POLITICAL POINTS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 12761, 3 October 1919, Page 3

POLITICAL POINTS.

GOSSIP FROM THE GALLERY [From On* Comumpohdbrt.] WELLINGTON, October 2., MENTAL HOSPITAL ATTENDANTS. It- was suggested by Mr W 7 itty that as mental hospital attendants work nearly doable the hours of many other Civil Servants, and as their work is unpleasant and dangerous, the Minister in charge of Hospitals shall have the law amended so that ten years’ service shall count as fifteen years for superannuation in their case. Mr Massey, for the Minister in charge of the Mental Hospitals Department, replied:—“ln regard to the proportion of hours worked throughout the year by mental hospital employees to the ordinary hours of other Civil Servants, the member has been misinformed. Differential treatment has been asked for on the ground that "o many, of .the attendants enter the Department at maturer years than is the case in ‘most branches of the Civil Service, That matter will be referred for actuarial report.”

CANCER HOSPITAL. The Minister of Public Health does not agree with Mr Ell’s suggestion that there should he a special hospital for research and treatment of cancer. The Government prefers to subsidise the British Research Committee. A special hospital for the treatment of cancer would be advisable only if there were any special line of treatment which could not be equally well attained at general hospitals. Treatment of cancer, so far as it is known, resolves itself into early surgical measures.

“SAUCE FOR THE GOOSE.” Several times this session Mr Witty has urged the Minister of Defence to suitably deal with defence officers who fail to attend parades of Territorials just as Territorials are punished lot non-attendance. To a question on these lines the Minister of Defence replied; “Cases occur occasionally through exceptional i circumstances such as sudden illness, where an officer is prevented from attending a parang. In very exceptional circumstances this occurs where there is insufficient time to notify his cadets If, however, an n-c-o. is present it is his duty to undertake instruction in the absence of his officer. it is not undesirable that an officer should occasionally be absent from parades, as this gives his junior officers or n.c.o.’s an opportunity to exercise'initiative and control, and to develop their instructional qualities.’’

SOUTHERN* FERRY STEAMERS. Strong complaint against slowness and irregularity of the southern ferry steamers was made in the House to-da ; by Mr Forbes, who asked if the Minister of Marine would endeavour to get the Union Company to effect improvements as it was quite a common thing for a steamer to miss making the train connection. The Hon W. H. Berries, in reply, suggested that the matter was more one for the Minister of Railways, as the ferry service worked in association with -he trains. He would consult his colleague with a view to exercising joint pressure on the Union Company.

HERMITAGE ACCOMMODATION. The Hon AY. Nosworthy informed Mr Talbot to-day that be was aware of the necessity of increasing accommodation at the Hermitage, and the matter was now under consideration. Certain alterations had already been approved, which would have the effect of increasing the accommodation, .-.nd these would be put in hand by the Public Works Department as soon as the weather permitted.

RUBBISH IN SHARPS. Mr -Witty recently urged the Minister of Agriculture to compel millets and others mho grind wheat or sell sharps to state dearly on a card in each sack the nature'of the contents. He declared that all kinds of rubbish were being sold as ‘ sharps by unscrupnlous persons. Air Nosworthy said that the Department was co-operating with the Board of Trade in this matter, and action was being , taken to ascertain the extent of the practice and the persons responsible for it. Ihe teenring of this information would enable action to be taken to effectively deal until the matter, and in this the suggestion of the hon. member would be giviu full consideration.

LEES VALLEY SETTLERS. Ihe Hon D. Buddo asked the Minister of Lands the other day what assistance was to be given to the Lees A alley soldier settlers to enable them to meet the losses caused by the snowstorm in 1918, and to provide two bridges required to cross the Ashley. Tlie Hon D. H. Guthrie replied that an item appeared on the Estimates providing for the remission of rent recommended by tlie . Canterbury Land Board. Provision for the erection of bridges was a matter for the Minister of Public Works, and would, be considered in connection with the forthcoming Public Works estimates.

GERMAN GOODS. The Government, states the Prime Minister, will take the necessary etens to prevent New Zealand markets being flooded with German goods, and idle question of increasing the tariff ■ on German goods is under consideration. HOSPITAL BOARDS’ CONFERENCE. Hie Public Health Department, states Mr" Massey, in reply, to Mr Thomson, proposes to call a conference of Hospital Boards before next session to discuss among other matters a colonial scale of salaries and a superannuation scheme for ■ probationers, nurses and matrons so as to place tup nursing staffs of the Dominion upon a hotter footing.

