PARLIAMENTARY NOTES

Northern Advocate, 23 August 1913, Page 5

PARLIAMENTARY NOTES

(From Our Own Correspondent.)

LEGISLATORS' PENSIONS,

WELLINGTON, Aug. 22. With the object of urging the Government to make provision for a pension scheme for old members of Parliament, forty legislators interviewed the Prime Minister yesterday and found him sympathetic. Mr. Massey agreed heartily that something should be done. After discussing the matter a committee was set up to draft a Bill which the Premier said he would place before Cabinet with his own strong recommendation. It is understood that the Bill will be something on the lines of providing for a pension of about £150 a year for members who have served at least nine years, and, in the event of death, an annual allowance of about £75 for the widow. It is also proposed that the scheme shall be financed by contribution from members of something like 5 per cent, of their honorarium. THE STATE'S STUD*STOCK. Replying to Mr. J. C. Thomson, M.P., the Prime Minister stated yesterday that the stud stock from the experimental farms are sold on the farms, excepting that fgr the last few years an annual sale of young bulls from Weraroa has been held in Palmerston North at show time These arrangements appear to be the best practicable in the circumstances, especially as the cost of conveying purchased animals to the northern or southern parts of the Dominion is by no means prohibitive The scheme of placing out sires in different districts for the season did not prove successful. POWELLISED TIMBER. " The powellised sleepers which the Department of Public Works obtained 'have not proved a success, and it is not disposed to α-comniend the powellising of any more timber for bridge ''•purposes or for sleepers until its reliability has been placed beyond doubt. The powellising process is not applied to timber intended to be used for building purposes in order to arrest decay, but to protect the timber from "the ravages of the wood borer; the arsenic used in the process is suptposed to effect this* purpose, but there has not been sufficient time yet to de- | I termine whether or not it is effective, j Powellised timber was used in the, framework of the new Government House, which has been erected for four years, and it is as sound as timber could.be in every sense and particular." —This statement was made by the Minister of Public Works in reply to Mv J. A. Young. COST OF WIRELESS MESSAGES. Replying to Mr. G. W. Russell, M.P. for Avon, who asked whether the prohibitiive charge of 10d per word for wireless messages on the New Zealand coast could not be reduced, the Post-master-General (Hon. R. H. Rhodes) said that the wireles .rates were made tip of coast-station and ship-station charges. Inquiry would, however, be made to ascertain whether it was practicable to reduce charges. It was necessary to confer with the wireless companies in this matter. Mr Russell said a week or two ago going south he wanted to send two messages, one of twelve words and another of sixteen words, on important business, and he was much surprised when the operator charged him £1 3s 4d. He hoped the Minister would see that the charges were reduced. SLOT TELEPHONES. The Postmaster-General stated that it was true that slot telephones were being imported by the department. •'These could not, however, be substituted in all cases for machines at present in use. The slot telephones manufactured by the department are. of comparatively delicate design, and have to be worked by means of primary batteries of high voltage The cost of their manufacture is fairly heavy, and the telephones are suitable only for circuits when the insulation is perfect, and then only for a limited distance. When any defect occurs to the insulation of the circuit, the machine is rendered useless where aerial cable forms part of the circuit, great difficulty is frequently experienced in maintaining the necessary standard of insulation, as the severe weather in many parts of the Dominion deteriorates .the lead sheath of the cable. Wherever the insulation is satisfactory machines manufactured by the department will be retained."