POLITICAL POINTS

Evening Star, Issue 22808, 17 November 1937, Page 9

POLITICAL POINTS

EDUCATION FOR PUBLIC SERVICE NO REMOVAL OF STOCK EMBARGO CHINESE IN SAMOA SENT HOME [Peom Obk Paw-iamentaky Reporter.] - WELLINGTON, November 16. “ I tkink most of the people of New Zealand want to get into the Public Service,” remarked the Prime Minister smilingly, when, in charge of the ' Public Service Commissioners’ Estimates, he answered a number of questions relating to the Civil Service. Another depression problem had been put to him by Mr Nordmeyer (Oamaru), who had asked that consideration be given to youths who were of eligible age during the depression, but could not enter the State service, now that there were opportunities, because the ago limit of 18 was a bar. The Prime Minister informed the House that the difficulty mentioned hy the member for Oamaru had been met hy raising the age limit of entrance to 21. The policy of the Government, he added, was to educate New Zealanders for the service of New Zealand, not to drive them abroad after we had gone to the expense of educating them. While most people wanted to get into the service, they .could not all do so. However, they should make application. Although there was a limit to the number of those who could be taken, there was this reason for optimism—that the list of applicants was practically ex-, hausted. If. persons qualified did not get it, they had at any rate qualified . equally well for private employment. • ■ • • • In view of the very wide diversity of opinion among breed societies and similar organisations, the Minister of Agriculture is not disposed to make any recommendation regarding the removal of the stock embargo, he informed the House when the Agriculture vote was being discussed. “I am positive that those engaged in the dairying industry particularly will hesitate very much before agreeing to the restrictions being; removed,” he said. The Minister added that the Minister of Finance, Mr Nash, had made inquiries in this connection when he was at Home, but in view of the many other questions that dec manded attention they had not yet found an opportunity of getting down to it and examining it. If there were some unanimity among breeders and farmers, then the Government might be able to tackle the problem. “ I have in my mind the question of allowing stock to come direct to New Zealand instead of coming by way of Tasmania and Canada,” added the Minister. “ That would mean increasing the period of quarantine in this Dohut the whole question and all ■its ramifications will have to be looked into.” * . * * * The : statement that Chinese coolies employed in the Manta ted Territory of Samoa were all going home was made in the House by the Prime Minister, Mr Savage, to-day, when he was replying to discussion on the Estimates of the External Affairs Department. Mr Savage qualified his statement by. saying that 160 of the coolies were “ left over ” for the cocoa plantations, whilet-TOO ooPlies who w§re‘ : old residents would he allowed to remain. The present Government never believed that coolie labour was the solution to the plantation problem in Saomoa, he continued. “ Our policy is to gradually have them sent back to their own country,” he said. “ The Government is doing that now.” Mr Forbes: Who is taking their place? _ Mr Savage replied that it was a question whether they could not obtain Niue Islanders for Samoa, plus the Samoans themselves, who could be employed under reasonable conditions of work. “ We think it can be done,” he concluded. ♦ ♦ ♦ * The shortage of veterinary surgeons in' New Zealand was the subject of a question raised by Mr Roy (National, Clutha) in the House when the Agriculture vote was being considered. Mr Roy said that stock diseases were o*i the increase. That was only to be expected with the heavier carrying capacity of the land, but he wanted to know li anything had been done to increase the number of veterinary surgeons. He did not think there were enough in the Dominion. The Minister of Agriculture, Mr Lee Martin, said that the shortage of these surgeons was causing the department much concern. The authorities realised that there were not the requisite numbers of veterinary surgeons in New Zealand. “The department simply cannot get them,” he said, “ though it has offered fair remuneration. There are a num-

her of New Zealand veterinary students at Sydney University and at Home, and in a year or so they will be qualified and their services will be available to the producers of this country. Every effort that the department can make to increase the number is being made.” * * * * Signed by Mr Schramm, the member for Auckland East;, and 2,366 others, a petition, was presented to the House by Mr Endean asking that a Commission of Inquiry be set up to investigate and report on the system under which the horses used by the volunteer forces are selected, trained, and supervised. The petitioners also request that the inquiry shall include the circumstances surrounding the death of Farrier-ser-geant S. Hargreaves, at Rotorua in March last, as they state they are concerned at the occurrence of serious and even fatal accidents to members of the volunteer forces of the Dominion. « « * * The failure of, the Government to appoint an Administrator for Samoa was mentioned in. the House by Mr Forbes (National, Hurunui), who asked the Prime Minister if he could give some indication of what was intended. The former Government did not make an appointment because a new Government was coming in, he said. The Acting Administrator was giving satisfaction and appeared to be on good terms with the Samoans; nevertheless, it was not proper to delay the appointment of an Administrator for so long. “ How did the right hon. gentleman know we were going to be on. the Treasury Benches?” replied Mr Savage, with a smile. “When he left it to us he must have been sure he was going to get it in the neck.” He agreed that the Acting Administrator was doing good work; The Samoans appeared to be hapipier to-day than they had been since the mandate was taken over by New Zealand. In respect to the appointment of an Administrator, the Government desired to move warily.' It did not wish to jump to conclusions. The Acting Administrator was losing nothing^by the present position. Mr Forbes: “You’re keeping it steadily in view? ” Mr Savage replied in the affirmative,, and concluded by saying that the ap-’ pointment was receiving the consideration of the Government. • # ♦ • Discussing Samoan aspceta, fears were expressed by the Prime Minister that rubber growing was doomed owing to disease in the plantations. The Reparations Estates, he said, were being conducted at a-profit. Last year the revenue exceeded expenditure by £II,OOO, aud for the current year it was estimated that the revenue would exceed the expenditure hy £21,536. “ Things are looking pretty good,” said Mr Savage. “We are not afraid! of the big bad wolf around the corner.” Referring to the banana trade, the Prime Minister said the expenditure for 1936-37 was £97,094, and the revenue £95,994. That left a deficit of £l,lOO. For the-current year the estimated expenditure was £136,828 and the estimated revenue £144,479, the credit balance being estimated at £7,651. He explained that the debit balance for 1936-37 was accounted for by the fact that a considerable sum due for that year' was not received until the accounts were closed, and the amount was being credited to the current yearis revenue, which-brought the credit to the sum he had mentioned.