MORE MONEY VOTED.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVIII, Issue 9, 8 December 1937, Page 11

MORE MONEY VOTED.

MEMBERS SEEK INFORMATION. ADMINISTRATION OF SAMOA. Per Press Association. WELLINGTON, Dec. 7. The House met at 2.30 p.ni. Urgency was granted the passing of the Supplementary Estimates on the motion of the Prime Minister (Mr Savage), Discussing the Department of External Affairs vote, Rt. Hon. J. O. Coates asked what was the position regarding the appointment of an Administrator of Samoa. The Prime Minister replied that the position was till under consideration. Everything was proceeding satisfactorily under present conditions. The acting-Adniinistrator was carrying on very satisfactorily and the Samoans were carrying out their part satisfactorily, too. The Government did not wish to rush into things with too much haste. FISHERIES INVESTIGATION. The question of when the report of the Sea Fisheries Investigation Committee might be expected was raised by. Mr H. S. S. Kyfe when the House was discussing the Marine Department vote. He would like Mr J. Thorn, who was chairman of the committee, to tell the House how far tlie investigation had gone. Mr Thorn: You are fishing, but I’m not biting. The Minister of Marine (Hon. P. Fraser), announcing that the committee’s report would be ready for presentation when the House resumed after the recess, next year, said tremendous importance was attached to the committee’s investigation, in the course of which much valuable informaion had been gained. “It lias teen staggering to realise the lack of information we have had concerning our fisheries,” the Minister added. He did not know of any committee which had done more conscientiuiis work. ELECTORAL CHANGES. Discussing the Electoral Department vote, the Leader of the Opposition (Hon. A. Hamilton) . asked when the new electoral boundaries came into force. The Minister of Finance (Hon. W. Nash): After next election. Mr Nash added that present members of the House represented their old constituencies until such time as the new House was elected. Members of the new Parliament after the next election would represent the new electorates.

Mr Kyle: Will the Prime Minister announce the date of tlie next election ? The Chairman of Committees: That is not in the Estimates GRANT TO FLOUR INDUSTRY. Answering a query by the Opposition concerning the vote of £30,000 for the development of the wheat industry, the Minister of Industries and Commerce (Hon. I). G. Sullivan) said the £30,000 was additional to £150,000 in the main estimates for the wheat industry. The £30,000 really was somewhat wrongly described in the Estimates. It was really a grant to assist the flour industry to meet increased costs as a result of increased wages, etc. In view of such increases, millers had asked for an increase of 25s a ton on flour and the Government had given them 5s extra per ton. “MUDDLEMENT” ALLEGED.

Mr S. G. Smith moved that the departmental vote of £39,120 be reduced by £5 as a protest against the high price of bread which had been increased as a result of “muddlement and interference by the Government.” Mr Sullivan challenged Mr Smith to show any instance of muddlement or interference in connection with the Government’s dealing with the wheat and flour industry. The industry was in a good, sound and healthy condition, he declared, and the present action was simply “a stunt on the part of the member for New Plymouth.” Any proposal for a further reduction could only come from a reduction of payments from the Consolidated Fund to the wheatgrower. Bread was being produced in New Zealand probably as cheaply as in most other countries of the world. Generally speaking. the Government had done pretty well in keeping the price of bread where it was. There was no justification for Mr Smith’s statement concerning muddlement. The Minister said he had received congratulations from all sections of the industry on the Government’s handling of .the situation. He thought Mr Smith’s! statement was both unjust and unfair. I

Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates contended that the Government had been 1 responsible, as a result of its interference with the industry, in raising the price of the 41b. loaf by a penny and in some country districts bv twopence. The industry was being subsidised to the extent of £IBO,OOO to keep the price of bread down.

Mr J. A, Lee said the amendment was that the vote he reduced by £5, about one-1500th. of a penny on the price of n. loaf. Was that the extent to which the Opposition was prepared to check Government extravagance? It had taken up £2O worth of time of the House to move a reduction of the vote by £5. Several Onposition members complained of the oi’ah'tv of New Zealand flour, the Minister reiterating his previous statements both in defence of New Zealand flour and the wheat and flour industry of the Dominion. The amendment was lost on the voices and the vote was passed without further dismission SAFETY ON THE ROADS.

Speaking on the Transport Department vote, the Minister of Transport (Hon. R. Semple), in reply to a question by Mr Hamilton, claimed that the expenditure on the safety campaign had been amply justified. He pointed to tlie reduced number of fatalities on roads despite the greater number of cars. A lot more could be done and would be done. Mr C. A. Wilkinson asked wha.t the Government’s policy was going to be with regard to traffic control throughout the Dominion P Did the Government intend to institute a single national system of control or continue with the dual system as at present The Minister, in reply, said the dual control system was definitely a

failure, and a Bill would be introduced after the Christmas recess under which the Transport Department would control all traffic oil highways and in towns and boroughs with ,a population , of under 6000, while the cities would be responsible for traffic control in the cities themselves, and suburbs. FILM OF PUBLIC WORKS. Mr W. J. Poison, dealing with the vote of £4OO for a cinematograph film of major public works in New Zealand under the Public Works Departmental vote, stressed the danger of the use of such films for political propaganda purposes. The Minister of Public Works (Mr Semple) said that no such thing as political propaganda had been in his mind. It was simply a film to show the public of this country wl,igt was being done with their money and what the machinery being purchased- by the Government would do.

Speaking on the Public Works Fund vote for construction and improvements, etc., to roads, bridges and other public works, Mr H. G. Dickie congratulated the Minister on provision made in the vote for provision of metalled roads for hackblock settlers.