SESSIONAL POINTS

Evening Star, Issue 18332, 20 July 1923, Page 10

SESSIONAL POINTS

IFbom Our Parliamentary Eeporter.] WELLINGTON, July 19. INSULIN TREATMENT FOB DIABETES. " There is no necessity for Now Zealand to consider obtaining the patent rights of insulin, the diabetes serum,” states the Minister of Health, “ because the New Zealand Department of Health holds the dominion agency for the products of the Commonwealth serum laboratories. Arrangements have already been made for commencing the administration of insulin in New Zealand. Professor M'Leod, of Toronto, who introduced the system of treatment, stipulates it ■hall be available to metabolic specialists only. New Zealand bas not the facilities for undertaking the manufacture of a preparation of this sort on a commercial scale.”

A ** * * BANKING AID TO FARMERS,

The suggestion was made by the Hon. ,T. A. Hanan to the Premier that he should secure from the associated banks in New Zealand information regarding their loans to farmers, specifying the purpose —whether for land purchase or for ordinary trading. This information would, said Mr Hanan, be of great value in con■idering the question of agricultural banks.

The Premier doubted whether it was possible to get this information from the banks. He could not expect them to give confidential information. Mr Hanan explained that he did not require the names, but similar information to that made public by English banks.

Mr Massey replied that possibly the aggregate amount of loans to farmers might be given, and he saw no objection to this, if the banks would provide it. So far as the Bank of New Zealand was concerned, this information was given confidentially to the Finance Committee of the House last session.

« * * « A LENDING PREFERENCE,

A question put to the Prime Minister by the Leader of the Opposition (Mr Wilford) contained a suggestion that the 'A.M.P. Society, which has a large fund for lending purposes, is declining to make advances on farm securities in New Zealand. It preferred, Mr Wilford understood, to lend its funds to local bodies on their debentures.

The Prime Minister replied that he had ho information regarding the society’s lending policy, but he understood that this institution declined to lend any further money on freehold securities in New Zealand. Ho believed they preferred to lend to local bodies. “In all probability,” added Mr Massey, “ I shall be able to place legislation before the House this session to remedy part of the difficulty, which I know exists.”

« « » * DAYLIGHT SAVING,

“ The difficulty about daylight saving, if brought into operation in New Zealand, is that it will affect seriously the primary industries of the country,” stated the Prime Minister in reply to a suggestion from Mr Sidey that a trial for one summer might be given. Mr Massey added that that had been the experience of Australia, where the Act had been repealed after being in operation for a comparatively short time. He could not make a definite statement on this phase of the question, but would be prepared to consider the proposal to alter our time to exactly twelve hours opposite Greenwich time, and this, while its feasibility would have to be considered, would give an additional half-hour of daylight in the evening. * * * » ROYAL LIFE-SAVING SOCIETY. The valuable services rendered to the dominion by the Royal Life-saving Society were brought under the notice of Mr R. F. Bollard (Minister of Internal Affairs) by Mr Smith, who asked whether the annual grant hitherto made to the society would be restored. The Minister’s reply -was that the question of the reinstatement of the grant to the society would be considered when similar applications from kindred societies were being dealt with.

# # a » A PENSIONS POINT.

"It is hardly likely that the Australian Government will consider favorably any further representations that may be made to if to establish reciprocity in respect to pensions,” said the Hon. G. J. Anderson (Minister of Pensions), in reply to the suggestion of Mr M'Combs. Mr Anderson added that the matter of making fresh overtures would, however, be given consideration.

* * * # BRAN AND POLLARD,

A suggestion that the millers have been exporting surplus supplies of bran and Eollard to Australia has been investigated y the Hon. W. I). Stewart. The result of inquiry, he states, is that no consent has been given for export, except in respect to very small supplies for domestic requirements in certain of the Pacific Islands, and virtually the whole of the dominion’s production is retained for New Zealand consumption. Moreover, the export returns show that, even prior to the prohibition of export, the quantities going abroad were no more than normal. * * * * SUGAR BEET INDUSTRY. The suggestion that sugar beet production in New Zealand would tend to stability of the sugar market, and would eventually reduce the price of sugar, which suggestion was made in the House by Mr MTvay (Hawke’s Bay), has been dealt with by the Hon, W. Nosworthy, who also dealt with the suggestion that the Government should take some action towards the development of this industry. The Minister declares that the statement is warranted, and that beet growing would prove profitable in suitable dis” tricts, given a. good market for the beet. The first essential in the establishment of the sugar beet ’ industry is that the fanners of any particular district in close proximity to the railway line should guarantee nearly sufficient beet to keep a 600-ton factory working at full capacity for, say, 100 days per season. In other words, a_ yearly guarantee of 50,000 tons of, beet is necessary before there would be any likelihood of attracting sufficient capital—either private or public—for investment in a sugar beet factory. The securing of such a guarantee would necessitate the growing of 3,000 acres of beet annually, and it is quite possible that, if fanners are prepared to carry out their portion of the task —namelv, the regular growing of sufficient beet to keep a factory employed to full capacity—private enterprise would deal with the manufacturing end of the venture; and inquiries in this direction arc in progress.

* * * * LIFE-SAVING APPLIANCES,

MOTOR BOATS AND WIRELESS,

The Minister of Marine lias informed Mr Lingstone (Waimarino) that new rules as to life-saving appliances for ships are in course of preparation. A copy of the British Merchant Shipping Advisory Committee’s report on life saving appliances, etc., has recently been received by the Marine Department, which is now awaiting a copy of tlie new rules recently adopted by the British Board of Trade. When these come to hand the New Zealand rules will bo brought up to date. Provision already exists in this dominion’s rules where, in certain cases, motor boats may be carried as lifeboats. The question of making this compulsory, with the addition of wireless and searchlight in•tallations therein, • will receive full coniideration.