PARLIAMENT

Hawera Star, Volume XLIX, 6 September 1929, Page 5

PARLIAMENT

DISCUSSION ON ESTIMATES. RURAL COMMUNICATIONS. THE EDUCATION VOTE. (By Telegraph. —Tress Association.) WELLINGTON, Sept. 5. In the House of Representatives yesterday, the Labour Bills Committee reported on the Apprentices' Amendment Bill, and recommended that it be allowed to proceed. Tlie New Plymouth. Borough Council Empowering Bill (Air S. G. Smith) was read a second time. The House went into committee of supply and consideration of tlie first item on the Estimates was resumed. Air C. A. Wilkinson suggested that the present mail service to Sail Francisco should be diverted to Vancouver. It might be even more satisfactory if the subsidy were, employed to provide a faster service direct to Britain via Panama.

Sir Joseph Ward said the present services were meeting the requirements of the country in a reasonable way. It would be very difficult to make any alteration at the present time. He looked forward to the day, however, when there would be a service through Panama to New York and: from there to London.. Mr W. L. Martin criticised the charges for rural telephones and rural deliveries, and expressed the view that the department should place service before profit. He also urged that more attention should be directed towards combating diseases among cattle.

Mr H. G. Dickie advocated improving rural communication services in conjunction with the land settlement scheme. He also recommended that an endeavour should he made to arrange a reciprocal agreement with the Commonwealth whereby New Zealand would give preference to Australian dried fruits by increasing the tariff on similar imports from the United States in exchange for a reduction of the duty charged in the Commonwealth on the imports of New Zea/laud pork products. EDUCATION AND DEFENCE.

Air R. Semple expressed dissatisfaction with tlie estimate for education, .mu stated that he did not see how the Hon. H. Atmore could give effect to his policy with the money at his disposal, (some of tlie schools in the Dominion, Air Semple added, were a disgrace to the department. He also urged that higher salaries should be for primary school teachers, especially for head teachers, in order that such an important profession might be made more attractive. At the present time, the highest salary that could be obtained was £585 per annum.

Air 11. R. Jenkins discussed the steamer services to America, and said he favoured a route via Honolulu and Los Angeles. AH H. T. Armstrong criticised the proposed expenditure on what he described as “the comic opera defence force.” He said it would be in keeping with politics in other parts of the Empire to reduce the expenditure in this direction. In his opinion it could be cut down by half, and with the money saved wonders could lie worked in the way of pensions for soldiers. Air J. A. Young urged that some course should be sought to enable greater continuity in tlie staffing of smatLll country schools. At tli? present time staffing was frequently interrupted: by a. variation in the average attendances. AH F. Langstone joined with Air Armstrong in criticising the defence vote. He. said it was futile to spend money on obsolete forms of defence in view of recent developments in science and chemical warfare. He also suggested organising Maori farmers and providing them with capital to enable them to cultivate native land as. a remedy for the conditions of poverty in some of their r>as.

AH H. S. S. Kyle said he hoped the Afinister of Agriculture would reconsider bis decision and centralise experiment ali work in the South Island at Lincoln College in the same manner as tlie work in the North Island had been centralised at Alassev College. A system of open-air schools throughout the Dominion was advocated by Air J. S. Fletcher.

TRADE RELATIONS. Discussing trade relations with the United States. Mr W. J. Robson (Stratfoid) said he had bren informed u-hile in America that while the New Zealand trade was a mere bagatelle the combined Australian and New Zealand, trade was valuable, and if these two countries were to combine in ail endeavour to obtain some reciprocal arrangement with the United States there would be a. fair prospect of that end! beiup,' aXtai iie-cL Dir D. McDouga.il drew attention to the profit from last year’s operations in the Post and Telegraph Department, and urged that employees’ salaries should be restored to the former standard. Mr H. M. Rush worth referred to the reduction in the provision for tile carriage of lime for bona fide farmers and for the portion of freight rates on fertilizers compared with the amount ex-, pended last'vear. He trusted this was not to h© interpreted as an indication that smailler quantities would be used this year. Mr F. Lye expressed the opinion that the treatment of diseases in cattle, was largely in the hands of the dairymen themselves. He suggested information as to the results of research into the subject should, be circulated among the farmers. An increase in the grant to the Royal Life-Saving Society was sought-by Sir. D. G. Sullivan, who said the very heavy death i<tl in New Zealand as the result of drowning was partly due to the lack of knowledge of scientific methods of life-saving. . The Hon. P. A. de la. Perrell© indicated that the supplementary estimates might disclose an increased grant for* the Royal Life-Saving Society. Mr C. A. Wilkinson expressed the opinion that the present situation in regard to the High Com mis sioner ship was unsatisfactory. It -was unfair to the present Hick Commissioner that the should be in a position that his appointment might be terminated at the end of October. He suggested Sir James Parr’s term should be extended by six months. - ■ . The first item on the Estimates (Legislative Department £598,806> was then passed, and the House rose at 10.30 P.m.