PARLIAMENTARY NOTES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18197, 18 March 1921, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY NOTES

(From Our Own Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, March 17. UNEMPLOYMENT. GOVERNMENT MAKING PROVISION. The increase of unemployment in New Zealand was mentioned in the House of Representatives by Mr P. Fraser (Wellington Central), who asked if the Prime Minister would cause inquiries to be made as to the actual extent of unemployment, and lot the House know the facts. Did the Government intend, in view of the grave danger of unemployment, to curtail its present immigration policy, added Mi - Frase“, and would the Government, if the trouble continued, either provide work for those who were anxious to work or else provide sustenance for the unemployed and their families. * “ The Government understands the position, as tar as the possibility of unemployment is concerned,” replied the Prime Minister. “We have now get to the end of the harvest, and practically to the end of the shearing. It is quite certain that there will be a number of men out of employment pres-ullv. the difficulty being that owing to the drop in the prices of our agricultural products tho farmers will not he able to employ as many hands as in other years. There is no question about that. Our expenditure on public works up to the present has been at the rate of £5,000,C00 a year. That expenditure is supposed to come from loan money, but lately it has come partly from revenue. We cannot go on at this rate for very long unless we are ab’e to raise a loan at a reasonable rate of interest in London. It is no good trying to raise money in New Zealand just now, and I don’t propose attempting it.” Mr Massey added that the Government was making provision for the possibility of unemployment during the coming winter. He could not go into details. He sincerely hoped that the difficulty would not become serious. “I advise every man who has a job at present to stick to it,” said Mr Massey. “It will be a good thing for him and a good thing for the country. If unemployment does come you will find the Government not unprepared.” tIYDRO-ELECTRIC SCHEMES.

A proposal that the Prime Minister when arranging a loan in London should make provision for the requirements of the distributing authorities under the hydro-electrio schemes was put forward in the House of Representatives by Mr J, P. Luke (Wellington North) yesterday. The member said that the Government installations would be idle when they were completed unless the local bodies were ready to handle the power; and the necessary preparations could not be made without money. The Prime Minister said that the Government, recognising the importance of the hydro-electrio schemes, had endeavoured to assist tho local bodies to the best of its financial ability, and he thought that in some cases it had been successful. He knew of one local bodv that was at present placing quite a b‘g loan on the London market on its own account. The venture was likely to be successful. Another local body was considering going to London for money,’and he thought it would do so. In both cases the Government would give all the assistance possible. It had assisted local bodies, in other wavs, but he could not ero into details at the present time. Mr Massey added that he would be glad to consider the suggestion made by Mr Luke. He was_ not at all certain yet of being able to raise n loan in. London. The financial position there had improved slightly, as far as he was able to judge, but it was not likely to bo quite satisfactory for some time to come. There was an improvement, and if, in connection with the financial operations of the Government, he cou'd assist the Wellington City Council and other local bodies nothing would give him greater pleasure. THE MEAT GLUT. Sir George Hunter (Waipawa) to-day in the House of Representatives asked the Prime Minister if he had been successful in his arrangements with the shipping companies in getting additional refrigerated shipping space for the port of Napier. The matter had been already mentioned, but since then the position had been made worse by the prolonged drought. Producers were now unable to sell their sheep or , tfi p m killed at the freezing works, which were full If some relief was not granted a very acute position would arise. At present there were no local sales, and the works were overcrowded. The only chance was the unload ng from the works. Ho hoped the matter would be given immediate and favourable consideration. The Prime Minister replied that he himself had had a number of communications trom producers and others interested in Hawke s Bay in the same direction as the cmestron put forward by the member for Waipawa. He had also been approached by Mr George Campbell (Hawke’S Bay) on the same subject. He had been in communication with the Tonnage Committee and had asked that, if possible, the requests made should be complied with. He had since seen the Government representative on that committee, and had had a talk with the chairman. The committee was haying a meeting that morning, and he believed they were • inclined to favourably consider the request. lie -might be able to make a statement regarding it- later in the day.

