Replies To M.P.s' Queries

Northern Advocate, 14 July 1949, Page 3

Replies To M.P.s' Queries

WELLINGTON, Thu. (Sp.> - The Government is negotiating with the owners of additional' land which may be required as a site for the proposed State pulp and paper mill at Murupara. said the Commissioner of State Forests (Mr Skinner), when replying to a question from Mr W. Sullivan (O Bay of Plenty) in the House of Representatives yesterday. Mr Skinner added that apart from being engaged as consulting engineers to make a report, there had been no other undertaking or arrangements made with the Rust Engineering Company. Mr Sullivan had asked if the Government had entered into an agreement with the company to provide plant and to do other work. "CREAM’’ Minsters’ replies to other questions included the following:— A product closely resembling cream has been on sale in Wellington, but its sale under the name of cream is prohibited. It has a vegetable fat Dase and can possibly be whipped and used for cake fillings. This "synthetic cream” is a perishable product and there would be no public preference for it in competition with dairy cream. It is therefore not considered a menace to the town milk or manufacturing sides of the dairy industry.—Mr Cullen. Minister of Agriculture, in reply to Mr J. J. Maher <o—OtukiV TRACTORS

In deciding the number of agricultural tractors required from the United States next year, special consideration is being given to the need for crawler tractors, and it is proposed after examining the availability of dollars, to make the greatest possible provision for these. However, British production of these machines is increasing rapidly and considerably greater supplies are expected from the United Kingdom in 1950. —Mr Nash. Minister of Finance, in reply to Mr D. C. Kidd (O—Waimate).

The preliminary work of establishing a base for the new post-war consumers’ price index is well advanced and the new series of index numbers will soon be available.—Mr Nordmeyer, Minister of Industries and Commerce, in reply to Mr -F-. Langstonc < G—Roskill). INSURANCE Local authorities subsidising endowment insurance schemes undertaken in substitution for or in addition to superannuation are not being required to discontinue their subsidies. Existing payments and policies entered upon before the passing of the Finance Act (No. 2). 1948, can continue to maturity, but legislation to extend such expenditure is not warranted. —Mr Nash, in reply to Mr J. B. Kent (G —Westland). The. global sum for compensation for privately-owned coal resources acquired by the Crown under the Coal Act, 1948, has not yet been fixed. The Coal Valuation Commission, however, has been established and will fix the sum as soon as possible. Owners have until September 30 to lodge compensation claims, • and not all have yet lodged a claim. Until they do it is impossible to estimate the time required to assess compensation payments. Mr McLagan, Minister of Mines, in reply to Mr T. L. Macdonald (Opposition—Wallace).