ADVANCES TO SOLDIERS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18130, 30 June 1922, Page 8

ADVANCES TO SOLDIERS.

PROVISION OF HOUSES. HELP WITHIN LIMITS. y LOANS FOE NEW BUILDING. [BY TELEGRAPH.— SPECIAL REPORTER.] WELLINGTON. Thursday. " When does the Government propose to resume,the policy of making advances to returned soldiers for the purchase of dwellings ?" isked Sir John Luke (Wellington North), in tho House of Representatives to-day. " This is a matter of some urgency. Hundreds of men are anxious to purchase their homes, and have not been able to do so owing to the suspension of the Act.' The Minister for Lands, Mr. Guthrie, replied that the Government had not stopped advances for the erection of housea It had stopped advances for the purchase of houses because that system was not helping to relieve the shortage. One man wa3 merely replacing another .man. Better results wero obtained by concentrating the available money on the orection of houses. The recent policy of the Government had been to givo assistance to the returned men whose cases were argent. This applied particularly to men who were suffering from war disabilities and who needed to secure homes. A conisiderable number of these men remained on the books, and they would receive first attention. The Government had been forced to curtail the scheme, but had not stopped it altogether at any time. Sir John Luke: If a man has a section will yon advance money for him to build ? Mr. .Guthrie: Wo will, if his case is a special case. Otherwise, he will have to take his turn.

DEATHS DURING RECESS. TRIBUTES TO DECEASED. THE LATE MR. KELLETT. btx telegraph.—special reporter.! WELLINGTON, Thursday. When the House of Representatives met lihis afternoon reference was made by the Prima Minister to the death, during the recess, of Mt. E> Kellett, the late member for Dunedin North, and io the pacing away of several former members of the :Legislatum In moving that the House record its Jtigh sense of the valuable service rendered to the Dominion by the late Mr. 'Kellett* Mr. Massey said that during the war period the late member took a very important part in recanting, both in Dunedin and the Otago district, and it was generally recognised that his influence was verv widespread. He, 6tood for loyalty, law, and order, and in tho Prime .Minister's opinion none could have been stronger than he. These remarks wewi supported by the leader of the Opposition, Mr. T- M. Wilford, Mr. C. E. Staiham, tho Hon. W. D. Steward and Mr., J- W. Munro, the new member for Dunedin North. The loader of the Labour' Party in the House, Mr. H. E. Holland, said he wished to associate himself and the Labour Party with the motion. The Prime Minister also referred to the, death oi the late, Hon. W. D- Hall Baillie, the last surviving 'life member of the Legislative Council, whose service extended just over 61 years. Mr. Massey said the late Mr. Baillie had an unswerving confidence in the future of the Dominion, a confidence which, he thought, was fully justified. Mr. Wilford said the death of the late Mr. Baillie was an evidence of what the country was losing in not securing a* record of the life history of such men, for he held that biographies of these men were the true history of the country. He mentioned that there were a few contemporaries of Mr. Baillie still living, and urged that the record of their life, histories should be secured. A high tribute was paid by the Prime Minister to the record of too late Mr. Thomas Peacock, a former Mayor o* Auckland and repreaentatiTS in tho House of several Auckland constituencies. Mr. Peacock, he said, was i>ot a prcrochiJ politician, but diirected his energies in the Lies-esta of th* Vhold community and ■Was ' a Iran jwho&a business reputation ilood very high. Reference was also made to litfi icath cf tho late Mr. Robert Thompson, whe the Marsdoa ftLttorate from 1537 fo 19C3.

Ihe Hon?« adjourned at 4-10 p.m. aa a mark of respect to the memory of Uie deceased.

Sk¥sn OF SfiiPPLNG. UFE-3AViNG APPARATUS. THREE PORTS TO BE EQUIPPED. CflY TET^EGEAPH. BEPonrss.l WELLINGTON. Thursday.' The Labour members in the House are interesting themselves in the safety of seamen, and in addition to the questions already asked in connection with the adequate lighting of tho coast they have turned their attention to tho provision of emergency life-Baving gear at the prmcipal ports. Mr. P. Eraser (Wellington Central) asked the Minister for Marine whether he would give his attention to the question of installing modern equipment at the main ports. The Hon. G. J. Anderson replied that he had considered the question, and was having inquiries made as to what was the most advantageous and up-to-date system to adopt. In view of the number of new contrivances for running a hne from shore to ship h«t did not however, that it would be necessary to put this gear at every port. It was proposed to put one at Auckland, one at Wellington, and probably another at the Bluff, and he was advised that this would be enough.

FREIGHTS FOR PRODUCE. SEEKING A REDUCTION. IBT TmEGBAPH. —SPECIAL REPORTER.! WELLINGTON, Thuraday. The Minister for Agriculture, Hon. W. Nosworthy, told the House of Representatives to-day, in reply to a question, that the Meat Producers' Board was working with the representatives of the butter, cheese, and.' fruit producers, in an effort to secure the reduction of oversea freights. Negotiations with the shipping companies were now proceeding. THE GREY MANUSCRIPTS. SOUTH AFRICAN EXCHANGE. [BX TELEGRAPH. —SPECIAL REPORTER.! WELLINGTON, Thursday. Last year an Act was passed to authorise an exchange of Grey manuscripts between South Africa and New Zealand. The bulk of the New Zealand material reposes in the Auckland Public Library. The Hon. W. D. Stewart, Minister for Interr.al Affairs, states that steps have beeh proceeding under the authority of the Act to effect an exchange. A considerable liiiti of material held in the Auckland Library has been prepared. It is obvious from this that New Zealand has a large quantity of manuscript and other j matter which sne can very well hand over to South Africa, such material for instance as documents relating to South African natives, their habits, and language, and other records connected ! with the early history of South Africa; i also a quantity of matter connected with j political happenings in that country. I These documents are of no direct interest to New Zealand and have no bearing upon Sir George Grey's connection with the Dominion. On the other hand, it is understood that South Africa, has much material of a like nature bearing upon New Zealand which thi.s Dominion will , receive in exchunge. The Minister states that it was obvious South Africa is as interested as we are in the exchange of I documents.