. shortening sail. ■A report iroin ms electorate that the officers of the Public Works Department tnere had been instructed to dispense with employees, as works were finished, and not to engage any fresh ones, formed the basis of a question which Mr JR. Masters (Stratford) asked the Minister of Public Works this morning. He asked whether, in view of tne statement ot the Prime Minister that the llnaneial condition of the country was sound, and that there was money enough to carry on tor some time, it was the intention 01 the department to put off hands in his and other districts. It had been stated previously that the difficulty in the way of carrying on public words was tne shortage of labour. Now, so far as his district was concerned, there ■ was a surplus of labour, and it became rumoured that tne men were to be put off owing to a shortage of money. Was there any truth in the statement? Did it apply to the whole dominion, and what was to be the pohcy ot the Government in the future in reference to the carrying out of public works? Mr Coates said that, so far as Stratford was concerned, it had been an nounced in the Public Works Statement that work on the Stratford West line was to bo discontinued as soon as it was completed as far as iahora. That policy would he put into operation. It was anticipated that only 15 men would be left in employment there. Later on the Prime Minister would be making a statement in regard to public works in New Zealand generally, and until be saw fit to do that, said Mr Coates, he himself did not feel disposed to discuss the matter in any detail. He was sorry that he could not contradict the report so far as Stratford was concerned. NEW ZEALAND SULPHUR. At the request of Mr P. P. Hockly (Rotorua), made last session, the then Minister of Mines promised to have a report obtained upon tne feasibility of utilising the sulphur deposits at Rotorua and Taupo for the manufacture of sulphuric acid, tins commodity being likely to be required in large quantities for the treatment of phosphate ores from Nauru and Ocean Islands. Mr Hockly asked the present Minister (Mr G. J. Anderson) to-day whether anything had transpired in that direction. Mr Anderson said that certain preliminary work towards obtaining the report had been done. 'ihero wore difficulties in the way, but steps would he taken as soon as practicable to have further tests made of the quantity ot sulphur available, and its suitability tov the purpose. A FOREIGN FOREMAN. A complaint from some of the men employed as linesmen at the ilorauora hydroelectric works, that they were required to work under a foreman who was a unnaturahted alien, was reierred to the Minister of Public, Works in tne House of Representatives this morning by Mr G. Mitchell (Wellington South). Many of the men were returned soldiers, he said, and they resented the position very much. Ho asked the Minister to go into the matter. If the facts were correctly stated, and there were others in the place suited to the position, would he have the man removed ? Mr Coates said that he would have the matter investigated. THE RHINOCEROS BEETLE. Mr J. Horn, the member for Wakatipu, returned to the question of the weka and the rhinoceros beetle In the House of Representatives to-day. Ho wanted to know if anything had been done about his suggestion to send down a few wekas for experimental purposes to Saiiioa. H<3 li&ci been making inquiries, and he had reason to believe that his idea was a splendid one. Several scientists had stated that the weka would be a fiicccss. , Mr Lee (Minister of External Affairs) had no definite information to give the hon member. Mr J. A. Hanan (Invercargill): Why not Air Lee: Wc tried rabbits. Mr Massey said we would have to be very careful that we did not introduce any more pests. He had recently had a communication from an old friend at the New Hebrides, who stated that a remedy would be

found in the introduction of the flame tree The beetle, he v,n, (old abhor:cd the flame plane tree, and would not exist where it frew. His information was t 'it th s ; lan ad been tried in the New i , . I ’ev and had been very offoctn e. Mr T. K. Sklcy _ iDvmlb So th) mig gested the import 'lion cf the wssn !nn Java, which was the nat :n! cue ny of the Beetle. Mr L. M._ Isitt (C.'hrstchur -h Nm th;: They reckon it is worse than the p'-sg. e Mr Lee said he would look into this sug gestion. He recognised that the cost of importation was small, but the cost of exportation sometimes was not so small. PAYMENT BY CHEQUES. Reference to the recent robbery at Awakino, in which money belonging to the Public Works Depart-rent was stolen, was made in the Ho"": of Representatives this morning by Mr W T. Jennings (Waitomo). who asked the Minister whether it would not be possible'to have the employees of the department raid by cheque, as was by other departments This would obviate the necessity of taking large sums Sf money into lonely country p'ares. It would also relievo officers of the department of the need of going so'upT-h? 50 or CO miles to pay out £lO or £ls. Mr Coates said that he would be pleased to look into the matter. He would refer it to the department