Mr. Speaker . . .

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1013, 2 July 1930, Page 9

Mr. Speaker . . .

Session Queries ami

Asides

THE SUN’S Parivj.uiCH.tarj/ Keportcr WELLINGTON. Tuesday. After paying eloquent tribute to tho qualities of that great member of the Aiaori race, the .ate Hon Sir Maui Pornare, the House of Representatives this afternoon adjourned early as a mark"of respect to his memory, and did not sit in the evening. Tomorrow, the Address-in-Reply debate, it is hoped, will be started, and following on a plea from tlie Labour benches, it is likely that strenuous efforts will be made t«» get the first “big talk” of tho session over by this week, so that the decks will be cleared for consideration of unemployment legislation. * * * a A request that the duty on all timber except Australian coming irlo New Zealand be increased to prevent dumping, was made of tho Minister of Customs, the Hon. G. W. Forbes, by Air. J. O’Brien (Westland), who also wanted the Government to take measures to prevent millers from raising the price of timber because of the duty. lie said that the Australian tariff excluded Oregon pine from entering Australia, and the result was that it was dumped into New Zealand at prices which prevented the New Zealand miller from competing At present nearly half the sawmill employees in the Dominion were out of work. * t • The Singapore Base and the action of New Zealand regarding her contribution was the subject of a question to the Prime Minister by Mr W. E. Barnard (Ncpier). lie asked if the Government had received any indication of policy on the subject from the British Government, and suggested -hat New Zealand could economise in inspect of her contribution after Consulting the British Government.

A levy of five shillings a head a year on all licensed motor-owners was suggested as a means of providing for .safety appliances at railway crossings in a question addressed to the Minister of Transport by Mr. A. Harris ( W aitemata).

As second class carriages produced more revenue to the Railway Department than first class, Mr. F. Langstone (Waimarino) asked the Minister of Railways, the Hon. W. A. Veitcli. what steps he was taking to improve second class accommodation.

When was the new railway station at Auckland going to be ready for j-er-vice. and when was the passenger service to Panmure. via the new Westfield deviation, going to start? Notice of those two questions was given by r Parnell, in lis first utterance in the House.

The price of sodium chlorate to farmers was the subject of a question to the Alinister of Agriculture, the Hon. A. J. Murdoch, by Air. W. Lee Martin (Raglan). He wished the Government to take steps to prevent the farmer from being exploited, as he understood that the wholesale price of sodium chlorate was 5d a lb. and yet settlers in some cases were being asked to pay Is 6d. Was the Government going to undertake the sale of sodium chlorate The Alinister replied that the Government had no intention at present of selling Lite manure. It had five tons on order for experimental purposes in conjunction with farmers. He understood that the chemical could be obtained in Auckland for 5d a lb, and if there were any the Government would l>e willing to make investigation.

Air. G. C. Black (Alotueka) gave notice to ask the Minister of Justice, the Hon. J. G. Oobbe, whether he would investigate cases of dismiss .1 from the police force during the past 12 months, under section 9 of the Police Force Act, 1912, and also r. - signations from tho force, an*! r«-vi w these before a new commissioner of police was appointed. Mr. Black al- . asked whether the Minister 'yould arrange for a system to be adopted along the lines of that followed by tl •* Public Service Commissioner regarding public service appointments, whereby vacancies and transfers in th • Police Department might be advertised in the “Ponce Gazette.” thereby fallowing the system obtaining in tho Australian States. * « * Leave to introduce the following Bills, was granted:—Census Postponeni* nt Bill (Minister of Internal Affairs, the Hon. P. A. de la Perrelle), which aims nt the postponement of the census from next year on the score of econoim ; Apprentices' Amendment Bill and S aff old ing and Excavation Amendment Bill (Alinister of Labour, the Hon. S. < Smith); Nurses and Midwives' Registration Amendment Bill (Minister of Health, the Hon. A. J. Stallworth}); Workers’ Annual Leave Bill (Air. 1* G. Sullivan. Avon); Bank of New Zealand Amendment Bill (Mr. F. Langstone. Waimarino). * • * Introducing the Family Allowam . •* Amendment Bill, Air. W. K. Barnard (Napier) said that :t sought to extend the powers of the present Act so that mothers «.»f families might receive the allowances instead of fathers, as at present. H • said that the mother was generally the financier in a poor family, and should have the pay menu The Bill was read a first time, and set down for second reading on July 16. * * t The Christchurch “fire-bug” reward was brought up in a question to the Minister of Justice by Mr. D. G. Sullivan (Avon), who asked what decision had been arrived at regarding the payment of the reward, whether any consideration had been given to the question of whether Constable A. Gillum, who arrested the Grey brothers, was entitled to the whole or portion of the reward. Mr. Sullivan said that it was generally assumed both by the newspapers and the pub’ic that Constable Gillum was the man who would receive the reward, but nothing had been done so far to pay it out. There was a good deal of feeling on the question in Christchurch, and the public was entitled to know what the intentions of the department were. * * * Air. Sullivan also gave notice to ask the Alinister to make a statement as to the hours of work of detectives b* - fore and after the regulations issued hv tho former Commissioner of Police, Air. AY. B. Mcßveney, and whether the Alinister would reorganise the detective branch to provide for reasonable hours. • * * Four weeks’ leave of absence because of illness wa < granted the lit. Hon. Sir Joseph Ward. * * • That for gross breaches of the i Alotor Y’ehicles Act there should « * power to confiscate the driver’s vehich* was a suggestion mrde by Mr. F. L> «> (Waikato) in a quest on to the Minister of Justice, the Hon. J. G. Cobbe. Air. Lye pointed out the increase in the number of cases of drivers being drunk in charge of cars, and stated that previous punishments did not appear to have a sufficiently deterrent effect.