POLITICAL POINTS

Evening Star, Issue 19000, 23 July 1925, Page 10

POLITICAL POINTS

[FROM OCR, I'AIII.IAMK.VI'ATY IIEROUTHTt.]

WELLINGTON, July 22, LOANS TO COUNCILS.

The Minister of Finance informs Mr Sullivan Hint, it is understood that the Superintendent of State Advances Office, in advising: Christchurch and Wellington City Councils that his department had no funds available tor the purpose of their loans, recommended them to apply to the Public Trustee, but up to the present no applications have been received by the Public Trustee. If applications are made the Public Trustee sees no reason why loans should not bo granted.

DUTY ON - IMPORTED LEMONS. An assurance was asked by Mr Sullivan (Avon) of the Minister of Customs that there will bo no increase in the duty on foreign lemons imported into Now Zealand of Id per lb, ns proposed by certain merchants at Auckland. Mr Stewart, Minister of Customs, replied that the duty of Id per lh on lemons is imposed hy tariff, and cannot ho altered without an amendment of the law. It is not at present proposed by the Government to take any action to increase the duty on lemons. **•* *- CATTLE DEHORNING. The member for the Bay of Plenty asked the Minister of Agriculture whether his department can obtain any information from the abattoirs and freezing works in the dominion as to what amount of beef is damaged by cattle horning each other in transit to those works.

Mr Nosworthy, Minister of Agriculture, replied that the Government will he glad to secure the latest information available regarding this question.

DULL TIMES AND ABSENT .MINISTERS.

Most of the afternoon was spent hy members of the House of Representatives in commenting on the rather noncommittal answers which Ministers had given to over seventy questions on the Order Paper. Each member had five minutes’ talk, which was interrupted hy Mr Speaker right on time, whether a sentence remained to bo completed or not. Ministers took advantage of the opportunity to get to their offices, but Mr Corrigan (Palea), finding that ho could not tell the Minister of Finance to his taco what he thought of the State Advances Department, complained that .Ministers seemed to take qncstion-timc as a joke. There were only two present, and he considered this highly improper. Sir Janies Parr, who was representing an absent Cabinet, explained that the .Minister of Finance was busy with his Budget. All his time was occupied. (Laughter.) , tic imagined that the Minister of Lands was preparing his annual report. Mr Will'ord: The department prepares it. Air Masters: And the Minister of Defence, where is he? There are nine away.

Sir James Parr humorously suggested that his colleague was either receiving a deputation or having a cup of tea, as this was about the right time. He thought members were really not troubled, and that Air Corrigan was more jocular than otherwise.

Mr Corrigan; No! it is serious (Laughter.)

HISTORICAL I’ORTRAITS

A suggestion was made by the Leader of the Opposition to-night that a beginning should be made with a series of oil paintings of Now Zealand Prime Ministers. The opportunity to put-this forward came when the House read a second time without discussion a Pill to reserve Point Halswcll, the late Prime Minister's bnnal place, as a burial ground for the dead leader and his widow.

Mr Wilford remarked that the portraits of all New Zealand ’Prime Ministers should be hung in the lobby or some other prominent part of Parliament Building. Air Coates appreciatively accepted the idea, which he said made it easier coming from the Opposition side, “Wo are all losing sight of the fact that every country has its history,” ho remarked; “and I am not sure that we are recording that history in a way that will he appreciated a century or two hence. The suggestion will certainly receive very careful consideration.” * » * » SELECT COMMITTEES. Sir George Hunter has been reappointed chairman of the Local Bills Committee and the Agricultural and Stock Committee, and Mr Witty chairman of the House Committee.