HOUSE AND LOBBY PARLIAMENT IN PARAGRAPHS

New Zealand Times, Volume LII, Issue 12197, 23 July 1925, Page 5

HOUSE AND LOBBY PARLIAMENT IN PARAGRAPHS

The survey of the Tawa Flat tunnel and deviation, in which Wellington is much interested, will be completed shortly. Proposals for construction are under consideration. * * * *

The Minister for Public Works informed the House yesterday that an amendment of the Highways Act was at present being drafted, but he failed to see in what way the present system of subsidies was inequitable, they being more liberal than was the case before the coming into force of the Highways Act. • # * # -

The whole question of the railway construction programme in the north is under consideration, and the Government’s intentions, which will largely be governed by the amount of money available, will be made known in the Public Works Statement. » * * *

Mr Glenn asked in the House recently if the Prime Minister would take into serious consideration the effect the proposed increase in railway freight on New Zealand coal will have upon local bodies generating electricity by steam-driven plants. Yesterday Mr Coates replied: “The matter of the rates on coal is now engaging the attention of the Railway Board, and it is hoped to arrive at an arrangement which will return the desired amount of revenue to the depart ment and at the same time avoid the difficulty mentioned l>y the honourable member.” .... MISSING MINISTERS Complaint was made by Mr J. R. Corrigan yesterday that Ministers seemed to treat question time as a joke. The Hon. Sir James Parr, not treating the complaint too seriously, said that he did not see why such complaint (should be made when one or two of his colleagues were out for a while. “Nine of them away,” said Mr Masters. “The Minister for Finance,” Sir James Parr proceeded, “who will bring down his Budget on Friday has every minute of his time occupied now." This drew hearty laughter from Mr Wilford and some of his followers. “And the Minister for Lands,” Sir James said, “has the Lands report Mr Wilford: Prepared by the department.

Sir James Parr: Which he is just putting the finishing touches on. “Then the Prime Minister,” Sir James said, “is out receiving a deputation or having a cup of tea. He generally does about this time.” Mr Sullivan: Not having a spot? * * * • HIGHWAYS ACT

Tho suggestion was made in the House recently that there should be an amendment to the Highways Act, providing for the establishment of a Highways Board for each island

The Hon. Mr Coates stated that the Government’s information does not indicate any uniform desire in the South Island for the constitution of a South Island Board. It is not the intention of the Government to amend the Highways Act in the direction indicated during the present session. The Government is having data prepared which will be very valuable should an amendment to the Act he deeme- 1 necessary. • * * •

The new electoral law provides for a prosecution only if failure to apply for registration was due to wilful default. Those persons who have so far not registered have an assurance from the Prime Minister that, if they can give any reasonable' excuse for such failure, their application, if In order, will be accepted. ,»* * *

It is understood that the Superintendent of the State Advances Office, in advising the Christchurch and Wellington City Councils that his departmenthad no funds available for the purpose of their loans, recommended them to apply to the Public Trustee, but up to the present no applications have been received by the Public Trustee. If the applications are made, the Public Trustee sees no reason why the loans should not he granted. * * * * A day’s leave of absence from Parliament on account of illness was secured yesterday for Mr Peter Fraser. • * • i * “The Minister for Education says that it costs £IO,OOO a year for the school journal. Well. I don’t know that it is worth it. To my mind there is a great deal of rubbish in it, instead of practical common sense.”—Mr G. Witty (Riccarton). V V * V Air D. G. Sullivan (Avonl ' has a notion of a central organisation, sup-, ported and subsidised by the Government and upon which the Government shall he represented, to co-ordinate the work of all the organisations for the care of prisoners, so that there might be permanent supervision of these men where necessary, instead of merely keeping an eye upon them. PREFERENCE TO BRITONS “The question of granting preference to Great Britain and other British possessions” (said the Prime Minister in the House yesterday) “has frequently been the subject of consideration by the New Zealand Government. At the present time this Dominion grants tariff preference to the rest of the Empire on approximately 66 per cent, of its tariff items. The granting of preference by the Imperial Government on the products of this Dominion is, of course, a matter of policy to be determined by that Government. It is not evident that useful inquiry could be made by a New Zealand Committee or Commission into the probable effects of the granting of preference to this country, on its primary or secondary industries or on its exports or imports, until information was available as to the articles upon which and the extent to which, it may be proposed to grant preference to New Zealand.”

Immigrants of British stock from Great Britain receive preference over immigrants from southern Europe, said the Hon. W. Noswortby yesterday. Provided that the conditions are complied with, financial assistance towards passages is given to the former, while the latter, besides getting no

assistance, cannot- land in New Zealand unless they are in possession of permits, issued under the Immigration Restriction Amendment Act, 1920. Under this Act the immigration ot aliens is very carefully controlled.

