PARLIAMENT

Evening Star, Issue 21835, 26 September 1934, Page 6

PARLIAMENT

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES (Per United Press Association.] WELLINGTON, September 25. The House met at 2.30 p.m. Mr ,1. A. Hargest ivas granted lour days’ leave of absence on account of illness, Mr W. Downie Stewart lour days' leave on account of urgent public business, Mr K. S. Williams twelve days’ leave on account of illness, Mr I*. A. de la Perrelle twelve days’ leave on account of illness, Mr W . A. Bodkin lour days’ leave on account of urgent public business, Mr T. le Tomo two days’ leave on account, of urgent public business, Mr If. -1. Howard two clays' leave on account of illness. Mr .) l.ee two davs leave on account ol illness, and Mr C. L. Carr live days leave on accounl ol illness. Tbe Statutes Bevision Committee rcponed having considered -Mr W. A. Veitoll's Mortgagors and Tenants l>eliof Amendment Rill, and recommended that it be not allowed to proceed, the Bill was accordingly discharged trorn the Order Paper.

The following written answers to questions were circulated in the House this afternoon ;

Visit to Samoa. —Mr A. S. Richards asked the Prime Minister whether he would this session present to the House a full detailed report of the findings of Messrs Berendsen and Versehaflelt on their recent visit to Samoa.-—AH' Forbes replied that tbe object of the visit was to make a routine inspection of the staff establishment in the territory, which had not been done for five years. ~ . Railway Fares for Children.—-Mr A. J. Stallworthy (Eden) asked the Minister of Railways whether he would take up with the Government Railways Board the question of the desirability of raising the age of children eligible to travel free on the railways from three to five years, and of children eligible to travel at half adult fare on the railways from twelve to fifteen years. Mr Forbes replied : “ I have conferred with the Railways Board on this matter The board states that, while it is appreciated that an alteration on the lines suggested would be of assistance to parents and others, the department is not in the financial position to bear the loss of revenue that the innovation would necessarily involve. The board reorets, therefore, that it is unable under the, present conditions favourably to consider the matter of altering the existing fares for children. State Advances Mortgages.—Mr 1 . A. de la Perrelle (Awarua) asked the Minister of Finance whether, seeing that the Rural intermediate Credit Board had reduced the rate of interest to 5 per cent, to farmers, he would favnurabl/ consider making a reduction of 1 per'cent, in the existing rate of interest on State Advances mortgages. Mr Coates replied : “ The question raised is allied to the general mortgage interest problem which is being dealt with in the Budget for the current Fire Insurance Moneys.—Mr C. A. Wilkinson (Egniout) asked the Minister in charge of the State Advances Office whether he would make inquiries regarding the policy of the State Advances buildings destroyed by fire. He added that it was understood the policy was that where there were any arrears of interest or current interest falling due the department deducted such amounts from the reinstatement grant. This policy was unfair to contractors and sawinillers or merchants who, in good faith, supplied the materials for such buildings. There appeared at present to be no redress for such persons. —Mr Coates replied that it was the practice of the department' wherever possible to endeavour to secure the payment of arrears instalments where fire insurance moneys were received, and with this object in view it was made clear to the mortgagor at the outset that the condition of moneys being made available for rebuilding purposes was a prior deduction of any arrears of interest. The department, however, as a matter of defined policy considered every individual case on its merits with the object of assisting the mortgagor. Assisting Relief "Workers. —Air F. Jones (Dunedin South) asked the Acting Minister of Employment whether the Unemployment Board would pay the cost of transport of relief workers to the various camps, and also provide some assistance towards the upkeep of their wives and families during the first four weeks.—Hon. J. A. Young replied that arrangements were in train whereunder the Unemployment Board would bear the cost of rail fares of relief workers, who. having been continuously on relief for twenty-six weeks, proceeded to a subsidised camp and remained there for not less than one month.

