pleasure than to concede what was asked in respect to pensions. It would he popular, but the Government had to consider the interests of the country, and as a matter 'of fact if the pensions system _ collapsed nobody would be more prejudiced than the pensioners themselves. » * « « NO REPEAL. Mr Slatham asked the Prime Minister whether, in view of the evidence recently placed before, him in Dunedin, he will this session make provision for repealing the legislation under which the South Otago hospital district was separated from tho Otago hospital district. Mr Massey replied: It is not intended to introduce''legislation this session repealing the legislation referred to. » « * * HOSPITAL SUBSIDIES. Mr- Sidey is informed by the. Minister of Health that the Government is considering the question of giving legislative effect to the.recommendation of last year’s Hospital Commission that a special allocation" of the Government hospital and charitable aid subsidy ho made for the purpose of four base hospitals. # * # * A DISCREET MINISTER. “The Court of Arbitration has 'full power whan making awards to make a separate award for any portion of an industrial district, and any party to a dispute may apply to the court during the nearing thereof to exorcise its jurisdiction accordingly.’’ This is- the non-committal reply of the Minister of Labor to a strongly-worded protest by tho member for Awarna against the attempt to submerge Southland in Otago in connection with Arbitration Court proceedingvs.' I » * « * | KAITANGATA RELIEF FUND. I Both Mr Edie and Mr Malcolm having 'urged the Government not to, divert the balance of the Kaitangata relief fund to , other purposes without the consent of | those concerned, tho Prime Minister rei plied: The position is that, in 1892, by j tho passing of the Kaitangata, Relief Fund Transfer Act, the surplus held by tho trustee of the Kaitangata fund was transferred to the Public Trust Office as the nucleus of a permanent coal mining accident fund. On March 31, 1922, the available balance, in the fund amounted to £5,515 6s lid. By section 54 of the Reserves and Other Lands Disposal Public .Bodies’ Empowering Act of last session it was provided that moneys in the coal mining accident fund not required for the purposes cf the Kaitangata. relief fund may be applied for the relief of widows, : orphans, and dependents of minors who may have heretofore lost, or may hereafter lose, their lives in coal mining acciI dents in any part of New Zealand. K- * » ■» ■ PACIFIC MAILS.—FLAT-RATE PROPOSAL NEGATIVED. In explaining to Dr Thacker why the [Government is unable to remove the han- ! Bicep on the South Island by providing : flat-rate freight passenger fares to eOuth- | ern ports in connection with the Pacific mail services, the Postmaster-General | states: My department has entered into ! an agreement with tho contractors for an I extension of tbs existing Vancouver and San Francisco contracts to March 31, 1924. Before concluding the agreement the question of freight charges was fully con--1 sidered by the Department of Industries ! and Commerce, by tho New Zealand Meat I Producers’ Board, and by the Department of Agriculture. It was found' impossible to make satisfactory arrangements for fiatrate freight. It is regretted that the question of making such provision cannot be further considered at present. * * * » TEACHERS’ APPOINTMEN IS.—A . NATIONAL MATTER. In connection with tho appointment of teachers, it was suggested by Dr Thacker i that the law should be amended so that I where the applicants’ names are graded i within five of the highest graded appli- . cants those names shall be sent on to the committee for selection. Mr Parr. Minister of Education, replied; Under the present provisions for tho appointment of teachers full discretion is given to the board and senior inspector to'see that the person appointed is suitable in every way, and an opportunity is given to the school committee, -which must bo consulted, to make representations to tho board. All teacher's are graded according to efficiency under the dominion scheme, ( and, subject to the i above safeguard, it' is necessary to provide that the most efficient applicant, if otherwise suitable, shall receive appointment. The teaching service has boon nationalised ; _it is impossible to sec how school committees can, without risk of injustice to teachers, bo given a greater voice in making appointments, even to tho limited extent suggested by the question. The New Zealand Educational Institute is opposed to any change.

a » « * WIRELESS BROADCASTING.

The Postmaster-General, discussing the proposals to raise restrictions on private wireless in New Zealand, states: in connection with broadcasting, such as is proposed for large manufacturers of wireless stations in the United- Kingdom, similar provision is under consideration for New Zealand. Permission has already been given for the broadcasting of music, etc., where application has been made. As the demand for such facilities arises, the dominion will be cut up into suitable area* or sonea, within which radiophone broadcasting will -be permitted at stated hours, subject to such conditions as shall, as far as possible, safeguard the interests of the public radio-telegraph communication and tafety_ of fife. at-sea.

MINOR MEASURES. Several Government measures o£ minor importance were circulated to-night. . i The Insurance Companies’ Deposit Amendment provides that where alife m- , surance company extends operations to ' accident business it must make a deposit of £5,000 with the Public Trustee. | *Tbo Local Bodies’ Loans Amendment I clears up ambiguous points in connection with the former Act. It empowers the local authority to raise money for the. benefit of a defined district, whether-the .proposed work is in that district or not. County councils are enabled to raise loans . charged on a defined area within their boundaries by ■ constituting a special district. I It is explained in regard to the Administration of. Justice Bill that it introduces no new principle into the statute law ot ; New Zealand. Its object is to provide for the enforcement in New Zealand of judgments and awards obtained in any court within the Empire. The Workers’ Compensation Bill, a consolidation of the Workers’ Compensation Acts, has been introduced by the Minister of Labor in sixty-nine clauses. It covers the whole statute law on the subject, enabling five former enactments to 1m repealed, It is explained in an official memorandum that no alterations of importance have been made. Schedules of compensation for various injuries arc as already enacted.