POLITICAL NOTES

Timaru Herald, Issue 170299, 19 August 1920, Page 7

POLITICAL NOTES

MINISTEBIAL REPLIES.

TO VARIOUS QUESTIONS.

From our Parliamentary Correspondent

WELLINGTON, August IS A promise -ivas given in replv to" a question to-day by Sir William Hemes that the Pensions Amending Dili i 0 bo introduced this session, will provide lor an increase in the disqualifying amount of income for both single ana married applicants. Sir William Herries, Minister of Labour intonned Mr Luke to-dav that the question of allowing an increase in the maximum rental for houses of 8 per cent, on the capital value, to cover the increased cost of maintenance of houses ivas being inquired into by the Department. x

At the end of last year the Government sent to the Imperial Institute a sample of New Zealand timbers with the object of discovering whether anv of them were suitable for the manufacture of paper. Mr Guthrie stated today that no reply had yet been received. Should the reply be favourable, definite proposals with regard to the establishment of the wood pulp industryf in the Dominion would be made bv the Government. I The Minister of Education stated that by a recent decision of Cabinet a subsidy of £1 for every £2 of voluutarv contribution is payable by the Government to school committees tor the making of school swimming baths, subject to the condition that the baths are constructed on laud held by the Education Board. In general, the amount of the Government subsidy is limited to £l5O. Per Press Association. In reply to a question it was stated that the propriety of local bodies mak- , ing contributions in money, land, or buildings for the purposes of technical education was established by legislative authority in provisions of, the Education Act, and though the proportion of eonti - ifrutions, taken in the rggregate is small, compared with the whole cost, the Department will ctntinue to welcome the practical, support; of local bodies for what are, after sJI, largely local institutions catering for local needs. In the light of a common practice in Great Britain mid other countries, in which local bodies bear a large portion of the cost of technical education, it cannot lie agreed that such an object lies nece=s.iriiv outside the nor- . mal functions of such bodies. ! THE BETTING BILL.

In the Legislative Council Sir franeis Bell moved that the Council does ii.ot insist on its amendments to the Gaming Bill. They could not afford to lose the Bill by insisting on them. On the motion of Mr Samuel discussion was postponed till next day, to enable members to look into certain points. Several other Bills received from the House were advanced a stage.