POLITICAL NOTES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVI, Issue 17268, 18 September 1919, Page 9

POLITICAL NOTES.

WORK OF THE SESSION. | EXPEDITING BUSINESS. * EXIT PRIVATE MEMBERS' DAY [BY TELEGRAPH.- SPECIAL 'REPORTER.],, WELLINGTON. Wednesday. Evidence, of the desire, to press on tin legislation to be concluded this session was J given in the House of Representatives this alternoon. when the Prime Minister gave notice of his intention to move that on and after tomorrow Government business should lake precedence after Local Bills, and that it should be given precedence on j Wednesdays, thus doing away with private members' day. j Sir Joseph Ward: And when will the i House sit on Mondays ? j j Mr. Masscy: As soon as the Financial ! Statement is dealt .will.. | PICTURE THEATRE HOCKS. I This session will deal with the question of the hours at which picture theatres mav ! lie open for business. i i ! NORTHERN RAILWAY LINE. j In reply to a question bv Mr. K. ManJ der (Mai-sdeni. the Prime Minister, as Minister tor Railways, states the question ; of establishing a daily train service be twet-Q Auckland and Maungaturoto has ; been considered. Up to the present time j the line ■ orthward of Ranuanui has not been handed over to the Working Rail--1 ways Department, A service for the convenience of the public has been maintained by the Public Works Department ' over the portion of the line on which iinstruction work is being carried out. i MONEY FOR EDUCATION. ; Several questions on the subject of an increased grant for education were . answered today by the Minister for Edu- : cation by the general statement that in- ■ creased provision for education would be I made on this year's Estimates. I i | DEVON PORT POLICE STATION". ! The Government will proceed with the ! erection of a "new police station at Devonport. for which plans have been prepared, ! as soon as there is a prospect of having ■ the work done at a reasonable cost. I STRANDED MUNITION WORKERS. j , Two questions suggesting concessions to I the munition -workers stranded in Australia have been answered bv the Minister j for Defence, Sir James Allen, in the ! j following terms .—" No call was made on ! i New Zealand by the Imperial authorities j ! for war workers, and the New Zealand Government cannot accept responsibility for. or make any special concession* in ! favour of, munition workers held up in Sydney, en route to their homes in NewZealand " 4 ALLOTTING WAR TROPHIES. A request by Mr. C. J. Parr (Eden) for I a more equitable system of allotting war \ trophies to the museums in the various ; centres, has been answered by the .Minis j ter for Defence by a promise to consider any alternative scheme submitted. PROTECTION OF WHALES. The Minister for Marine, the Hon. W. H. Hemes, has answered a question regarding the protection of whales, to prevent their extermination, as follows: j " The question of amending the law in ; the direction of establishing a close season i for whale fishing has been under the con- | s.iderat;on of the Government, but it is ' doubtful if circumstances will permit ! action during this session. Any legis- '' lation passed by Parliament would only have effect. of course, within the three mile limit.'' PAEROA POKENO LINE. In rep'y to a question by Mr. T. W. Rhodes (Thames), the Minister for Public Works states that the question «>f providing money for the Paeroa-Pokeno line will , be considered when the Public Works • Estimates are being prepared. EXPORT OF GOLD. In reply to a question from Mr. T. E. Y. * Seddon, the Minister for Finance states I that as the Imperial embargo on the sale of j gold has been lifted, applications can be . considered by the Minister in terms of the War Regulations if mining companies ,j or others desire to transmit gold from New Zealand.

SHARE OF WOOL PROFITS

The Prime Minister states . that the amount of the Dominion's share of the surplus profits made by the Imperial Government on wool sold for other than military purposes will not, according to the latest advice, be ascertainable for some considerable time. * LAND 6 FINANCE ACT. Notice of a Bill to amend further the Land Settlement Finance Act. 1909. was given in the House of Representatives today by Mr. J. A. Young iWajkatoj. Mr. Young explained that the 1910 amendment provided that no applicant should b» empowered to take up a section of land und-'r the Act it' the aggregate unimproved value of that land and any other lie might own exceeded £2500. By the Appropriation Act of 1916 the limit was extended to £4000. Mr. Young's amendment does not propose to extend any' further the limit "1 V.4000 for applicant' already owning lands. It aims -it providing that any person who .an prove that he is landless may take a. section under the Ait. even though the section itself is valued at more than £4000. "I his Mr. Young claimed was rendered nere.sf.ary because of the enhanced value of land. In many < ases the £4000 limit was less than the value of the single section governed by the 'Act. so that no application for a transfer was effectual. even though the applicant owned n" other land and could not in any sense be considered to he aiming at the aggregation of lai d. For the purposes of the amendment the ownership of land within trie limits of a tow in borough should be no bar.