QUESTIONS IN THE HOUSE

Taranaki Daily News, 18 July 1929, Page 13

QUESTIONS IN THE HOUSE

MINISTERS MAKE REPLIES PREVENTION OF EPIDEMICS. DEPOSITS IN SAVINGS BANKS. By Telegraph—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. The Hon. A. J. Stallworthy, replying io Air. J. S. Fletcher, said the Government, in co-operation with other countries, was keeping strict supervision over the outbreak of diseases in all parts of the world and was taking all precautions to prevent influenza spreading from Sydney to New Zealand. The Government did not depend on newspaper reports alone for information on this important subject. Sir Joseph Ward, replying to Mr. W. E. Barnard, said he could not agree to paying interest on deposits up to £5OOO in the Post Office Savings Bank. The maximum amount on which interest would be paid had been increased to £5OOO as a war measure to obtain money. Since then there had been evidence that the bank was being used by small firms and others as a means of obtaining interest on current accounts.

in reply to Mr. W. J. Polson. Sir Joseph Ward said he had arranged to increase the maximum amount of loan under tho intermediate rural credits scheme from £lOOO to £2OOO and to simplify the loan procedure. Tho following Bills were introduced and read a first time: —Rent Restric tion Continuance Bill No. 2 (the Hon. W. A. Veit/li), Lyttelton Harbour Board Reclamation Validation Bill (Mr. J. McCombs), Miners Phthisis Bill (Mr. W. E. Parry). Sir Apirana Ngata presented the Cook Islands report. Replying to Mr. J. A. Nash, Sir Joseph Ward stated that the representations made by several Civil Service organisations with regard to reductions made in civil servants’ salaries under the Police Expenditure Act, 1922, were ■being carefully considered and a statement would be made at an early date. WHEAT AND FLOUR DUTIES. Replying to Mr. H. S. S. Kyle, the Prime Minister stated that the Government had already announced its intention to refer the question of wheat and flour duties to a special committee of the House, representing all parties, to review the whole question during this session. The present duties would remain in force for the coming season's crop but the subsequent policy would be decided after the committee had taken evidence from the interested parties and made its recommendation to Parliament.

In reply to Mr. P. Fraser, Sir Joseph said a special committee was at present investigating tho whole subject of unemployment. The Government proposed to await the committee’s recommendations before bringing down legislative proposals. Mr. Fraser said legislation on the subject was being delayed too long. The House had lately seen the inglorious spectacle of an aimless debate, being continued while people were waiting for relief

Several other members attacked the Government for its alleged failure to cope with the situation. Sir Joseph Ward said the Government had not been inactive. The Christchurch City Council had power to raise loans to undertake relief work, and he could not understand why it would not accept the terms of the Government’s offer of a £25 ; 000 subsidy. The responsibility for coping with the problem did not rest with the Government alone. The Government was doing a great deal and was prepared to do a great deal more. It was not fair to ask the Government for a £1 for £1 subsidy because it could not afford to grant such a request. He hoped after the financial statement bad been presented t z o the House to be able to put more men on railway works. UNEMPLOYMENT IN COUNTRY. Mr. H. M. Rush worth appealed for relief for men in the country districts. It appeared men were leaving the country for the towns, where there was a prospect of their obtaining employment at relief works. This did not improve the position at all. The Prime Minister, in reply to Mr. C. Carr, said he was prepared to authorise subsidies to all bo-roughs that raised unemployment loans or used revenue moneys for capital works as certified by the Public Works Department. but the funds available for this purpose could not be authorised as grants. Sir Joseph, in answer to Mr. J. O’Brien, said the State Advances Board had full authority to grant additional loans to any of its mortgagors whose properties had been damaged by the earthquake and who might require financial assistance to enable them to make good the damage. It was not considered further provision was required. The Prime Minister, in answer to a question by Mr. 0. H. Chapman, said legislation would be introduced extending the duration of the Rent Restriction Act for another year. Sir Joseph Ward informed Mr. E. J; Howard that loans were obtainable from the State Advances Department on dwelling houses already erected, and on which money had been borrowed, provided the buildings had been erected, say, within the last five years. It was not the practice of the department to grant loans to purchase or redeem mortgages on old houses. Mr. W. J. Broadfoot (Waitomo) asked whether New Zealand would accept an invitation to attend the suggested conference of units of the Empire to consider the rationalisation of Empire industry, trade and development in view of the proposed heavy increase of the United States tariff against British products. DISEASE AMONGST SHEEP. Replying to Mr. C. 11. Field, the Hon. G. W. Forbes said there were no exact statistics of the number of sheep dying annually Jn New Zealand, but it could not be accepted that two millions died annually from disease, apart from troubles directly or indirectly of dietetic origin. New Zealand was by comparison in a very good position as regards serious diseases affecting sheep. The Hon. T. M. Wilford replied that he could not accede to the request of Mr. R. Semple to restore the civil rights of two students of religion who were conscientiously opposed to military service and who were recently deprived of their civil rights for ten years by nu Auckland magistrate.

The Hon. W. A. Veitch informed Mr D. Jones that the Government was considering the decisions of the recent industrial conference. Its legislative proposals would be disclosed from time to time throughout the session Many questions relating to pensions were placed before Mr. Veitch, who replied that all the subjects mentioned were under consideration,

Replying to Mr. C. E. MacMillan, the Hon. E. A. Ransom said that as formerly the district engineers of the Public Works Department had authority to engage labour for new works, and had been instructed to communicate with the head office when the number of men on a work fell below the economic minimum. The weekly returns of the Labour Department were then scrutinised and the employment of additional men authorised from localities where unemployment appeared to be most acute The Hon. W. B. Taverner, in answer to Mr. J. S. Fletcher, said the performances of the Garratt locomotives imported from England were being kept under review, but there had not yet been a sufficient opportunity to form a decision regarding their suitability for New Zealand conditions. BROADCASTING LICENSES. The Hon. J. B. Donald, replying to Mr. J. A. Nash, said that in addition to the four principal broadcasting stations there were 12 private broadcasting stations operating in New Zealand. Licenses for private broadcasting stations were issued without payment of fees, provided the technical requirements were satisfied and there was evidence that the applicant could satisfactorily maintain the proposed service. It was necessary to ensure that transmission was of good quality, also that there was a minimum of interference with the existing stations in localities remote from places where the “Y” stations were operating. The installa-' tion of private stations tended to encourage prospective listeners to purchase cheap, non-selective apparatus. It was encumbent on the P. and T. Department. therefore, in the interests of these people, to satisfy itself that some degree of permanency was guaranteed by 5 applicants for private broadcasting stations

Mr. Donald informed Mr. R. McKeon that he hoped shortly to be in a position to indicate when the reclassification of officers of the P. and T. Department could be completed. Mr. T. W. McDonald asked the Minister of Health whether he would take steps to cancel the 1924 arrangement between the department and the Master Bakers’ Federation, which purported to authorise the sale as 21b loaves bread of the “barracouta,” “corrugated” and “pompom” shapes weighing only 11b 14oz, that certain other types of bread should not exceed 11b Soz in weight, and certain other loaves of bread of ordinary composition not exceed 11b 4oz in weight. The Hon. A. J. Stallworthy said he proposed to review and reopen the whole question without unnecessary delay with a view to restoring constitutional practice and to make the position more satisfactory as between buyers and sellers of bread. Mr. J. A. Young said the arrangement mentioned hsrd been made at the time Sir Maui Pomare was Minister of Health. The types of bread mentioned contained the same amount of dough as the regulation loaves, but the arrangement had been made because these types of bread lost a certain amount of weight in the process of being made into their particular. shapes.