PARLIAMENTARY NEWS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18677, 5 October 1922, Page 9

PARLIAMENTARY NEWS

NOTES FROM THE PRESS GALLERY. (Fkom Ocn OWN CORRESPONDENT.) WELLINGTON, October 4. , ■ PROSPECTING. ' ■ " Replying to a question put by Mr T. E. Y. Seddon about assistance to prospectors on the West Coast of tho South Island, the Minister of Mines stated that tho Government was prepared to assist to the ‘extent of a grant cf £2 to £l. Ihe local bodies received £BOOO from gold revenue, and they should put some of that into prospecting. ’J he public also might very., well be, expected to assist. Unless that were dona the prospecting was bound to bo a failure. Sending out two or. three men hero and there was no use to anyone, and any piespecting that was done should be done under the direction of the Geological Department,- ■ OYSTERS AND QUINNAT. ' i Replying to a question in the House to- ■'! day, the Minister of Marine stated than ; two or three years ago Stewart Island oysters were placed in Cloudy Bay, aaof when a favourable opportunity occurred thai locality would be tested to ascertain if the experiment had succeeded. Quinnat sal- >1 nion had been successfully introduced into the Wairan River, and it was expected that they Would increase there as they had dona iu tho Waitaki. UNDER-GRADE WHEAT. Mr Witty (Riccarton) to-day asked tha’ Minister oi Agriculture if*, owing to tha shortage of feed for stock in Canterbury, ha would permit under-grade wheat to bo milled so that the bran could be used. Ho said stock were starving for want of grass. The by-products of such milled wheat, he suggested, might be used locally, on condition that the flour was not marketed or was shipped somewhere else. ■ Tlie Hon. W. Nos worthy said he Lad this matter at present under consideration. It had a considerable bearing on the position the Government had placed itself in in regard to milling wheat. He inferred that the under-grade wheat could be used foa fowl feed, for which there xvas a demand. I MAIN HIGHWAYS. Dr Thacker asked the Prime Minister to- j day whether the Main Highways Bill would’ j be gone on with this-session. He said he had received ten or twelve wires on the \ subject. An Hon. Member: We all have. - Mr Massey said the Bill would be laid, before the House, and if possible proceeded; .1 with. Members, however, would recognise I that this was not an ordinary session, as jay I view of the coming elections it was necessary to finish the business within a certain time. Ihcre was no possibility of avoiding that, unless they put the election forward! as they had cone three years ago. They did not want, if possible to do that. Cabinet l I and the Minister of Works tvere anxious to \ proceed with the Bill, and he thought the. I hon. member would see the Bill before many days were past. . U LOCAL BODY DEBENTURES. h“-; Iu the House of Representatives to-datr', Or Thacker voiced a complaint from tlie 1 Christchurch City Council about the large | amount of extra clerical work in making out I returns in regard to local body debentures", I as required by the Government. He sug- I Sfsted that one or two permanent officials I of the Government might be detailed to the I larger cities to assist in doing this work: I -Mr Massey, in reply, said it was'tribe.: that owing to legislation passed during the" session before last a certain amount ol re- ’ sponsibility had been placed upon local bodies with regard to giving information as to the ownership of debentures. Ho would however, remind the hon. member thas there was a certain amount of edmpensa- I tiou to the local bodies for the work they I )' el '° asked to do. The legislation provided I that tho work must be done by the loCat bodies not by a Government department. Under the 'law these debentures were taxed only 2s 6d in the £. and thehemes were to be envied in getting ?i7ri Wlt 1 ? a vpr y low rate of taxation.— ( ‘Hear hear.”) He would, however, took into the matter, but there could be no alteration without legislation. ' REVOLVERS. Hie amendment to the Arms Act passed during the last session of Parliament restricting the possession of firearms to tho« 9 who have obtained a special permit from'the police has Considerably reduced the safes of revolvers, and many ironmongers arid otlier dealers have considerable stocks of' “ les c. weapons on hand. Tlie matter was mentioned in the House to-day by : Mr D ■Jones _ (Raiapoi),, WII9 asked the Minister o? D6fence- whether the Government proposed to take any action in the .direction'of compensating these merchants, or in fakin'* over the stocks of revolvers which they'" - could not sell as a result of the operation' of the Act, - , Tlie Hon. Sir R. Heaton Rhodes said that’ ; lie was not nw&ro that any very large stocks 1 th « weapons were held. It was true' that the police issued very few permits bank managers and a few others being” granted this privilege. He thought that? the only .way was for the merchants to export ■ tncir holdings of revolvers. In anv case, the Government had not yet decided ' to compensate those who held these unsafe-' able articles, but he would undertake to consult. Cabinet with a view to sesin"whether some relief could not be afforded!’ A JUDGE’S SUPERANNUATION. A”, amendment of “The Judicature Act,. ‘ 1935,’ is contemplated. The new Bill provides that for the purpose of computing (he superannuation allowance to which -a judge is entitled under section 12 of the- , principal Act, as amended by section 4 of. “The Judicature Amendment Act. 1913"’ or under section 2 of “The Judicature Amendment Act, 1920,” or for the pur- 1 pose of determining his right to receive a : superannuation allowance any time during i which he. has held office under an appointment or appointments, pursuant to section 11 of the principal Act, shall be counted- j whether his service under such appoint*.’ men I was or after his appointment as a permanent judge, and whether it was.-.- J continuous with the period of such service * I or not. This section is to apply to the care I of any judge n'ow in office, "or who has-.J heretofore retired, and in the latter caseTi I any such judge shall have the right to a 1 superannuation allowance re-computed with' j reference to the whole period of his service.’ I