HOUSE OF COMMONS

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 18 May 1928, Page 5

HOUSE OF COMMONS

REPLIES TO QUESTIONS.

. OVERSEAS SETTLEMENT' RAILWAYS RELIEF FROM RATES (UNITED PRESS AftSOCIATION-BV ELECTRO TELEGRAPH—COPYRIGHT.) (AUSTRALIAN PRESS A'SSOCIATIONUNITED SERVICE.) LONDON, May 16. In the House of Commons, the Hon. Lord Curzon in answer to a question, I said that the railways benefit under the rate relief scheme amounted at least to lour millions yearly. I Sir William Joynson Hicks was questioned in reference- to a reeent decision wherein a whist drive with money prizes in the interests of charity was held to he illegal. He pointed out that whist- drives for money prizes were held to be illegal away back in 1912. Mr Mexton : ‘ ‘Are you aware that owing to its restrictions on recreation, the Government is known as the ‘killjoy.’ Government you as ‘Killjoyjix?’ ” Sir AVillian Joynson Hicks : “I cannot override the decision of the court, though I do not object to whist drives.” He said that he could hot at present promise legislation on the subject. Sir Samuel Hoare, Air Secretary, in answer to a question whether it proposed to use the airship RlOl in flights to India and the Dominions under the Air Ministry’s control, held the view that subsequent development of airship transport was preferable by private enterprise.

The -Hon. L. C. M. S. Ainery, . in answer to a question if the statutory maximum expenditure under the Empire Settlement. Act had been reached, said that the statutory total would b 3 £16,806,343 to March 31, but the actual expenditure was £3,866,061. Lieutenant Colonel Headlam, in answer to a question said that arrangments would be made for one of His Majesty’s ships to be off Middlesborough for the celebration of Captain Cook’s bicentenary in October.

Lieutenant (Colonel Headlam told questioners that the contractor who recently supplied .South America beef’ as New Zealand had been struck off the Admiralty list of eligible tenderers. There was no suggestion that cold stores from which the meat was supplied were in any way blameworthy.