PARLIAMENTARY NEWS.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXII, Issue 4733, 15 August 1902, Page 5

PARLIAMENTARY NEWS.

THE POULTRY INDUSTRY. Tho poultry industry wa-s the subject of some discussion when tho Agricultural Estimates were before memin.rs last night. Mr Monk thought it unnecessary for tho Government to have gone into this business at all, whilst, Mr Hascldon went one bettor, or worse, by blandly predicting that tins industry • would never pay. This brought Mr Wilford to bis feet. Tho member for tho Suburbs reminded the House that 40,000 birds wore exported last your, and that this was not a return to bo sneered at. Tho total amount received in tho different centres of the colony was £1421, and thougn tho expenditure had reached £4012, the greater part of this sum had gone in tho erection of buildings and other non-reourriug expenses of tho first year. Moreover, none ,of the poultry exported in Ho mouths of January and February of tins year were included in the return for the year which ended on tho 31st March. Tho poultry industry was growing, but it was unreasonable to expect any' lingo credit balance at tho end of the first year. Mr R. Thompson said that what tho House and tho settlers throughout tho country wanted to know was, What had boon tho resfalts of these shipments of poultry to tho Lon- - don market? Had there been any profit on tho transactions? From what he had heard and read concerning the export of poultry, ho holiovod that there was very' little hope of it t paying. Ho know one man who had gone into the business, with experience, and had had to retire from it, because ho could not make it pay. Mr Wilford said he had been informed by tho Secretary for Agriculture that there ha*d , been a substantial profit from the export of poultry to South Africa. Mr Lauronsou pointed out that tho fact that tho quantity of poultry exported from Canterbury was steadily increasing showed that there was at least no serious loss in'the business. CHILD LABOUR IN THE DAIRIES. , This question was brought forward on the Agricultural Estimates last night by Mr John Hutcheson, who said that , ho believed that oil the West Coast of the North Island and Taranaki, 'they found tho very homo of iho “sweating'’ of children in the dairy industry. The intellectual and physical welfare of tho children, ho declared, was being sacrificed. Tho Minister of Lands: “That is not correct.” Mr Hutcheson dcclar- i ed that ho had sworn statements in his possession to tho effect that children •» wore being overworked, and were unable to perform their tasks in the schools. He recommended the Minister j to inquire into tho matter. To this , the I Minister retorted that tho child labour took place not in tho country, but in the milk trade in tho cities, where children were employed in taking milk round at early hours of the morning. The statements as to child labour in the dairies had no foundation, in fact. The Minister added that ho believed one would find better boys in Taranaki than in t Wellington—an observation which met with patriotic “Hoar, hears” from Taranaki members. Mr Hasclden, member for Patea, resenting indignantly tho assertions of Mr Hutcheson, vehemently claimed that tho dhildren in • the country were bettor fed, better clothed and better looked after than over they had been hitherto. Mr Hutcheson, however, returned-to the charge, and contended that if an inquiry were granted, it would be shown .that this “sweating” still existed. “Hoar, hear/” echoed Mr O’Meara. Mr Hutcheson added that the man who had 1 sent hiin the statement on the subject had assured him that a wrong was be- > ing done to the immature children of the West Coast and Taranaki to this very day. ■> # THE DANGER OF ANTHRAX.

The farming representatives in the House, especially those from the Auckland district, uttered a warning last night as to tho danger of the introduction of anthrax into the colony by tho importation of bones. They all agreed that the constituents of bones were necessary to replenish the soil, but in view of tho risk from tho disease mentioned, Mr Massey urged the establish- 1 ment of fertilising depots, con ducted hy tho. Government, whore the hones could he subjected the necessary steam treatment, so that farmers plight be certain of the character of their bonodust. Air E. M. famith, who loses no opportunity of putting in a ■ word for Taranaki, came upon Urn scene at this stage with l an assurance to the comrnuniuy generally, and especially tho farming section of it, that when the Taranaki ironsand scheme had been fairly started, there would he a splendid fertiliser as tho result, in 'Hie shape of slag. In a hurst of confidence, he informed members that lie intended to bring some samples of Taranaki products to Wellington—a statement. •which was "reeted with such cordial “Hoar, hears’’ that one might have supposed they had _ never seen any samples of the kind he- ' fore. With, regard to tho establishment of a sterilising plant, Sir. J. G. Ward pointed out that it would he necessary to provide such a plant at every, port at which hones were Umded. ft .was a mistake to suppose that this could be done unless certain •charges v.era fixed for the use of the plant; and ;n that case, tho matter would require _to bo looked into. His oivn_ suggest ion was that a number of men in the ciioultural centres should get tog'-liu'r get subsidies for the e.iUibnsn if small plants which could ijo avaikdi'e for use by the farmers at a me ’ rate cha go. Ue promised that the Govercnient would inquiAo into the matter, v itu a view to having a system adopted for tho whole colony. Mr Miw-y _aci£no.'ledged tliat the Acting-Premier had dealt with this matter in a very reasonable way.