It is proposed to gazette regulations (under the provisions of the Health Act) regarding the use of white-lead in paint. It is not proposed to prohibit night-work in bakenes. * * * *

The High Commissioner is in direct touch with Spahlinger and reports all fresh information received by oim in connection with the Spahlinger treatment. He has, however, been again asked to make inquiry and forward information in this connection. According to last advice, Spahlinger was not in a position to give supplies of his preparations.

Though he was in the night march on Waihi and returned with the 163 men of the foroe to Wanganui when Tito Kowaru’s men were repulsed, Joseph Ingler. of New Plymouth, was not granted the New Zealand war medal. He enlisted in the Greytown volunteers at the age of 14, and a year later was on active service with a mounted force. Now 75 years old and in need of assistance, he has petitioned Parliament fot the medal lo be given him.

Surfaceman William Byrnes, while working on a railway near Whangarei, was stung on the neck by a wasp. His neck gradually swelled, ant he did not reach hospital until 10 davs later, and there he died. His wife. Rebecca Byrnes, has pciHionod Parliament for relief.

MONEY FOR SOLDIERS “It is a well known fact that when the Government !losed down on lending money lo soldiers, there were a number who were unable to take advantage of this/’ said Mr F. J. Rolleston (Timaru), when speaking on a question concerning State Advances, which he had addressed to the Minister for Finance.

He had asked the Minister whether, in dealing with applications for loans under the State Advances Act, priority would be given *o returned soldiers who have had no benefits under the Discharged Soldiers’ Settlement Act or under the repatriation schemes. The W. No6worthy (Minister for Finance)' replied: Every consideration was shown by the State Advances Department to applications for loans by returned soldiers where the circumstanoes warranted it, and where the cases were of an urgent and necessitous nature they were dealt with promptly.

The Minister’s answer, said Mr Kofleston, meant that the returned soldier was to have no more consideration than the ordinary civilian. The Government should reconsider this matter and if the men made application now they should get preference over the ordinary civilian. * • * »

Provision has been made for an amount not exceeding £1250 for free railway passes to be granted to firemen taking part in the fire brigade demonstration to be held in connection with *r,-th"OTVMutr Dunedin Exhibition

ihe Hon. Mr Bollard (Minister for internal Affairs) said in the House yesterday: “The value of the work being performed in New Zealand by the Royal Life-Saving Society is fully recognised by the Government. Since 1921-22 a grant of £SO has been made to the society each year. The question of whether that amount should now be increased will receive the careful consideration of the Government.^ * * * * THOSE WHO WASH

Inquiries as to the filling of the position of Commissioner of Taxes, vacated by Mr D. G. Clark recently, have led the Hon. W. Nosworthy (Minister of Finance) to issue a statement that the Land and Income Tax branch ir. to be constituted a separate department of State under one head, and that the Land and Deeds and Stamp Duties branches will also be constituted a separate department under one head. It is understood that the appointments will be made at an early date by the Public Service Commissioner. * * * *

The question of farmers* cleanliness had been raised by Labour members, and Mr W. D. Lysnar turned upon them.

“I’ll undertake to say that the farmers are just as clean and a little cleaner than they are themselves,” said the member for Gisborne. This reminded Mr A. L. Monteith (Wellington East) of a story. ‘/Am* 31 stood up at a public meeting in England and said why should I pay the education rate? I have no children.’* And the chairman said: “For the same reason that you pay the water rate, though you don’t wash.” v * * *

Mr W. E. Parry had confessed that he had been a shearer in his early days.

“I should very much like to have seen the honourable member wrestling with a good merino wether/’ commented the Hon. W. Noswortby immediately afterwards. ’’And I believe that if Ho had followed that occupation instead of being here, he would have been a very useful member of society!”

Mr W. E. Parry made a protest at the manner in which private members rights were being filched, from them and was rebuked bv the Prime Minister. “Whv did tho lion, gentleman raise the point?” asked Mr Coates “Here it is private members’ day; the Hill getting a good hearing.” Mr Parry: I got a rough deal. The Prime Minister: I am not giving the hop. gentleman a rough deal. But i’j may go out that the Government is not giving private members an opportunity to which they are entitled

Mr Witty’s record. “1 can tell the lion, members that I have been shearing a sheep at twenty minutes to seven and been eating the same sheep nt seven o’clock. That’s an absolute fact,” remarked 'ie member for Riccarton.