POLITICAL POINTS

Evening Star, Issue 19023, 19 August 1925, Page 4

POLITICAL POINTS

GOOD EXCHANGE TRANSACTION [From Our Parliamentary Reporter. J WELLINGTON, August IS. Tlio Commissioners of the Now Zealand Public Debt Sinking Fund wore able last year to got a substantial benefit from the high premium on exchange from New Zealand to London. r Jhe Westport Harbor loan of £240,000 and the Greymouth Harbor Board loan of £IOO,OOO matured, and tho debentures wore in due course redeemed in London. As anticipated last year, the funds in tho hands of the Commissioners wore more than snllicient _to meet tho liability, and the position of exchange between London and New Zealand enabled tho Commissioners to obtain tho substantial premium of £2 per cent, on remittances to London, with tho satisfactory result that tho surplus of tho Westport Harbor loan amounted to £6,662, and of tho Greymouth Harbor Board loan to £4,800. Of the latter surplus, £4,600 was handed over to the Treasury in reduction of tho Harbor Board’s indebtedness to tho Government. ft * * * GENERAL ELECTION: AN UNANSWERED QUERY. Although lie obtained a statement from tho Prime Minister that the main rolls would bo closed on July 31, and would be printed and available to tho public immediately afterwards, Mr Witty (Ricearton) did not succeed in drawing the bend of tho Government regarding tho General Election dale. “That is quite another point,” replied Mr Coates with a smile. “The printing of the rolls will not include that information.” * * •» » i?i VALUATION ANOMALIES. Information was furnished in tho House, by Mr Field (Otaki) that in very many cases the Government valuations of lands for tho purpose of State advances were considerably lower than the valuations recently made for taxation purposes. Mr Field gave notice to the Minister-in-Chargo of tho department that he would require him to say whether ho did not Hi ink the valuations should be the same for taxation as for Joan purposes. 1f ft * * WHEAT-GROWERS’ AGREEMENT. Tho necessity of providing wheatgrowers with an adequate guarantee to induce them to grow sufficient for the dominions’ requirements was tho point of a question tabled by Mr Macphcrson (Oamaru) to-day. An immediate answer was given by the Minister of Agriculture, who said that ho had mot tho growers last year, when it was understood an arrangement would probably be made in the future, and it was dependent on what was done this year. Until the time came nothing could be done. “The Government,” added Air Nosworthy, “ is not in the habit of breaking its promises to wheatgrowers or anybody else.” Air Alacpherson; Then it may be too late. Air Nosworthy: “It is not too late, according to the understanding I have with them.” The Alinister added that the growers were trying to carry out their agreement with tho Government, but" the only thing which had stopped them was tho bad weather. Bringing up this question in tho House when ho had an understanding with tho wheatgrowers was, in his opinion, only boating the air.