PARLIAMENTARY NEWS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19255, 20 August 1924, Page 8

PARLIAMENTARY NEWS.

NOTES FROM PRESS GALLERY. (Fbom Oub Own Cobbespoktoent.) WELLINGTON, August 19. the moratorium: In the House of Representatives to-day Mr AM. J. Savage (Labour member for Auckland West) asked if it were the intention of the .Government to give an. opportunity to those interested of submitting evidence in regard to the Mortgages Final Extension Bill, and if so whether they would advertise the fact. ■ The Prime Minister said the question seemed one for the Public Accounts Committee, to which tho Bill was referred. Personally he had no objection to the giving of evidence by parties on both sides if there happened to bo any who wished to giye evidence. The committee, however, gbould be careful to take evidence only from representative men, because if a whole string of people gave evidence, which, however, ho did not think likely, they •might not have time to get the Bill through, in Which case moratorium would end on December 31 without any amendment of the Act at all. H«v would be glad to consult with tho committee and see what could be done. FOWL WHEAT. Mr P. Fraser (Wellington Central) put a question to tho Minister of Agriculture in Tegard to tho alleged scarcity of fowl Wheat. He said it had been stated to him that none had been available for a fortnight. The Hon. Mr Noswrthy replied that ■there was no shortage through any fault of the Government. Nearly 3000 tons had been landed within a week, 6CCO tons wore now unloading in tho South Island, and 750 tons would be unloaded at Now Plymouth. In all about 8000 tons wore expected within the next fortnight. 'Thus nearly 30,000 tons were being landed within four weeks. This was all good milling wheat, and the poultry farmers would get fjhe same wheat as the miller. The Government had not imported any inferior wheat. It was sold at the reasonable price of 6s or 6s 2d per bushel. If there had been any temporary shortage it might have occurred on account of the late arrival of a ship from Port Pirie, where it had been held up by a strike. Tho New Zealand Government, however, was not responsible for that.