Frost-resistant Potatoes. —Mr W. J. Poison (Stratford) asked the Minister of Agriculture whether, in view of the recent reports that Soviet agricultural scientists had discovered five varieties of potatoes which were irost-resistant, and which they had successfully crossed with well-known varieties, thus producing a commercial frost-resistant potato, he would inform the House what steps had been taken by his department to obtain these tubers and details of those other discoveries made by Soviet agricultural authorities.—-Hon. C. K. Macmillan replied that during the past few years the Russian and German Governments have fitted out expeditions to South America for the purpose of collecting new species of potato. The material obtained was regarded as being of the greatest possible value to those who were engaged in breeding work, and. no doubt, the five varieties referred to were obtained by the Russian expedition. The Imperial Agricultural Bureau of Plant Genetics, Cambridge, bad been able to secure a number of specimens from the German expedition, and these were being multiplied at Cambridge with a view to distribution to Umpire workers. Tt was the department's intention to commence this season breeding work with potatoes, and the High Commissioner had been asked to obtain if possible supplies of the tubers in question. Debts Owing to the Crown.—Mr H. G. R. Mason (Auckland Suburbs) asked the Minister in charge of the State Advances Office whether he had noticed the reports that the State Lending Department had raised the plea that the Crown was not bound by those statutory provisions which protected life insurance policies from being seized for debt, and, if so, whether be would introduce legislation to secure that full_ protection which the existing legislation purported to give?—Mr Coates replied that there was no intention of introducing legislation on the lines suggested. Life insurance moneys were available along with the other assets of a debtor to satisfy debts owing to the Crown. In so far as deceased persons’ estates were coneernod. full information wa obtained of the circumstance, including I be relationship of the sucees-

