PARLIAMENTARY NOTES

Evening Star, Issue 19024, 20 August 1925, Page 4

PARLIAMENTARY NOTES

AGRICULT URAL EDUCATION. £J7boji Our Own Reporter.] WELLINGTON, August 19. “ It is difficult to soo how any more froe places can bo provided for boys who wish to take up tho study of agriculture,” stated Sir James Parr, Minister of Education, in reply to a request from Mr Witty. The Minister added that every free place holder might take up an agricultural course if he so desired. The difficulty had been not that of making provision for this study, but of getting boys to take up the course in agriculture, for which the provision in every type of post-primary school was in excess of the demand. With regard to bursaries tenable at Ruakura or Lincoln Colleges, ample provision was made for all boys who had qualified through an agricultural course under the free place system at secondary and technical schools. CAPTIVE BIRDS’ PROTECTION. The Leader of the Opposition was assured by the Prime Minister to-day that if tho Captive Birds’ Protection Bill, which had passed the Legislative Council, over reached the stage in the Lower Ilouse of being referred to a committee representatives of the shooting clubs would have an opportunity of giving evidence. SHUNTERS’ LAMPS. A point was raised to-day by the member for Westland, who said that in his district the shunters of a yard had only one lamp among three men. He asked the Minister to see that they obtained all tho supplies necessary for safe working. Mr Coates replied that he could hardly believe what was said about the lamps. Obviously a lamp could be handed over from one man to another, otherwise it would bo as bad ] as insisting that only one man should run an engine. He promised to refer the matter to the Shunting Inquiry Board. THE SESSION. An indication that the Government wishes to accelerate the parliamentary pace came to-day, when the Prime Minister gave notice to move that in future Government business shall take precedence on Wednesdays, which usually is available for private members’ Bills. BETTER MORTGAGE STATISTICS IE NECESSARY. In connection with tho compilation of complete statistics of the mortgage liability of tho dominion, Air Hawkcn has suggested that if the necessary information is not available steps should be taken to compel mortgagees and mortgagors to give tho necessary information. Mr Bollard, Minister of Internal Affairs, replied that tho matter would ho looked into, and an endeavor made to obtain more satisfactory statistics of mortgages than are at present available. NO CHANCE FOR BOOKMAKERS. Thirty-three petitions have been considered by the Public Petitions Committee of the House of Representatives asking that the Gaming Act shall _bo amended in tho direction of licensing bookmakers. Tho committee, through fts chairman (Mr J. M. Dickson'' reported that it had no recommendation to make, and the House received the report without discussion. NATIONAL PROVIDENT FUND. The figures of this fund (remarks the board in its annual report) now show a substantial voluntary thrift accumulation against tho contingency of old ago. The contributors numbered 24,231. The total income for the year was £250,897, of which £150.972 represented payments by contributors and £60,68? interest. The rate of interest earned (£5 17s per cent.) showed a satisfactory increase over the previous year. The fund at the close of tho year amounted to £1,165,284 an increase of £195,338 during the year. ’The allowances for maternity amounted to £40,292 —£32,966 for members of “approved” friendly societies and £7,326 for contributors to the fund—whilst the sum of £18,661 was paid out on retirement and incapacity and in allowances for widows and children without examination. GOVERNMENT LIFE INSURANCE.

An interesting experiment' of this system, which was instituted primarily to meet the difficulties of securing business in out-of-the-way localities where no doctor is available, continues to give abundant evidence of its success, a fact which testifies to the care with which the business is handled by tlje department’s staff, both outdoor and indoor (says a clause in the report of the Government Insurance Commissioner). Notwithstanding that a very large amount of this kind of business had been written off, the department bad up to the end of the year been called upon to meet only two claims, totalling £450, and even these were the outcome of accidents sustained by assured persons, and therefore not indicative of any weakness in the operation of the system. The claim experience is being kept under separate observation, and as soon as sufficient data have accumulated the rates of mortality will be specially investigated by the actuary. A ONE-CLAUSE BELL. Mr Holland moved the introduction of the Workers’ Compensation Amendment Bill, _a Bill containing only one clause, having for its object the bringing of miners’ nystagmus (an eye affection) among the list of occupational diseases under the existing Act. This complaint, Mr Holland pointed out, was included in the English Act in 1922. The Bill was read a first time. Sir M'Combs’s Initiative and Referendum Bill was read a second time.