POLITICAL POINTS

Evening Star, Issue 18045, 12 August 1922, Page 8

POLITICAL POINTS

STORES CONTROL LAX. LOOPHOLES FOR FRAUD. SUPERANNUATION DIFFICULTIES. [From Our Parliamentary Reporter.] WELLINGTON, August 11.' PASSPORT SYSTEM USEFUL. “I have had' no complaints on the matter," replied the Hon. W. Downie ■Stewart when asked by Mr Clntha Mackenzie Whether it was necessary to continue the passport system for New Zealand. The member for Auckland East criticised it as harassing and, in view of the financial position, extravagant. Tho Minister said that so far as the system was concerned the only passports that were required! now were for voyages beyond Australia. Other countries were still maintaining the passport system, whereas New Zealand had removed the restrictions so far as they affected passengers between hero and Australia. The position had been alleviated in several ways. For instance, passengers passing through American ports from New Zealand could go ashore at Honolulu without having their passport vised. _ There were all sorts of nationalities in, New Zealand, and it was necessary to know where some of them were lest an attempt be made to evade the law. An instance had come before them that morning of a man trying to leave New Zealand, leaving behind two or three illegitimate children. In such cases as this it was only reasonable that tho man should lodge some security. There were thus some advantages in having a passport system. « * # * NATIVE LOGIC. HIS EYES ON THE PAKEHA. In making a to extract from tho Minister of Education a errant for the Native school in his electorate, Mr A. T. Ngata entertained the House with his reference to the Maori attitude towards education. The annual report on Native schools had been tabled, showing, as he said, that one-fifth of tho Maoi i population is enjoying the benefits of education, over 5,000 children being in attendance at these schools. The success of such schools (lie said) showed that tho Maori, lifter half a century s ** accjuEiinttinco with the pakcha, was eager to learn his ways and to find out how the pakeha had got on in the world. He thought the pakeha was the better man, and desired to know how ho did it; so he turned to education and helped) his schools readily. Hence the need for some further Ministerial encouragement, tho nature of which Mr Ngata obligingly indicated in detail. The Hon. C. J. Parr replied that the efficiency of the Native schools had been maintained and increased, and he would be glad to provide more technical instruction ; but tbe vote was/ limited. There had been an increase of over 100 per cent, in tho tuition- of Maoris since 1914. Tho rate at present was £77,000, of which £56,000 went in teachers’ salaries. Of a total vote of £3,000,000 for education, £2,500,000 went in salaries. e * « * EARLY START IN LIFE. AVith tho object of ascertaining how many children leave public schools at the ago of fourteen, not having passed Standard IV., Mr Howard moved for a return, and the Education Department reported that the number of such pupils was estimated at 550 in the year 1921; but jt was impossible to say how many were in employment, though it presumed tbe majority were working. Mr Howard expressed the hope that the Minister of Education would tako_ note of this return, which showed a serious development. It was a shame that children should bo put out to work at fourteen years when last session Parliament raised the school age to fifteen, postponing the operation of tho law only because _ the money was not available fox 1 additional schools. Members; Not money, but pressure! Mr Howard added that ho certainly thought it was only a question of money. He hoped the Minister would investigate each case to find out who was being exP loiUsd * * * * * GOVERNMENT STORES, A LOOSE SYSTEM. “ Jn very few of the Government departments is stores control over stores efficient,” states the Auditor-General in his annual report covering the Public Accounts. “ Investigations have proved tho existence of many defects. Stores have been purchased and never brought on the charge sheets; stores have been written off without sufficient inquiry and without the authority of Parliament. There has been insufficient check on deliveries, which opens the door to short deliveries and other frauds. Tho insufficiency of check and the ease with which articles can bo written off opens the door to theft. There has also been an absence of a proper costingsystem in stock-taking, rendering it impossible to ascertain if speculation is going on. Audit investigations have also'proved that there have in some cases been free issues of Government goods to Government officers, or issues at reduced cost. The officers of the Public Service are not entitled to derive, either directly or indirectly, any such advantages from their status in the serviee'” * ' * » * SUPERANNUATION FUNDS LEGISLATION. “Then I will have to increase taxation,” so Mr Massey warmly retorted this afternoon when the Hon. 0. J. Parr, in presenting the annual reports of the Teachers Superannuation Fund, remarked that next sesssion ho did not see how he was going to escape asking the Finance Minister to increase the Government subsidy to the fund. , , - , Mr Young: Has the time not arrived for increasing the teachers’ contribution ? Mr Parr continued that ho would hesitate to do that. He did not think such a request would be fair at a time when teachers’ salaries were being reduced. It was true that the fund was in an unsatisfactory state —in fact, he thought tins applied to all superannuation funds. Mr Massey : They are all alike. I will (bring down a Bill on the matter this session. . ' \jr Parr concluded that the investments of the' fund were sound, and the rate of interest quite satisfactory. The report shows the total income of the fund as £174,554, of which members’ contributions were £96,391, the Government subsidy £43,000, and 1 interest £35,067. Tho total allowances payable at tho end of the year were £79,354 • the net revenue for the year was £82,474 (compared with £72,601 in 1920); and the total subsidies .paid* by the Government since the inception of the fund arc £264,000. * * * * SHIPPING ACT AMENDMENT. The main object of the amendment of the Shipping and Seamen’s Act, introduced by.tho Hon. G. J. Anderson is to provide for a suitable manning scale :n the engine rooms of vessels driven by other Thau steam. Several of the schedules of tho main Act relating to fees are also to be amended. The permit for exemption from survey is raised from £1 to .£6, and inspectors’ visits to ships arc to bo charged for at tho rate of £1 instead of 10s, while former inspections of accommodation which were free are subject to a £1 fee. Provision is also made to increase the maximum light dues from 4d to 6d per ton. Tho schedules of fees for the examination of officers, discharge o: crews, and measurement of ships are also revised with the dhjeeb of increasing tho fees.