PARLIAMENTARY NEWS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22367, 14 September 1934, Page 10

PARLIAMENTARY NEWS

NOTES FROM PRESS GALLERY (From Our Parliamentary Reporter) WELLINGTON. September 13. WHEAT AND FLOUR DUTIES. An attempt to abolish the sliding scale of wheat and flour duties will be made by Mr C. A, Wilkinson (Egmont) when the House of Representatives comes to discuss the schedules of the Customs Acte Amendment Bill in detail. Mr Wilkinson has two alternative amendments to move, the first merely abolishing the sliding scale and the second providing for fixed duties on wheat and flour. He will suggest a duty of 2e Id per cental on imported British wheat and 2s lid per cental under the general tariff, and a duty of £2 10s per ton of 20001 b on British flour and £3 10s under the general tariff. NATIONAL MORTGAGE CORPORATION. The constitution of the National Mortgage Corporation which the Government intends to establish next session was briefly discussed in the House of Representatives to-day when the Leader of the Opposition (Mr M. J. Savage) asked .the Minister of Finance (Mr J. G. Coates) whether the corporation would be Statecontrolled. Mr Coates said it was quite obvious that the State would have t to make appointments to the corporation, but he could not say at the moment whether these appointments would be made from within the pADlic service or from outside. Nobody could discuss the corporation to-day with any degree of authority. An immense amount of work would be necessary before the proposals could be brought into operation. If Mr Savage meant by State control the nomination of officers by the State then the corporation would to a certain extent be State-controlled. GOLD IN THE MOLYNEUX, The construction of dams at the outlets of Lake Hawea and Lake Wanaka in Central Otago for the purpose of recovering gold from the Molyneux River is sought by a large number of people in the affected districts. A petition signed by 1087 miners and others urging the Government to build such dams was presented to the House of Representatives to-day by Mr W. A. Bodkin. It is stated in the petition that it has been definitely established that the bed and the banks of Molyneux River extending from Roxburgh to Cromwell contain very rieli deposits of gold, that these banks have been mined down to the waters edge with very profitable results, and that if the river level could be substantially reduced profitable employment would be provided for some thousands of men. If the dams were built, it is said, the water in the Wanaka and Hawea Rivers could be held for some weeks, and the flow in the Molyneux would be reduced and a large area of virgin wash exposed. The petitioners consider that a royalty of 5 per cent, on the gold taken trom the river would 'more than recoup the Unemployment Board for its outlay. DAIRY COMMISSION’S REPORT. The Dairv Industry Commission, it is expected, will be about another fortnight in compiling its report. Members of the commission conferred with the Cabinet to-day to discuss the nature of the legislation necessary to give effect to its recommendations, the essentials of which were conveyed to the Government in a private statement last week. The Prime Minister, Mr lorbes, said this evening that the law draftsman was now at work on the proposed legislation, which it was intended to introduce simultaneously with the tabling of the commission’s report about the end of the month. Mr Forbes said the subject was the most important one remaining to be brought before the House, and the length of time required to pass the Bill would largely determine the length of the session. RADIO PATENT MONOPOLIES. The increase in the number of applications for patents for inventions in telephony and telegraphy shown in the annual report of the commissioner of patents whicli was tabled in the House of Representatives to-day, emphasises, it is stated, the steadily-increasing importance of the radio and its attendant problems. This class of invention has for many years shown great activity. The commissioner says that the- broadcasting industry depends for its existence on patent monopolies, and the international aspect of these monopolies becomes yearly more intricate and impoitant. This is particularly so on account of the growing tendency for this kind of property to be controlled by large organisations whose fees and evidence of title arc sometimes questioned by customers. It has become quite evident that fresh provisions in regard to (he local law and International conventions are necessary from time to time to meet the unusual problems to which radio gives rise.