PARLIAMENT

Greymouth Evening Star, 31 August 1927, Page 3

PARLIAMENT

A DAY OF PROGRESS.

(Special to "Star.”)

WELLINGTON, August 30. Steady progress was made in the House to-day. The greater part of the afternoon was devoted to airing of grievances upon the recent allocation of electoral boundaries, permitted by the introduction of the report of the Representation Commissioners. The committal of the Finance Bill was then proceeded with, and the measure was .treated with dispatch, being put through its final stages add passed without discussion. For the rest of the afternoon and the greater part of the long evening, the House then went on to put through the monthly Impress Supply Bill. . The Egmont National Park Amendment Bill, and the War Funds Amendment Bill were passed and the House rose at 11.20. FREIGHTS ON TIMBER.

The,, question of timber freights on railways was raised by Mr Holland. He said it was amazing that on the West Coast the increase in railway freights on New Zealand timber had increased by over 100 per cent. There was also the question of the increase in 'royalties. These increases were making it practicaly impossible for our timbers to compete with imported timber in the New Zealand market. He made an appeal to the Minister of Railways and Commissioner of Forests to go thoroughly into the matter, with a view to making rearrangement and removing the anomalies, especially so far as the increased railway freights were concerned. If the railways had one purpose it should be to enable our products to reach an economical market. Instead of that it was being made impossible for our own timbers to compete on the market. Mr Holland concluded by stressing the seriousness of the position. RELIEVING TEACHERS.

In the opinion of Mr Harris, relieving school teachers have suffered a reduction in salary. Speaking in the House to-night, Mr Harris said that parents of training college students had to enter into a bond that the students would remain hr the service of the Education Department for a certain number of years after their period of training. That being the case, it was the obvious duty of the Department to find employment for those teachers wlio had passed through the College. The teachers, however, were not being employed full time, and they could not accept other employment because of the bond that their parents had entered into. While they were out of employment, they did not receive any salary. They should get some payment for holidays, ft was incorrect 1.0 say that relieving teachers’ salaries had not been reduced, because the effect of recent regulations had been to reduce these, salaries by as much as £2O a year. The Minister of Education (Mr Wright) denied that salaries of relieving teachers had been reduced. Mr I farris : They have all been circularised to that effect. “Technically, that may be correct,” replied Mr Wri'gh’t, who explained that some inspectors had made a mistake by giving certain relieving teachers a higher salary than they weTe entitled to under the regulations, with the result that relieving teachers were receiving more salary than the permanent teacher, and that caused no end of friction. That was where the circular came in. The salaries had not been reduced below the scale rate. It had been said by Mr Harris that relieving teachers should receive parmanent employment or he paid while they were wailing for employment. What was the position There was no country in the u'orld that treated its graduates like Now Zealand. Students here were paid for the ■ time they were at. the Training College. In what; other profession in the world would students receive payment during the time they were at the College? ft was true that students signed a bond that they would stay with the Department for three years, but what happened otherwise? “Directly' they get out of College they get married,” said the Minister, “and some get married before they get out of the College.” (Laughter). Many of those who had married had put in their three years with the Department afterwards and so carried out their contract with the Department. He regretted to see throughout this year that unemployment had been so prevalent amongst teachers, but the reason had been that too many students had been taken into colleges. That was being remedied now, but it was quite impossible for the Department to undertake to pay teachers while they were waiting for permanent appointments. Air Harris : Why should they not be paid in their holidays? Mr Wright said he presumed the teachers were paid if they were teach ing.

“No, they are not,’’ said Mr Harris. “That is news to- me,” replied the Minister. “I will look into that phase of the question.”