BELATED ANSWERS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVIII, Issue 18572, 26 November 1920, Page 4

BELATED ANSWERS.

QUESTIONS IN THE HOUSE. [From Our Correspondent.] WELLINGTON, November 26. It was suggested by the member for Wellington South before the. session closed that the Government should amend tho Board of Trade Act so as to make it effective, as the Appeal Court judgment ou the replacement principle had rendered the Act both costly and ineffective, but the Hon E. P. Lee, Minister in charge of the Board of Trade, did not agree with this view. He has replied: “The effect of the judgment referred to does not render the Board of Trade Act costly and ineffective, as power is still conferred under Section 26 to meet those cases by regulation, where it would be contrary to tho public interest to allow replacement value. The Government does not propose to amend the Act.” LICENSING DRIVERS.

It is intended to bring down an amendment to tho Motor Regulation Act next session, providing among other things for the licensing of motor drivers, states tho Minister of Internal Affairs. UNLICENSED BARMAIDS. In tho course of a question to tho Minister of Labour, suggesting that the law regarding employment of unregistered barmaids should be made more stringent, Mr Isitt quoted the opinion of the secretary of the Hotel Employees’ Union that ho is convinced that there are dozens of girls who are acting as barmaids under certificates of other women, and that in many cases tho manifest age of some so employed renders it highly improbable that they were registered in 1910. Sir William Herries, Minister of Labour, has replied that legislation will be necessary to meet the points raised, and instructions have already been given to the Crown law draughtsman to prepare a Bill accordingly. One of the points mentioned by Mr Isitt was that no proceedings can bo taken against a woman for falsely representing herself as a licensed barmaid. In order to correct manifest evasions of the Act, the Labour Department should call up all certificates and re-issuo them in passport form, requiring ago and such details as are necessary for identification of the applicant, and a photograph of the holder in every case to bo attached to the certificate. SCHOOLS AND EPIDEMICS.

Replying to a suggestion that teachers shall not be penalised owing to epidemics causing reduction of the average attendance, the Minister of Education states that the effect of continued epidemics on the average attendance for the current year is recognised and the question of amending the regulations or of otherwise providing means of overcoming the difficulty is at present under consideration. Education Boards shortly will be informed of tho result.