POLITICAL NOTES

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 3 September 1925, Page 5

POLITICAL NOTES

JOTTINGS FROM PARLIAMENT.

ROADSIDE DANGERS

FENCING BRIDGE APPROACHES.. PROM OUR PARLIAMENTARY REPORTER. AVELLINGTON, Sept. 2. The responsibility of county councils for the safety fencing of. bridge approaches was raised in a question to the Prime Minister in the House by iVlv Nash, of Palmerston North. The questioner referred to the recent fatality in the Manawatu, where a car went through a fence at a bridge approach and three lives were lost in the river. He suggested that if the fence had been more secure the fatality might not have occurred, as the car was being driven slowlv. “Would it be possible,” asked Mr Nash, “to compel county councils to securely fence bridge approaches. The Prime Minister replied that the matter was really one for the county councils, but there was a Bill in charge of the Minister for Internal Affairs which might enable the question to be raised. It was important, and he toped some member would deal with it. The Bill dealt with the fencing question. As the law' now stood, a landowner was only entitled to place a fence in a pegged boundary, but it was suggested that permission he given to bcmpiers of land to move their fences to the roadside with the local authority’s neemission. This would give a safer fence for the traveling public, and he mere convenient for the landowner, and in such case the fence could join up with the bridge handrails. Mr Nash: “Will you get the Iligh.,avs Board to take action?” The Prime Minister: “I understand the hoard has taken action, but no State .department could he responsible, or negligent driving. THE NELSON SYSTEM. PARLIAMENT WANTS INFORMATION. The Government has agreed, on Air Isict’s motion, to furnish. Parliament with a return showing the number of Stats-schools in which the Nelson system of one half-hour religious instruction once a week outside school hours jy voluntary clerical or lay effort is now conducted; (b) the average attend-, ante at these lessons; ( c ) the number of schools, high, technical and primary, in ‘which the scholars participate in other religious exercises; (d) average attendance at such exercises; (e) the number of complaints made to the Department of Education during the period from Ist August, 1922, to Ist August, 1925, in connection with these exercises, by either the parents or teachers. OUR COAL MINES. SCIENTIFIC EXPERIAIENTS WITH SLACK.

Short time in New Zealand coal mines is being experienced, while' the Dominion continues to import coal from overseas. This point was made by Mr Hoi.and in the House, when the Alines Department’s report was tabled. He declared that the new railway freights ju coal operated directly in favour of imported coal, which was brought direct co the - wharf, while the New Zealand coal had to carry higher rates of freight on the railways. -* The member for Buller also referred to the general diminution in coal production, except under cheap labour conditions on the Continent, the demand for coal having been reduced by the increasing consumption of oil fuel.. Mr Potter (Roskill) declared that the demand for New Zealand coal had been discouraged by continual trouble with the miners. He hoped the Government would continue to import coal, which they could he sure of getting so long as there was any danger of miners, through their control over the coal sup- /. endeavouring to dominate the services and industries of New Zealand. The Alinister for Mines (Air Anderson) expressed satisfaction that while there had been a world-wide diminution in the production of coal, the output from- New Zealand mines during the last year had increased by 113,000 tons. ' The Alines Department had a young scientist experimenting 'for 12 months on New Zealand-slack: coals, •vith a view to ascertaining whether ;>ev con'd he briquetted at a profit. He was satisfied it would pay New Zealand to send an expert abroad to ascertain what was. being done to make ase of tlie slack coal, of which there "vas fin enormous quantity in New Zealand. It comprised 50 per cent, of -.lie output, and this large proportion ■vas, in his opinion, largely the cause of unemployment among tlie miners. If Key could get oil and smokeless fuel from slack it would give a great stimulus to the mining industry. A Reefton gentleman had successfully experimented to show that Reefton coa; would oroduce a good coke. The railways had to run at a profit, but the Department Nad no intention of penalising New Zealand coal by unduly high freights, and would not place it on a worse footbig than Australian coal. This question was being investigated, and lie understood it- only cost 6d per ton more to convey Southland coal to Canterbury under the new tariff.