to see if tho suggestion made was foasib’e LOANS FOR LOCAL BODIES. A finanoal mission recommended to the Prime Minister during bis coming visit to London was contained m a question put to him by Mr J. A. Hanau (Invercargill! this morning. Mr Hanan asked whether he would rrake inquiries, with a view to obtaining loans for those local bodies which had loans falling duo this year, either in New Zealand or abroad. Explaining the reasons for his quest.'on, he said that during the war it was good finance to borrow within the dominion, but in peace time it was desirable to go abroad for that purpose. If the Government intended going to London for money, it appeared that the local bodies also should look to London for their loans. It had been suggested that the local bodies should consolidate their various loans. If they could adopt some such scheme, and raise a loan on the London market, it would bo in the best interests of finance. Ho was acquainted with an instance quoted by the Prime Minister of one local body which was attempting to get money. It would really be paying 7 per cent. That loan was for a long period. He hoped that this country would not be involved in a long-term loan, for he believed ■that the price of money would drop in the next three or four years. Mr Massey said that h e .agreed with the questioner so far as the length of loans was concerned; the higher tho rate of interest the shorter the teim of the loan should be. That was the principle he intended to adopt, if it proved possible for him to do anything in London. The 7 per cent, mentioned by Mr Hanan was not far wrong. The local body concerned expected to pay <?£6 15s. He thought that the Government might be able to arrange its finances on a little better basis than the local body. Mr Hanan: Now South Wales had to pay over 6 per cent, for the loan raised just recently. Mr Massey said that while he did not wish to enter into any comparisons, our financial position was so satisfactory that he thought we should bo able to obtain the best rate that was going. As regarded the loans falling due in this country, there would_ be a clause in the Finance Bill dealing with that very point. ALLEGED AGGREGATION. A question about land aggregation was asked in the House by Mr E. Newman (Rangitikei), who inquired whether the attention of the Minister of Lands had been drawn to a statement published alleging that aggregation had been proceeding in the Rangitikei district. As the process of subdivision had been going on without interruption in the locality mentioned, he regarded tho statement, as contrary to fact. What ho had said of Rangitikei applied also to Manawatu. The Minister of Lands (Mr D. H. Guthrie) said he concurred entirely in what Mr Newman had stated. Alleged cases of aggregation had been reported to him from that distr ct, and the reports had been investigated, and it had been found that the cases were not such that the Government or anyone else could intervene in. The largo estates in Manawatu and Rangitikei were fast disappearing, and were being settled in small areas. Wherever a case of aggregation of the sort spoken of by the paper was reported to him he would have the matter fully investigated, and if it was possible for the Government to act it would act without delay. HOME SERVICE MEDALS. Tho Minister of Defence was asked to-day by 'Mr E. Newman (Manawatu) whether anything had been done towards giving effect to the recommendations of the committee which reported last session upon the petition of the home service men asking for some official recognition of their services. Sir R- Heaton Rhodes (Minister of Defence) replied that at the present time it was impossible to accede to the request and comply with the conditions formulated by the War Office for the issue of medals. The New Zealand Government was considering the issue of a commemorative medal which it was thought would meet the wishes o! the men who had served within New Zealand. The department had within the last two or three days received a reply from a firm which was prepared to make these medals, giving the cost. He was in a position to put the matter before Cabinet. Ho would, therefore, be able to state in a few days whether it would be possible to issue a medal to all home service men, or to all attested men who did not proceed overseas. JOTTINGS. Replying to a question by Mr M‘Combs (Lyttelton), the Minister of Lands (Mr D. H. Guthrie) stated to-day that amended regulations had been issued last year in regard to the amount that could be,borrowed by soldier-settlers for building. In cases of absolute necessity, on the recommendation of the Land Board, the grants in fural districts could be increased to £SOO, and in exceptional cases £750, . unless the money was required for improving the land. Mr J. R. Hamilton (Awarua) asked if the increased valuations would make any difference to old-age pensioners., Would- they out out a portion’or a whole of the pension when they reached the maximum allowed? : Mr G. J. Anderson said that would be the effect. The question had often been thrashed out in the House, and so far it had not beer, possible to make any alteration.