PARLIAMENTARY NEWS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18924, 26 July 1923, Page 8

PARLIAMENTARY NEWS.

NOTES FROM PRESS GALLERY. (From Ode Own Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, July 25. ELECTION LITERATURE. In reply to Mr Edie’s question about distributing literature on the eve of elections of members of Parliament, Mr Massey to-day replied as follows ; —“lt is not considered necessary to amend the law. If the literature contains any untrue statement, defamatory of any candidate and calculated to influence the vote of any elector, the provisions of section 158 of the Legislature Act, 1908, would apply. The section reads as follows: ‘Every person is liable to a fine not exceeding £SO, or to imprisonment for any period not exceeding throe months, who, at any time between tho issue of the writ and the close of the poll, publishes or exposes or causes to be published or exposed to the public view, any document or writing or printed matter containing any untrue statement defamatory of any candidate and calculated to influence the vote of any elector.’ ” TRAIN MAKE UP. On this subject of the making up of the trains, the Minister of Railways to-day replied to a question on the Order Paper. Ho said it is the general practice on tho railways, both in New Zealand and elseivherej to adhere as far as practicable to a uniform comoosition of tho principal trains, and it is found that tho arrangement affords considerable convenience to the users of the railways, while at the same time considerably facilitating the working of the trains on' the Main Trunk lines. Tho general rule is for the second class cars to be placed towards the front of the train, and the first-class cars and sleeping cars constitue the rear portion. It is not at all retain that any'departure from this arrangement would have the effect of more fairly dividing the risk between the two classes than is now the case. In this connection it. will bo noticed that the postal car on the train which was involved in the recent accident near On game was practically undamaged. although it was in front of the second class cars.

MOTOR LICENSE FEES. The Hon. J. G. Coates says the Government is satisfied that section 21 of tho Highways Act placed a statutory duty on the hoard to allocate a tyre tax and motor ■vehicle annual license fees as between the North and South Islands, on the basis of the number of vehicjes in nso in both islands. To enable this to be done it will, of course, be necessary to have all motor vehicles registered annually in order that the number of motor vehicles in each Island may be definitely determined each year. EXCURSION TICKETS. Replying to a question by Mr Witty, the Minister of Railways stated that excursion tickets at cheap rates are issued over the railways at suitable periods, and these provide reasonable opportunity for any persons who so desire to visit the various scenic resorts of the dominion. It is not considered that excursion tickets issued nt other periods of the year would be availed of to any considerable extent for the purpose mentioned, and they would simply result in a depletion of the department’s revenue. PUBLIC ECONOMY. Replying to a suggestion by Mr de la Porrelle that a Public Economy Committee should be appointed in New Zealand, Mr Massey to day stated: do not think it is necessary to set up a committee such as suggested. Particularly good work has been accomplished in the reduction of the expenditure of public money in New Zealand, and already other countries in the Empire are calling attention to the success of the New Zealand Administration, and are suggesting that its example might be followed with advantage by the other dominions.” TELEGRAPH POLES.

Replying to a question by Mr O’Brien (Westland), the Hon. J. G. Coates said the Government is aware of the lasting properties of silver pine polos. Any silver pine poles removed have been removed on account of their deficiency in strength or height rendering them unsuitable to carry the number of wires now on the pole. The silver pine poles thus removed are again used on minor lines. Experience of the natural round ironbark poles goes to prove that the statement that these poles last only 10 years is quite incorrect. SCHOOL BOOKS. replying to a question by Mr Veitch about one firm only having the right to supply school books, the Minister of Education to-day stated tho hon. member for Wanganui is probably not aware that there is practically only one publishing firm in New Zealand that produces text books in accordance with tho requirements of the New Zealand primary school syllabus.. The text books produced by the publishing houses in Great Britain are admirable in many ways, but do not suit the New Zealand syllabus. Text books written by New Zealarm teachers, printed by New Zealand labour, and produced by New Zealand enterprise should be adopted if these compare favourably with the best books from abroad. That they do so is shown by the fact that by the unfettered choice of teachers and inspectors they are already in use in nearly all tho primary schools of the dominion. The , department is not concerned whether the books are produced by one New Zealand firm or by several, so long as the most suitable books are adopted. P.O. SAVINGS BANK AND CHEQUES. The Fostmaster-General states that the question of the Post Office Savings Bank paying money by cheques has been considered previously on several occasions, and it has been decided not to consider it favourably, it being neither practicable nor desirable to allow Savings Bank depositors to issue cheques. The Post Office Savings Bank was established with entirely different objects from those aimed at in the business of a commercial bank. Experience does not show that accounts to which money is paid merely for convenience to be drawn upon at frequent intervals are desirable acso far as the Post Office Savings Bank is concerned. TELEGRAPHING INVESTMENTS. Recently Mr Witty (Ricearton) asked the Postmaster-General whether he would repeal tne regulations which prevent persons telegraphing investments to racecourses on race clays, .the Hon. J. G. Coates replied that tne statement that tho department loses a certain amount of revenue by the prohibition is quite correct, but the Gaming Act is responsible for the prohibition. Section 2S of ‘‘The Gaming Act, 1908,” makes it illegal for any officer of a racing club to act on a telegraphic request to invest money o n a totalisator. Section 29 prohibits the delivery on a racecourse of any telegram relating to investments. It would be necessary therefore, to amend the Gaming Act before telegraphic investments could be accented at racecourses. In the event of the Gaming Act being amended m that direction consideration will be given to the question of amending th e regulations to permit of the opening of telegraph offices c .nrn CeC *? m ''T’ and the transmission of telegrams thereto.

LICENSING BOOKMAKERS, the petition of Arthur Cooper and 38 others for legislation to license bookmakers under the control of the racing conferences was reported on to-day. and, f q U es“ policy being involved, the committee had no recommendation to make. 10TALISATOR LICENSES The Hon. R. F. Bollard, replying to-day to a question, stated it is usual to consult Ss„ P c r t aC, f g i. troUi "£ conference” 8 in lospect of the issue of totalisator licenses and speaking generally the recommendaffi h h conferences are usually approved by the Minister of Internal Afoim The final decision, however, as to the disposal totalisator licenses rests with the CONTROL OF SANATORIA. .Keplymg to a question by Jlr Horn tho Minister of Health to-day' stated that the cost of the erection of the Otaki Sana tonum and the Pukeora Sanatorium was not ]*P rne r tIC Department but bv the Wellington Hospital Board 'and the Defence Department respectively T n eiThn er ip Caß n f K <!epartm ent reimburse either the Defence Department or the Ho, pital Board when it took over the tempo ThL a Strat '° n °f these institutions these cases are not, therefore mnlli.l + hat of the Waipiata SanaS,nTT con met n to W ir° r i Islaml Hcs P i,al Boards met ,n Wellington to consider the whole question of the control of the Otaki nn i Pukeora Sanatoria, but the hoards cerned refused (o ’take ove. in.Mu;; tioiis, at any rate at pre:sent.