PARLIAMENT

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 8 September 1928, Page 6

PARLIAMENT

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

DISCUSSION OF ESTIMATES.

WIRELESS ON SHIPS

(By Telegraph—Press Association.)

WiEILiMNGTON, Sept. 7. The House of Representatives ton i rnht went into committee to further discuss the Estimates, toe vote or £115,683 for the Marine Department being the first taken. •Mr P. Eraser urged that all ships on the New' Zealand coast should be obliged to carry wireless of sufficient strength (to give notice in the case of accident. He also stressed that ropes and gear used on ships should be pera'odically tested. He understood there was only one machine in the Dominion capable of doing this, and that was in Christchurch. There should 'be such inadhiines in tall the main ports. Mr J. S. Dickson said he understood some of the officers in small steamers were incapable of sending out in6s j safes hy wireless, and he understood the Marine Department was not enforcing the regulations. He wanted to know if this was so. Mr T. M. Williford urged that there should bo continuous wireless service on all ships, notwithstanding the^oost. Mr J. -S.. Dickson saul_ the Union Company’s ships on the New Zeallanu register carried only one wireless operator while Australian ships were compelled to cany two. That was most improper, and New Zealand ships should be compelled to carry two opeiators. _ Zealand

Sdir Maui Pom are said New Zealand wireless regulations were more strict than any regulations in other parts or the world. The reason why some ships bad unaqualified officers was because these men were old and could nob readily pass the test. Were they to be deprived of their jobs? As time went on they ivould be succeeded by younger men who could and would qualify, two hundred and fifty-one /officers had qualified ladi year. . With regard to the testing of gear, it was to the m terest of shipowners tc> maintain sound o-ear, and in that way the men were protected, but sometimes accidents happened which could not he foreseen. Replying to Sir John Luke, Sir Maui Pomare said the revenue from the concession of the Sea whale fishery was £2OO in 1923-24, while in 192/--8 it was £13,000. The concesison was for 21 years. . Returning to wireless on ships, hi r p Fraser said that the late Mr Massey had promised after the loss <n the Ripple that no ship would go to sc-a from New Zealand ports without h.,iing means of rescue if in. need ct

S. Dickson contended that the regulations should be carried <o«lv ar so many exemptions should not he R. Sykes contended that the Morse code was not difficult and any officer of average intelligence could! pick it up sufficient to send 1words per minute m a few days, and they should be made to do it Sir Maui Pomiare said it was not much use having a, «et or a man on board a ship sending out the SOS oMYThe position of the ship must also be "'iMessre P. Fraser, V. H. Potter and T M Wilford paid tribute to tne work of the late Mr Ayson, curator of fisheries, whose services to the Dominion would he more and more valued as the vea.iv? passed. The vote was then agreed to.

ISLAND ADATINISTRATION

The Cook Islands vote of £39,494 was next taken. Mr Willard congratulated the Minister on the progress of -the. islands. Commissioner Ay son was doing wonderful work and he wondered how he was going to he replaced. Air H L. Tapley said lie had recently cal loci at Rarotonga and one of the tilings that made his Heart glad was the lusty way the natives sang the National' Anthem. The Rarotongans were intensely loyal to the Throne and that was very pleasing to see. Sir Maui Pomare said Ire did’ not claim any personal credit for the harmonious state of affair., existing in Rarotonga; that was 'entirely clue to Commissioner Ayson, /to the natives and the Europeans. So far as the cultivation of tomatoes was concerned it was a fact that in the months of November and December last one-third of the tomatoes sold in New Zealand were grown in Rarotonga, and they were sold to the people at 3id per pound, as against Is 41 d por pound paid for New Zealand-grown tomatoes. He was not able to aav liow to apportion of the blame for the recent failure ■fo land a portion of the “Maui Rom/are’s” cargo in a sound, condition. The fault might lie with the machinery or it might have been due to the fact that the fruit was shipped in an over-ripe condition. A State inquiry was now being held and he would know more about it when the ship returned from Samoa. The Cook Islands vote was passed, and the vote for the Agricultural Department of £396,550 was discussed.

OTHER AZOTES DISCUSSED

The destruction of wild pigs, foot and mouth disease, demonstration farms and cattle ticks were amongst the subjects discussed. The Minister, in reply, said the vote for the dost ruction of wild pigs was smaller this year because in many districts tile -pigs were being’ killed off. Foot and mouth disease was not a new trouble, but so far New Zealand bad escaped because they took no risks. They were watching the matter very closely, but he did not think there was much chance of the disease reaching a country so far from its source. He did not fear its introduction by the /importation of Dutch bulbs. It was proposed to .dispose of the We r area, experimental farm, and it would probably be cut

.ito small holdings. The cattle tick was being watched, and a dip was being picpired at which the cattle affected could be treated.

The vote was then agreed to. The public buildings and domains vote of £75,350, the highways vote of £975,000, and the State Forests account of £251,468 were passed without discussion.

On the Mines Department vote of £36,783 the Deader of the Opposition mo.ed to reduce the vote by £5 as an indication that in view of the unemployment in New Zealand the importation of coal should cease.

The Prime Minister explained what the Government was doing in an endeavour to find some profitable means of adopting New Zealand coal for use on the railways, which, after all, governed the question of importation. They had even sent coal to Germany in the hope of getting it manufactured into suitable briquettes, and he hoped soon to have satisfactory results. Briqettes were made and usel on the German railways most successfully, and why we should hot 'he able to do the

same in New Zealand he could not understand.

Mr. E. J. Howard suggested that some of our young New Zealand scientists should be employed in research work of finding some means of making our brown coal suitable for railway purposes. On a division the amendment was defeated by 33 to 11 and the vote was passed. The State coal mines vote of £314,479 and the Tourist Department vote of £80,416 were agreed to without discussion. The House rose at 12.30 a.m. till 2.30 p.m. oa Tuesday.