PROTECTION OF TENANTS. The Government was urged by Mr Sidey to announce what it proposes to do to prevent' exploitation of tenants and remove hardship due to houses being sold over their heads. Mr Massey replied that the provisions protecting tenants from eviction are at present to be found in the war legislation. The subject of continuing the protection beyond the period of the war and of providing extended protection will be dealt with by legislation during the present session °if time permits.

ADVERSE EXCHANGE RATES. “The matter of stabilising the rate of exchange between New Zealand and the United States is receiving consideration,” said Sir James Allen to day in reply to a question from Mr Wilkinson, “but it must be remembered that; New Zealand is not the only country suffering from adverse exchange conditions . The question is also receiving careful attention, in Britain,*, where similar conditions obtain, and it is hoped that a solution of the adverse conditions of exchanzc will be found.”

WIDOWS’,, PENSIONS. The Minister in charge of pensions informed Mr Anderson to-day that tha whole question . of widows’, pensions is under consideration by the Government at, the present time, and a proposal that benefits from ; superannuation..funds should not operate, as income to affect, widows’ pensions will receive due considerationDOMINION IRON ORBS Sir "William Fraser informed Srtr Jon*

nings to-day that he had ascertained that a syndicate or company was making inquiries regarding the. purchase of the Parapara iron ore leases and the iron sands of Taranaki. Ho added that steps would b© taken to protect the interests of the Dominion in tbo matter.

ENCOURAGING SWIMMING. . In reply to a suggestion by Mr Young, that in view of the importance of the educational work done by the New Zealand Amateur Swimming Association, the subsidy of £IOO voted last year be increased this year to £SOO, the Hon J. B. Hine stated that it had already been decided to increase tbo grant from £IOO to £2OO, and the Gore rumen t did not feel justified in further increasing at any rate for t>re present.

LAW PRACTITIONERS ACT. tvmi 6 P on G> Goa tes infonned Mr Milford to-day that it was proposed to introduce, legislation amending the baw I ractitioners’ Act so as to allow a solicitor admitted prior to the. war or during it, and who takes up prac-tice-witlnn three months of his return, to count the intervening time as continuous practice as a solicitor.

NATURALISATION PAPERS. A question was asked by Mr Sykes tins afternoon whether naturalisation papers are yet being issued to aliens, the member instanced several friendU and neutral aliens who had been making inquiries recently. untiU 6 H ° n replied that sf.Hn a oc ‘ a l mat,on had been issued stating that the country no longer was Tar n ? P° w ' ers «>«ld ho ’f’f- promised to hare the matter considered, however.

S?*u C! ? AIR OF agr -iculttre. til P rewT J t demands on educational votes m other directions, it will not be possible to make provision for a Chmr of Agriculture at one or other of the University Colleges, even if it were that the foundation ot such Chau; or chairs provided the studv n of a ?h Promoting the scientific study of the subject, slated M r MncvL m +l f e f A , a su SSestion by *Mr Poole that Auckland University should be assisted to establish a Chair of Agriculture. 04

shipping space for fruit. A , a question bv Mr T. A- H. r leld (Nelson) respecting shipping space for the export of apples next S! 1 ,? be f *| on . AV - Nosworthy stated to-day that the importance of securing ample shipping spaC e for the export o? Wi. Douunlon ; , Produce, including fruit, wa.s very fully recognised hv the Coieminent, and every endeavour is ■ eing made to assist fruitgrowers in this matter so far as the shipping position permits. It it i s found posdhle to provide the necessary space for fruit, the question of guaranteeing a minimum return on shipments will receive every consideration.

WAR MEMORIALS, suggestion that the Govern men t’ s proposal to vote £IOO,OOO for war memorials should be reconsidered wan made m the House to-day by Mr Isitfe who urged that this money should b© used for some institution for remedial treatment of wounded soldiers or devoted to subsidies all over the country wherever local people were prepared to build institutions for their own solcuers.

THE LAND TAX LEVER. It was no mere party criticism to sav that protests were coming from all quarters against the system of settling soldiers on the land, remarked Air Isitt m the course, of his speech on the Budget. When the House passed a big loan for the purpose, he continued, this had a. hardening effect on prices. Whoever was leader next session, he should stop this absurd system, and secure the breaking up of big estates by a Substantial increase of the graduated land tax.

-MR ELL’S MOVE. The greater part of Mr Ell’s speech on the Budget to-night was devoted to an effort to show the extreme I/abour group that it had failed to recognise the steady persistent policy of the Liberal Party to improve working conditions in mines and all other industries. His own voice and. vote were always on the side of Labour, hut although he .had been in the forefront of the Radical movement he had alwayvS had the extreme section harking at his heels.

ir 5 " ; And now you run away. Air Ell; I gave notice to the present member for Lyttelton two and a half years ago that I intended to try to represent the district where for nineteen years I have laboured to complete a great hill road.