SESSION PREPARATIONS

Greymouth Evening Star, 13 February 1936, Page 7

SESSION PREPARATIONS

• GOVT.’S FINANCIAL POLICY I ... !' THE FIRST BILLS -! . • [PER press association.] f WELLINGTON, February 12. ■ An indication that the Government’s financial policy is about complete was given to-day by Hon. M. J. Savage, who said that it will be ready is a day or two. All the Ministers of the Crown have been summoned to Wellington for Friday morning for what, probably, will be one of the most important Cabinet meetings yet held. It is understood that consideration will be given then to the financial policy. The Ministers out of town are Hon. R. Semple and Hon. F. Jones. They will arrive on Friday morning. ' Replying to questions on prospective legislation to-day, Mr Savage said that no detailed statement , about the Government’s monetary • policy would be made before the Bill comes down in the House;, though this did not mean that a statement on national finance and on general principles of policy would not be made before Parliament met. It was certain, however, that no details of the main financial measures would be disclosed before the Bill was introduced. Mr Savage said that the Finance Bill would be introduced in the early stages of the coming session. Other important bills would follow without delay. Altogether, there would probably be six major Bills. 7 It is understood that, among the matters to be dealt with in the initial legislation, will be as follows: — Vital amendments of the industrial laws. The 40-hour week on public works to begin with. The restoration of wage cuts. Guaranteed pricqs for dairy produce. Dairy marketing scheme, and Railways construction.

TRANSPORT CO-ORDINATION. CHRISTCHURCH, February 12. “I will not allow the Board to sit again” said the Minister of Public Works, Hon. R. Semple, to-day, when replying to a deputation from the New Brighton Borough Council. The Christchurch Tramways Board recently decided to discontinue a bus service to a part of New Brighton, and the residents of the area decided to appeal to the Transport Co-ordina-tion Board. As this Board is suspended, the Council approached the ■ Minister. Mr Semple said that the' matter would not be long delayed, but he would not allow the Board to sit again. He advised the deputation to send an appeal and petition to him at Wellington as soon as possible. Par'liament would review the whole matter. In the meantime, the Board' would not be allowed to make decisions. MAIN HIGHWAYS. ASHBURTON, February 13. Replying to a County Council deputation, protesting against the demand for payment of the share of the cost of the new Rakaia bridge, Mr. Semple said while the Government policy at the moment was that local bodies should contribute to the cost of the main highways, his objectivewas a fixed income for the Highways Board to maintain the real arterial roads, leaving local bodies to concentrate their resources on secondary roads.

WHEAT AND FLOUR. WELLINGTON, February 12.The rationalisation of the wheat, flour, and baking industries is the subject of a round-table conference this afternoon between Hon. D. G. Sullivan and a deputation from the Master Bakers’ Association. The proceedings are private. UNEMPLOYMENT BOARD. CHRISTCHURCH, February 13. A statement that the Unemployment Board is to disappear shortly, was made by the Ministei’ of Public Works (Mr Semple) in x the course of a reply to a deputation from .the City Council. The Minister was informed that the Council proposed to do certain work with labour provided by the ’Unemployment Bodrd under No. 5 Scheme. “The Unemployment Board will disappear before long, and will be absorbed by the Labour Department,” said Mr Semple. “The whole of the control of unemployed labour will go back to the Labour Department, and there will be new rates of pay and new conditions.” He advised the deputation to go ahead with its survey and in a. month’s time it would be seen how it could get on with the new unemployment policy.

STOCK HEALTH RESEARCH. WELLINGTON, February 12. “Outstanding results in the improvement of stock health are being obtained in co-operative investigations of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, and the Cawthron Institute, at both Glenhope (Nelson), and Morton Mains (Southland), as the result of supplementing the natural pasturage of sheep, with minute quantities of cobalt chloride,” stated the Minister of scientific and industrial research to-day. “At Glenhope, sheep affected with the ailment which shows typical symptoms, of bush sickness, have made marked recovery as the result of administering twice weekly, a small cobalt, salt dosage. At Morton Mains, similar treatment of lambs’ grazing pastures, associated with what is known locally as the Morton Mains ailment, has resulted in a surprising increase in weight and improvement in stock health. In the Southland experiments, lambs receiving cobalt salt have gained during the period of less than two months, an average of 101 b a head more than the corresponding lambs not receiving cobalt supplement, but otherwise on exactly the same pasturage. While it is yet too early to state that cobalt deficiency is the sole cause of the Nelson and Southland stock ailments, the evidence so far available points strongly in that direction, as in addition to the results of feeding small quantities of cobalt, it has been shown by micro-analysis that cobalt is markedly deficient in these soils, compared with soils in healthy country. The same deficiency is shown

in i certain typical bush-sick soils in the North Island.” FARMERS’ UNION & LABOUR WELLINGTON, February 13. The Farmers’ Union Executive met, to-day, and went into committee to discuss matters'in connection with the Government’s labour policy, as affecting farmers. z Mr. Polson explained that there had been a meeting of the committee with the Minister of Labour and the Unemployment Board to discuss matters affecting the Farmers’ Union, and regard to unemployment, and how the Union could assist the new Government in dealing with mixed questions. The meeting had been most friendly. “We found the Minister anxious to consult us and hear our point of view in regard to those questions, but of course as you must be aware, the new Government has very definite principles regarding the questions of labour, _ and is very anxious to put those principles into operation. They are clearly anxious to do that with the least amount of dislocation, and with the desire to meet the farming community as far as it is possible to do so.”

Mr. Polson said he had promised to bring the matter before the Union in order to come to a definite understanding before going to the Government again. They' were agreeable to give the Union as much time as was required in order to formulate its ideas. He pointed out the need for a frank discussion, and suggested going into committee. The result of the deliberations will be communicated to the Press.