POLITICAL NOTES

Gisborne Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 11326, 2 October 1930, Page 2

POLITICAL NOTES

BUSY DAY AYITH. QUESTIONS.,

WIDE DIVERSITY OF SUBJECTS-

MONKEY GLANDS TO PETROL PRICES.

(Press Association.) AVELLINGTON, Oct. 1

AA’ritton Ministerial ' replies to qutoptiou yvefe circulated. jii the !House' of Hepfosontafives to-diiy. > Mlk O’Brien drew attention to the prospect of, un'ehflilpyirieiit among; the icottl irlinei's Of the AVest Coast through lack of olders, and . asked whether the Government would take j steps to prevent tho importation of ' Australian ooiil. • - • . • '■

I Mr. Ransom. said, that under the terms of the infill agreement between New Zealand and Australia, ■a duty on Australian coal could not Ibo imposed unless by mutual .agreement between , the Commonwealth land the Dominion, or until after, the ■expiry of six months’ notice to the Commonwealth. The question of the i importation of coal ' was at. present I roceeivijig the careful consideration ,of the Government..

The Hon. A. J. Murdoch, replying to Mr Holland, Labor leader, said tlie whole question of the coal mining industry was. under consideration by the Government. The Railway Department had no orders pilac-ed for Newcastle coal, and at present was not eon Lemplating placing such orders.

INJURIOUS INSECTS IN FOREIGN TIMBER.

Air- Ransom,' in reply to Air. Barnard (L.). said the question of the prevention of the iipportatiou of timber " harbouring injurious insects, or subject to fungal attack, had been receiving attention lor some time. The importance of the. matter was fully appreciated, and efforts to find a satisfactory solution of the difficulty were Icing continued.

EAII’LOYAI ENT OF MILITARY

OFFICERS

Tlie Hon: (J. G. Cobbe, replying to Mr. Waite, said it . was not the intention of. the Governmentto nljs-clnu-ge "siieh oflieei s and iion-eommis-sioned oHiee.rs ol New Zealand’s Permanent Forces as il could reasonably employ. Every encouragement was being given to officers and non-eoiu-missioned officers ol the territorial force to .continue their services., voluntarily. and maintain the organisation. and esprit de corps uF .theif units.

DRILLING FOB ALLUVIA L GOLD

DEPOSITS

'The I ton. A. J. Alurd«eh. replying to Air. O’Brien (L-) said, tlmt un-wtn-ked alluvia! gold ilojiosits in Westland, were still being prospected bv means of l lie .keystope drills ownby the. Mines Depart incur, winch were hired out upon reasonable tor ins and conditions.-• In m.kliiinu io that, the Government had decided, gfani subsidies lor the.purpose of. boring in approved alluvial ’gold .deposits.

QUALITY OF STANDARDISED CHEESE..

? In answer to a question submitted by Mr AA'aito, tbe AJinisier-ol Agri-L-ulture said -tlie . position -j-result.ing iilOiil last year's op-era Lions was .that, wjiile a proportion of standardised cheese exported from New Zealand had been of jgood-quality' and accept-' able to buyers; a good deal .had not been up to the quality desired.. The experience gained last season, coupled with the very :videiit desire on • the part of tlie industry to raise tlie quality of the cheese output, . was confidently expected to bring about better results during tlie corning season.

CO \L CARBONISATION AND UNEAIPLOYAIENT.

The Acting-Prime 'Minister informed Air. Sullivan (L.) 'that the i;ecom-. lnendations- of the.-special uiffimploymerit committee were receiving .earnest consideration,..' including the question of coal 'carbonisation, tlie importance of which was fully realised. ■

NO LICENSING ACT THIS SESSION.

In the course of a reply to Air.. Broadfoot • (U.) Air. Cobbe mentioned il was not proposed to introduce any amendment to tlie Licensing Act this session.

I\U. PAYINGS BANK INTEREST

RATES

In reply, to Air. Barnard (Ik) ,who d'-ew attention- to the growing increase of withdrawals over deposits in the Post Office Savings Bank, Air Riiusoni said that whilst it was not. ■proposed to increase the interest rates on deposits.at present, the Government was fully seized with the importance of the question. It was to be pointed out, however, that the Post Office Savings Bank deposits were at call, and from the point of ;vicw of security these deposits • were In. a difforut category from deposits lodged with finance companies, etc. NO NEED FOR PANIC 1 MEASURES. Mr.. Burnett, asked whether,' seeing that all .'lie authorities wore' agreed that tlie Dominion’s selling season would be opening shortly with all our primary products at a lower level titan last season’s closing prices, he would immediately, -on tlie-rising of Parliament, declare the country in. a state of. emergency, and call'the. representatives of all interests in the State'to see if by a round-table conference and conciliation, and 'tlie. lacing ; V6f ■ facts, an amicable■ l'e-adjustiuent o.f the industrial life oik the .Dominion could not be effected. - '. . Air. Ransom. I “plied that there was no necessity to resort To the,- pq'nic measures' indicated by Air. Burnett. PETROL PRICES. The Acting-Prime Minister was asked by Air. Broadfoot (U.)-, ■whether lie was aware. Lb'ab it was reported that the oil .companies opefv ating ,in New . Eealaud proposed to increase flic price of petrol.-by one penny a gallon, and whether -lie, would investigate such increase and set up a.committee, of the House lo inquire into the diTfureuee between the prices charged iir New Zealand jfnd in the United States. • Ali - . Ransom the. Government bad no informiinioii that an iuoreaso was eontei'uplated, but it would, give consideration lo .Air. . Broad foot’s, suggestion-- if tlie increase .took place. ,•

AIONKEY GLAND , EXPERiAIENTS- , Replying to Air. Sulliyau, the .lloir.; J. J 1; £*L:illworthy • said ho was not aware that any application liad been inade to - conduct monkey ghuul'■experiments iu..New.Zealand. • Air..Sul-, livan asked ' whether, rl view ,of; the; nrenaco to- tilioy-comriiunity and .the torture of., tho. animals, involved,- the Minister would prevent such experiIpents being made. Air- Stallworthy saidl he. .would; have to- investigate*, .the: position,, . - and ascertain ■■whatwere, the Dopiirtnient’s powers iu the matter. , ~,