QUESTIONS ASKED.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LXI, Issue 194, 18 July 1941, Page 4

QUESTIONS ASKED.

SUPPLIES OF STOCKINGS

(Press Assn.) WELLINGTON, July 17. Stating that some employers had been allowed to settle cases arising out of their refusal to re-employ men who had been in camp for Territorial training out of Court, Mr C. L. Carr (Lab:, Tnnaru) gave notice to ask the Min-j ister of Justice, in the House of Representatives, if he would issue instructions for all such offenders to he prosecuted without undue delay and full publicity given to such cases. A request to the Acting-Prime Minister to take action to get adequate supplies of silk, woollen, or cotton stockings for New Zealand requirements was made by Mr H. Atniore (Ind.. Nelson) on behalf of the member for Napier (Hon. W. E. Barnard) who gave notice of a question asking if. the Minister were aware that ample supplies of such goods were available from Australia. MANY SONS SERVING.

Tn a notice of a question to the Minister of National Service, Mr E. L, Cullen asked if the Minister would have reconsidered a case which came before the Armed Service Appeal Hoard in Hastings wherein a mother's, appeal on behalf of her son was dismissed. The mother had stated that she had three sous serving with the New Zealand forces overseas, one son at Eort Dorset, one son in the R.N.Z.A., one son in the R.N.Z.A.F. and one son in the 'lerritorials. The son for whom she had appealed was her seventh and remaining son who assisted with the upkeep of the home.

| BLACKBALL MINE PURCHASE. Particulars of the Government's pur- . chase of the Blackball mine were jj;iveii by the Minister of Mines (Mr Webb) when answering an urgent question by Mr H. S. S. Kyle (Nat., Riccarton). The Minister said the assets of the Blackball Coal Mines Proprietary, Ltd., comprised freehold land of just over 1730 acres; moveable plant valued at £30,000 less cost of removal and selling expenses £SOOO, 29 cottages valued at £11.200, and unused stores valued at £SOOO. Other assets included fixed plant, buildings, railway sidings, etc. The buildings, cottages, and plant were covered by £63,895 insurance. The price paid by the Government, said the Minister, was £30,000. The Minister added that the decision to purchase the property was not a hasty ono and had been reached only after full Cabinet consideration and inspection by experts. Some alterations wore being made to enable a daily output of 250 tons. HOME GUARD DISPUTE.

Intimation that steps were being taken to have the matter dealt with promptly was given by the Minister of National Service (Hon. R. Semple) in feplv to an urgent question by Mr J A. Roy (Nat., Clutha) who asked if his attention had been drawn to a statement that a unit of the Home Guard in the south had refused to parade owing to a member not receiving compensation for injury while oil parade. He also asked if the Minister would take immediate stops to have the matter attended to, thus preventing a serious break in the training of the Home Guard.