Politioal Notes.

North Otago Times, 25 September 1908, Page 4

Politioal Notes.

On?' Ojjn Correspondent.)". \ Welßngiton, Sept. 23 -Pishing Sir W. J. Steward asked tlie Ministen <yf Marino whothcr it, waa, ptopos' fld to' bring l into operation in titaofor the 1 approaching fishijig season regulations relativo to the doppsit o! fish in freezing' works, copies of which .wen) forwarded by' Mr 'Allport some timo ago to several acclimatisation societies for their consideration and approvfl). Tho. Minister said ( flome of tho acclimatisation societies to which the draft regulations wero submitted have not yet replied to tho communication sent to them, hut the suggestions received from those which haw wisworod have tan considered, an 1 such of them) as it is doomed advi* ahlo to adopt havo been Jncomoint^ 1 in tho regulations which it is expected will 1,6 mada bv tho Council in tho courw of n, fowdavs -Coal nncj Timber Freiphts.— Mr Rutherford asked tho Minister foi Railways whether he will, in tho interests of our hinterland settlers, fa\ orably consider tho question of abolishing tho differential rates as ,botwcon imported timber and coal and that produced l within • the 'Dominion, with a view ■ to''reduorag tho advantages held under existing conditions by dwellers in cities and towns situ a tctl on. our seaboard.

The Premier' replied' that it is, the general policy of the Govornmont to oonvey the natural products; of the Dominion ai( lower rates than imported articles of tlio same class, and very considerably benefite h'avo accrued "to local industries from tho pursuance of this policy. There is abundance of oxcellent bituminous and lignite coal in tho Dominion, and also large areas.of Very excellent timV'er. There is, therefore, no good reason why coal or trailer; from . outsido New Zealand should bef carried over the Government railways at tho same rate as local products, and I regret that in the interests.of the Dominion generally I cannot seo my way to comply with the request. —Concerning tho Price of Wool.—

Mr T. Ma'cbenzio asked the Minister

of Industries and Commcreo wheihcr ho still holds the opinion oxprcssod |ji him to his reply to qiuestaon No 2b

on tha supplementary order paper- No r 29: "Mr T. Mackenzie to ask the Minister of Industries and Commerce whether, in view of tho great.'.imporlance it is to oiir farmers that reliable information bo supplied to them

regarding iho actual'position of wool prices oa tlio London nmiltct, and also by reason oi tho/fact that in certain quarters thcro is an ovidont tlesiro to unduly discount tho future prospects of wool prices, he has carefully studied the fig.ures of the prices of merino wools as supplied by the High Commissioner (appearing in today's papers), and, compared tliOßamc with those appearing in the reports of tho same date from'such wellknown firms as Dalgety and Co., Murray, Herberts and Co., and also the Press -Association; and, if so, do not tho prices as supplied by our Hij-b. Commissioner report tho said wool at prices below its market value as rj ported by wool housos already referred to ?''■ to tho effect'that the report as supplied by him (the Commissioner) did not convey tho idea to tho public that Merino wool wra sold at prices below its then true market value. If so, how does ho reconcile that contention ■with the following figures supplied by tihe High, CoramisBionei; in the before} mentioned report; Merino superior-May lid to l&jd, July tolas; mediumMay B|d, to -IOJd, July fld to 10:1 • inferior-May 5Jd to Bd, July 6d to 7}d, in support of t'he view that the Commissioner's report as ito tho pricos for merino wool for tho July sales was inaccurate. The attention of the Minister is directed io iho following statements contained in the review, dated Ist August, by the loading London commercial journals: " .The July wool sales opened with a firm tone at a partial nidvanco of about 5 per cent, on all wools, 'both merino and crossbred. Tho first lew days proved to bo tho cheapest, for prices gradually hardened all round until some classes showed a riso on the previous May of close on 5 percent. to 10 percent., and for a few dayF •best conditioned medium and low crossbred, imder strong competition . from the United Statea operators, not infrequently rose to 2tt per cent, towards the closo of tho sales the demand for these wools dlaoWd. %<• sales closed with n firm tone at the highest point of tho sows.''' There > no disguising tho fact that the wot! was sold relatively bet'tei} than f'-'or expected, • and notwitlißtnndin? TV Blight oase towards the finish t!<« market is not so inherently weak a? somo want to mako out. Dab'ctv re ports, London, Ist Au<riistr "Jfaco-n----paretl with the closincr rates for IV previous sales Mm,follow!n<r withe position of tho price's n't % of tho series, viz: Good iw' milium greasy meiinos 8 pit ennt hio-hcr, inferior brew 5 rev crnthi h or. short faulty unebnntw 1 .

