POLITICAL NOTES

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 18 September 1924, Page 9

POLITICAL NOTES

DAIRY PRODUCE FREIGHTS

(By Telegraph.— Special to Star.)

mu t> Sept. 17. the Railway Department cannot agiee, says the, Minister for Railways, in reply to the member for Awarua. that uany freight fates are very high, liie present average freight on butter and cheese is only about one-ninth of i, penny per pound. Having in view the tact that the working costs ner tram “Jf have increased since 189 v by over 2yo per cent., it seems scarcely reasonable, says the Minister, to contend that any injustice has been done to the dairy industry by restoring the ormclassification. The whole question ot freight rates is under consideration. RAILW'AYMEN’S EYESIGHT TESTS, D le Ministbir for Railways, in answei to Mr Langs tone, who expressed concern over the numbers of raihvavmen being disrated through failure to* pass the eyesight test, explains that when the employees %il to pass the-’eyesight test so> that they cannot be kept in the position they are, for the; time being holding they have to be given other Work, and their pay is affected accordingly. If a- suitable position can be round for such a member which will not involve reducing his pay that is done, but it is not practicable to do this in every case, and it was therefore impossible' to avoid the reduction of some members. In such cases the reductions are treated as being due tG infirmity, and the superannuation rights of members are preserved to the extent that they have their pensions based on the irate of pay received bj them before the reduction. SCHOOL GAMES. ■ “Is the Minister of Education aware that boys attending public schools are not , allowed by The masters to play what games they wish, and will he take such steps as will allow the boys in future to make'..their .own • chspiee?” asked Mr Armstrong. The Hon. O. J. Parr, Minister foi Education, replied: “I do not feel called upon to express an opinion on this matter or think that it is within m\ province to interfere. The mattei should surely be left in the: hands of the masters, who, out of their own time-, give suclu. generous and valuable assistance to boys in pursuit of theii games. In view of the enthusiasm of masters in this respect, 1 we should feel satisfied that in the arrangement oi games they are' doing the best they can for the boys, themselves.”

* DOMINION DAY. It is not proposed to allow Dominion Day as a. holiday in the public service stated the Premier in the House. He explained that this change was recommended some years ago bv the Economy Committee >" ELECTRIC POWER POLES. Sir Heaton Rhodes, Commissioner of State Forests, stated in reply to Mi O’. Hawken that the Forest* Service is ninv engaged in testing various species of eucalyptus in Whakarewarewa plan tation, with a view to ascertaining whether they are suitable fo,r use as poles in hydro-electric reticulatioi. work. It is hoped that by the application of a. creosote preservative miscellaneous eucalyptus can be- renderec sufficiently durable for this work, am’ if so a. very substantial reduction can be affected by their use.