sors to the estate, and a decision was then given on the merits of the ease. The Levy.—.Mr R. A. Wright (Mellington Suburbs) asked ibe ActingMinister of Employment in the House whether he would lake steps to exempn relief workers from the payment or lines now imposed upon them "hen their levies wore not paid on the clue date.—Mr Young replied that a fine of (id a month for the non-payment of. l the general unemployment levy within the time prescribed was a statutory provision. Postponement ol the dua date of payment might be granted in individual cases where hardship was proved, but it would be impracticable to exempt all relief workers from the necessity of paying their levies within a month of the due date. Bank Notes. —Air H. G. R. Alason asked the .Minister of Finance; (l)i Whether the notes issued by the Reserve Bank of New Zealand _ were printed in London, as was implied by} the imprint thereon ; (2) was there any) relationship between this fact and that fact that the Bank of England in London was tbe place whence came both, the governor of tlvo Reserve Rank and l the author of the report on which the formation ol the Reserve Bank was Iv*s n d (J) has the Government parted with the right to determine where the manufacture of New Zealand’s legal lender take place*; and was five re any reason why it should not take place in New Zealand, or b<* carried out by the Government printer?, (4) when there was a further issuewould the Government see that legal tender for New Zealand was made by, \ew Zealanders in New Zealand?— < Mr Coates replied: “ The Reserve Bank* of New Zealand Act, 1933, requires that form, denomination, design, anoj material to be approved by the Alinisterr of Finance, but the printing of th«* notes is entirelv a matter for the Re* serve Bank. (2) No. (3) The pro* duction of bank notes is a secret, com* plicated process, both in the manufacture of tbe paper used and tlie printing. There is no equipment in the Government Printing Office, or so far is known in New Zealand, suitable tor this class of work, and the special machinery required is costly. (4)1 Answered under No. 1 above. Fanners' Losses. —Mr L. Heahj (Wairau) asked the Acting-Alimster pfl Employment whether he would allow! farmers who bad made losses in previous years to set off such losses against tna current year’s profit when unemployment taxation was assessed ?—Air Young replied that no provision was made under tbe existing legislation to allow, losses incurred in previous years to W carried forward and set off against th 9 profits earned in a subsequent year.. In view of the fact that the emergency, unemployment charge on income other, than salary or wages was a persona t tax payable on income derived by the taxpayer in each complete year, it was not proposed to introduce amending legislation in so far as it affected this question. The same conditions regarding losses applied to all taxpayeis,, irrespective of the nature of then nusi* ness, and not only to fanners. . Miners and Unemployment lax.—• Air Clvde Carr (Timaru) asked the Acting" Minister of Employment whether prospectors on relief were called, upon to pay the unemployment tax pm income other than salary or wages m respect of the value of the gold won.— Mr Young replied that the net value of the gold won by subsidised prospectors after the deduction of the necessary expenses incurred in production! was assessable income and was therefore liable for the emergency unemployment charge on income other than salary and wages , ~ ~r Registered Unemployment.—Mi. '' Nash (Hutt) asked the Acting Minister of Employment (1) whether he would make the necessary provision during the present session to enable registered unemployed to be offered employment at standard rates of pay; (2) failing provision of work as above, would he abolish the existing unemployment emergency charges on wages, salaries, amt incomes and substitute a special graduated income tax on all incomes in excess of £250 per annum, the tax to b« sufficient to ensure the payment of. lull sustenance as provided in the Unemployment Act, 1930. to all persons registered as unemployed for whom n» work was provided?—Air Aourm replied- (1) ‘‘Every effort is now being made by the Unemployment Board ta absorb as many as possible of the registered unemployed into full-time employment at standard rates of pay, and witrt the co-operation of local bodies andl Government departments some thousands of relief workers have a ready been so employed. (2) It is not proposed to abolish the existing method of obtaining special unemployment relief taxation.” , Pension or Relief Wages? Mis M'Combs (Lyttelton) asked the Acting Minister of Employment whether ha would arrange for immediate inqmne* to be made into the circumstances o£ unemployed men who were qualified ta receive the old age pension, and who,under the existing regulations, wore compelled by the Unemployment Board to applv for and take the old age pension, thereby reducing the amount below that received as relief worker# for the maintenance of their families.—Air Young replied that inquiries had already been made into the circumstances of relief workers who attain the age of sixtv-five. If thev had dependents linden the "age of sixteen years they might ba permitted to remain contributors to the Unemployment Fund and receive! such assistance as the circumstance* warranted and as the funds permittedOwnership of Oil. Air W. Naslil asked the Minister of Aimes (1) whether he had noticed that the British! Government had introduced legislation! to provide that the ownership of all oil which might exist in Great Britain, blip which was at present unknown, should be vested in the State. (2) Whether, he would take similar steps in New; Zealand to conserve its oil resources fofl the benefit of the people?—Air Alacmillan replied: 0) “1 have noticed that the British Government has introduced legislation to provide that th* petroleum existing in its natural condition in the strata in Great Britain shall be vested in the Crown, subject to the rights under three existing licenses, the licenses being protected, i have also perused a copv of the Bill, and find it i# almost identical in its purpose with the Bill which was submitted to this House in 1927 by the then Alinistcr of Alines, but which did not reach its third icad* mg. (2) The question whether a furw thei- attempt shall he made to place such a measure on the Statute Book i# a matter of policy which will be carefully considered by the Government.” Protecting Workers’ Wages.—Mr WE. Barnard (Napier) tasked the Alimster of Labour wnether he would take steps to apply to the Crown, if necessary, at its option, in particular case* the provisions of the Wages Protection and Contractors’ Liens Act, 190 S. He added that the Crown was not bound by and could not even take advantage of the provision of the Act,with the result that the Crown was helpless to assist the unfortunate work, ers whose wages were left unpaid by defaulting contractors. —Air Hamilton replied that careful consideration had been given to the suggestion made, but it was not considered expedient to give effect to the request. Action, however, was being taken in another direction which, it was hoped, would have the effect not only of protecting workmen’s wages, but also the claims by business men for material supplied in connection with Government contracts.