Tlio Minister (Mr M'Goivmn), vopVin-V: I am unaUo to alter tliq viow expressed in ray voply to question* No 25 on tlio supplement avy order piTO!' No ,Ag then pointed out \fa il»vh Commissioner, in roportiing tlio e]a°

av^^Xi|®^i y |SS oUltiW. TK?f fl oVthat tW range. ft TObJi.tln CorW sufoer for merinos at the close of the July to es k slightly under ed by hur, at the closing olthejloy •to does not unwarily afoti his statement Hh'at *M* an a dv Qn ceof a halfpenny pWjUd on the a\er age prices. j -Heturn of Deposit BefuiedMr Allen (Bruce) asked tho Minuter Vt ohargo ol ithe Advances to Settlers Department whether ho will gp q in struction? to settlors who havedesir od loans under the Advances to Sot tlors Aot, and 'whoso appWion* been refused, to return amount of tho deposit they have j paid to/tho Do pnrtmcrA, Mr Allen said a sotilor np plied for a loan, and deposited t\ lis (id The loah was refused, «md tlir rotiim of the deposit las alio Leon refused, ,

The ' .(Pro^er^Baid;l^q' : .bearing' upon. '■ kiana/.by' tho' : Atlvances to Settlers Act are gazetted, and ..un der them; all applieaiita'&'o 'it&Xei' alike andrequitably^'■';No''• distinction Can be expected to be made.' ',]'-.'■ • -Old' Age Pensions.— ; Mr E.'Mabketyitr(for.JETori.MrGuinness)- ask'ed tho' Prime -Minister- l.l) wkethor he will, when preparing his promised Bill 1 to" amend the''OKl Age'" Pensions Act, make '.provision authorising an old age pensioner,' if .married or a widower or a widow with dc pendants to support, to earn £lM' per week, and if a single man oi' woman to earn £l. pec week, without having any deductions- mado' from their respoctivo. pensions; and (i\ will ho make provision in the :BamBill lor increasing from £tso to £3OO the valuo of residential properly which an old ago pensioner ,r« entitled to hold without any deduction being made from his or tar pension The Premier was not to ba caught,. He replied that the Bill had -been prepared for some time, and tho proposals of the Government would be seen when it was circulated. -Another Betura Eofuscd.— Mr Field again asked tho Minister for Agriculture whether there ja any good reason why he should not furnish the return previously sought tor? The return sought is an follows.:(1) All offers (with full details thereof) which have Seen made ,to tho Government sinco Ist January, 19©1, of sitos or purchase monoy for sites for dairy schools, agricultural schools, experimental stations or state farms, and also all offers of all dairy cattlo and other stock; (2) all reports or other correspondence of experts or other officers of the Stock ing upon tho oboico of ,isite for dairy Schools, /^tyj/' The Minister eajaAthat before thr return asked for is granted it is advisable that the hon gentlomam should show to the House some reason {jhett(for. .None, so far, has; been given. Mr Field's plea that the answers required in tho interest fell on 'doaf oars.

-Maternity Cases.— Mr Poland askod the Government whether they will take into favorable consideration tho <fucstionof the Stato providing medical attendance and nurses for women in matcrniu eafies whero the pooplo interested arc not in q position to pay (or such services. The number of nurses available is still far short of actual re„uirements, and the' chargea.aro muoh too high for the average working man.

Tho Minister Bald that to a fi »at extent this is provided for in'the four large oentres by moans'oj the indoor and outidoor departments' of St. Helens Hospitals, and also by tk charita'blo aid boards throughout tho Dominion. With -a view to further assisting settlers, especially in country districts remote Irom ■modioal attend anco, some boards contemplate thr appointment of district nurses, who could attend 1 maternity cases at such fees as the circumstances of the ca&r warrant. There is every prospect o' such a scheme* of district nursing hecoming general throughout tho Dominion^