WOOL RESEARCH LEVY

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21868, 2 August 1934, Page 11

WOOL RESEARCH LEVY

ALLOCATING PROCEEDS WORK IN BOTH ISLANDS SUM TO BE SPENT ABROAD [by TELEGRAPH —SPECIAL REPORTER] WELLINGTON, Wednesday Technical details of the Scientific and Industrial Research Amendment Bill, which was introduced in the House of Representatives yesterday, are as follows: The bill authorises the Governor-General-in-Council to impose a levy on wool produced in New Zealand to provide funds for scientific .research in connection with sheep and wool. The amount of the levy shall not exceed 4d a bale. In the case of wool exported from the Dominion, the levy shall be payable by the exporter and collected by the collector of customs at the port of shipment. When the wool is intended for use in New Zealand, the levy shall be payable by the manufacturer by whom such wool is acquired for use, and shall become payable on delivery. Composition of Committee To assist in the administration of the Act, and for the purpose of advising in connection with the application of the proceeds of the levy, a special committee, to be called the Sheep and Wool Research Committee, is to be appointed by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research. The constitution of this committee is as follows: (a) One Member nominated by the Minister of Agriculture; (b) five members to be appointed after the council has received the recommendations of the New Zealand Sheepowners' and Farmers' Federation and the New Zealand Farmers' Union; (c) one member to be appointed by the council as it thinks fit.

The committee shall appoint a subcommittee for the North Island and another for the South Island. Each sub-committee shall consist of at least three members of the special committee and of such other members as the special committee may appoint. One member of the North Island sub-com-mittee, however, must be appointed on the recommendation of the Massey Agricultural College Council, and similarly one member of the South Island sub-committee shall be appointed on the recommendation of the board of governors of Canterbury Agricultural College. Increasing Demand for Wool

After the cost of collection has been deducted, the residue of the amount collected by way of levy shall, on the recommendation of the council, and after approval by the Minister, be applied as follows: —(a) An amount not exceeding one-fourth of the amount shall be paid in the assistance of approved scientific or industrial researches in relation to wool or sheep conducted or proposed to be conducted out of Now Zealand, or for other purposes designed to increase the demand for wool; (b) the balance from time to time as required shall be paid to the sub-committees for expenditure by them in such a .manner as, subject to the general directions of the special committee, they think proper in connection with scientific researches conducted in New Zealand in relation to wool or sheep, or for the collection and dissemination of information relating to wool and sheep. The amount available for expenditure in New Zealand shall be apportioned between the sub-committees as nearly as possible in proportion to the quantity of wool produced in the two islands in any one season.

The proposals in the bill shall apply to all wool exported from New Zealand or delivered to manufacturers for use in tho Dominion between October 1 next and October, 1939.

RADIO LICENCE FEE REQUEST FOR REDUCTION AUSTRALIA'S CASE QUOTED [BH TELEGBAPH —SPECIAL REPORTER] WELLINGTON, Wednesday A claim that the present radio licence fee of 30s was too high, and that listeners felt it was not warranted in view of the second-class matter that was being put on the air, was made by Mr. R. W. Hawke (Government —Kaiapoi). in the House of Representatives to-day. He gave notice of his intention to ask the Postmaster-General, the Hon. A. Hamilton, whether the fee could be reduced to £1 Is, as had been done in Australia. EX-SOLDIER'S DEATH QUESTION OF DESTITUTION MAN IN RECEIPT OF PENSION [BX TELEGRAPH —SPECIAL REPORTER] WELLINGTON. Wednesday The death of an ex-soldier who was found dying on the roadside between Waharoa and Matamata was the subject of a question recently asked in the House by Mr. J. O'Brien (Labour — Westland), who said it was reported that the man appeared to have been destitute. He asked the Hon. J. G. Cobbe, Minister in charge of Pensions, whether steps would be taken to have work found for returned soldiers, or a pension provided sufficient to keep them from destitution.

Replying to-dav, Mr. Cobbe said the man concerned was granted a war pension for the partial loss of finger joints from tho date of his discharge on May 20, 1918. His pension was made permanent at the rate of £1 a week from November 1, 1919, and remained in force until his death. There was no evidence that his death by exposure was caused by . his pensionable disability.