Parliamentary Pot-Pourri

Northern Advocate, 19 August 1936, Page 11

Parliamentary Pot-Pourri

NOTICE TO INTRODUCE BILL. In the House of Representatives yesterday, Mr W. T. Anderton (Govt. — Eden) gave notice of his intention to introduce the Auckland City Abattoirs Bill. B iH. @1 0 MAORI HOUSING CONDITIONS. Replying to a question by Mr D. W. Coleman (Govt. —Gisborne) regarding the housing conditions of Maoris, the Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. M J. Savage, said the general living conditions of the Maori people were well known to the Government, and the conditions of the European part of the population were also well known to the Government. There were a number of cases of bad housing and the health of the race must necessarily suffer. The position was not easy of solution but it was the desire of’ the Government that it should be altered, and efforts were being made to devise a scheme to assist the Maoris to improve the situation. A conference of persons qualified to discuss the housing, health and education of the Maori race would be held in September, and efforts would be made to remove the undesirable conditions that had been allowed to accumulate for many years. 'v B B IB B LEAVE OF ABSENCE. Mr J. G. Barclay (Govt. —Marsden) was yesterday granted two days’ leave of absence, on • account of urgent public business. Mr E. T. Tirikatene (Ratana—Southern Maori) was granted four days’ leave on account of illness in his family. Bmß B . MORE VALUERS. Referring to the Valuation Department vote in the House of Representatives yesterday, the Hon. Sir Alfred Ransom (Opposition—Pahiatua) asked if there was to be a general revaluation, and how it would affect local bodies and individuals. The Hon. F. Langstone, Minister of Lands, said there was need for a greater number of efficient valuers to deal with local bodies for the benefit of the ratepayers, and more valuers would be put on. B B SI IS VOTES CARRIED. The House of Representatives yesterday resolved itself into a committee of supply to consider departmental votes, the following being carried:—lnternal Affairs Department, £357,777; Public Service Commissioner, £5200; Printing and Stationery, £200,183; Census and Statistics,£66,642; Valuation, £58,990; Justice and Prisons, £269,946; Labour, £238,066. 0 ' 0 ' 0 0 GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE. The Government is considering the erection of a new building in Wellington to house the Government printing Office. The Hon. P. C. Webb said yes-

terday t|iat the present building was out of date and could not cope with the increasing amount of printing. ■ 0; P SI 0 PUBLICITY FILMS. A suggestion that - special motion pictures should be produced for publicity purposes was made yesterday by Mr C. H. Burnett (Govt. —Tauranga), Who gave notice of a question to the Minister of Internal Affairs. Mr Bur- 1 nett suggested that films should be prepared to give publicity at the time of the Coronation and for the centenary in 1940. He further suggested thal consideration should be given to a film symbolic of early. Maori life in New Zealand, and advocated its release throughout the Empire. ® s ' 0 DESTRUCTION OF DEER, The annual report of the Internal Affairs Department records that 19,143 deer and six chamoes were killed, and 10,182 skins recovered from June 1, 1935, to March 31, 1936. By May 31, the end of the season, it is estimated that the total will reach about 23,500 deer killed, and 11,500 skins recovered. 1 Five men killed over 1,000 in the year, and one man exceeded 1,200. The number of skins sold was 7,847. 0 0.0 0 LICENSES FOR RAFFLES. During the past year the Department of Internal Affairs issued 822 licenses for raffles and art unions. Works of art accounted for 530 of these; ‘ 281 were for small amounts of alluvial gold; 2 for alluvial gold valued at £IOOO, and nine for alluvial gold worth £SOOO. Gross sales in the nine big art unions totalled £157,762, the net profit being £47,245. Of that sum, £41,725 was distributed for the relief of distress, making a total of £ 180,000 set aside for that purpose in the past three years and a half. 0 0 0 0 LOANS TO SOLDIERS.

In giving notice of a question to the Minister of Lands, Mr C. H. Burnett (Govt. —Tauranga) yesterday .referred to the fact that power had been given for the transfer of accounts under the Discharged Soldiers’ Act into the State Advances Corporation, and asked what the future policy of the board would be in regard to land boards’ administration. m m si s SUPERANNUATION REPORT. The number of public, servants contributing to the superannuation fund last year was 19,199; their salary earnings totalled £4,946,468; and their annual contributions to the fund were £263,076. The scheme was joined by 1.760 new contributors during the year. The total income of the fund was £535,607, including, in addition to members’ contributions, interest, £151,599, and contributions from the Government, £147,952. A sum of £494.923 was paid in pensions, the

total outgoings being £548,518. ■ Accumulated funds amounted to £2,934,239, and the total assets amounted to £3,028,433. _ H '§) M g EXCLUSIVE GOLF CLUBS. A statement to the effect that certain golf clubs were excluding working people from membership, even though the high fees asked were offered, was referred to in the House yesterday by Mr C. L. Carr (Govt. —Timaru). Many of those clubs, he said, were allowed concessions, because they were supposed to provide facilities for sport, and he requested for an investigation. The municipal authorities, said Mr Carr, were unable to provide adequately for those who could not afford high fees, or who might be excluded from membership of private clubs on the grounds of class distinction.