POLITICAL POINTS

Evening Star, Issue 20591, 17 September 1930, Page 12

POLITICAL POINTS

THE DAY’S WORK [Fkom Ode Farliauiixtaiiv RuronTir..] • WELLINGTON, September IG. To facilitate business, members agreed, on continuing consideration of the Estimates in the House to-day, to sit till midnight, instead of adjourn- ■ ing (as they arc entitled to do) at 10.30. Good progress was made, for, in spite of somewhat long discussions on tho minor classes the Education vote of £3,188,000 was passed in about two hours, though this task has frequently taken the whole of a long sitting. Hie Minister found a, very friendly House, and tho only criticism came from Ins predecessor, who accused him of lavishing grants on Nelson constituency. The Ministerial answer was an explana tiom of all details, and a thrust at Ins predecessor, who had authorised one 01 tho buildings included in the critical catalogue. . , r . The Electoral Department, Marino, Public, Service, Superannuation, Printiftg 'and Stationery votes were passed. A proposal to consider tho Railway Its timates was withdrawn after a protest from tho Opposition that tho Statement had not been discussed; and when, towards' the end of the sitting, the Labour Department’s Estimates came forward, there was a similar objection, as tho report had not been debated. . , . A Labour motion to reduce the votes by £lO as an indication of dissatisfaction with this procedure was under discussion when the_ adjournment time was reached. It is intended to deal farther with tho Nurses and Midwives Registration Bill at Wednesday s sittillg' * * * * HEALTH SCHOOL METHODS. Tho Minister of Education (Mr Atmore) told tho House to-night that ho would go a good distance with the member for Grey Lynn, who had ad vocated extension, of open-air schools Tho improved Liuwood School was the linest lie had seen, and there was not the slightest doubt that this and the Fonda I ton School were giving good results. Three or four open-air schools had also been erected at Kaiapoi, and ho certainly thought these schools should be extended. A plea for tho enlargement of the health camp scheme, made by Mr Parry (Auckland Central) in tho House to-night was also warmly responded to by Mr Atmore. The Minis ter said he recognised tho nnpprtance and value of health camps, and ho believed rnorw money should bo expended upon them. They were doing a national work, and_ deserved to bo enlarged. In addition, the Government should own a permanent health camp site. * -x- * * ECONOMIC CONFERENCE. “ If some readjustment is not soon made the employing classes cannot cm ploy, and the working people will be workloss,” declares Mr Burnett (Ic ■ inukii), who lias asked tho Prime Min-ister-whether seeing that all authorities arc agreed that the dominimi s selling season will bo opening shortly witb al 1 the primary products at lower levels than last season’s closing prices, lie will, immediately on the rising of Parliament, declare the country in a statb c f emergency, and call the representatives of all interests in the State —pastoral, agricultural, manufacturing, mercantile, industrial, also law and medicine —to see if by a round table conference and conciliation and facing of the facts, an amicable readjustment in the industrial life of the dominion cannot bo effected. * r, x- -15WATER CONSERVATION FOR POWER. The Minister of Works has been asked by Mr Burnett (Temuka) whether, considering tho hard lessons wo arc learning from tho shortage of water at Lake Coleridge, ho will pul in hand immediately the full pro wrnrcmo of the Waitaki n.vdro-oloctnc scheme and lock the outlets to Lakes Tokapo, Pnkaki, and Chau by com para lively simple dams at the outlets of these three lakes. Enormous quan titles of .summer level waters could be stored thus, effectively countering a water shortage for all time.