POLITICAL NOTES

Press, Volume LVI, Issue 16985, 6 November 1920, Page 8

POLITICAL NOTES

(.SPECIAL TO "THE PRESS.''} WELLINGTON, November 3. Lytteltou Gaol Site. Mr McCombs asked tlio Minister of Education to-day if tlio Government was going to transfer tlio Lyttolton gaol site to the Education Department. The Hon. C. «T. Parr said the arrangements were now in hand to do this. The school would be able to obtain ft playground from some of the laud occupied by the gaol. They could not gofc all the land now, but it would come i:i time. The Prisons Department- _ li:v? been a very generous donor in this re spect. Otira Tunnel Work. Mr Seddon asked to-day about a rocent. stoppage of work at Otira. The Hon. J. G. Coates said there had been a slight, difficulty about wages, but it was a misunderstanding and it. had been arranged. There had also been :i stoppage on part of the works owing to a shortage of cement, but 100 tons of cement was now on its way there, and he hoped there would bo no further delay. Mr Soddon: For how many days was the work stopped ? Mr Coates: "The work did not actually stop, and T don't think there will be much of time.'' The trouble was through no fault, of the "Department-. It. was a question of the genera! shortage of cement. Greymouth Harbour Board. By Governor-General's message to-da> the Greymouth Harbour Bill was introduced in the House. Mr Massey said the Bill proposed to lend financial assistance to the Greymouth Harbour Board, the finances of which had been in straightened circumstances for some time. The financial advisers of the Government wero of oninion that the assistance proposed would enable the Board to carry on for quite a long time. Railways Authorisation Bill. When the Railways Authorisation Bill was introduced in the House of Representatives to-day, the Minister of Public Works (tho Hon. .T. G. Coates) said tliat tho Bill authorised a further extension of the North Auckland trunkline north of Tetio for a distance W thirteen miles. Construction had proceeded right tip to the present authorisation and the extension was necessary. The. extension now proposed would permit of a possible alteration of route. The other lines mentioned in the Bill were the final section of the WestportInanrrahua line and tho Pahucrston North deviation. The Minister, answering a question regarding tho Wcstport-Inangahua line., said he could not say when thi? railway would bo completed. His intention was to complete- tho Otira tunnel before doing anything elso in that part of the coUntrv, and during the next- eighteen months all the available labour would l>e required for the tunnel. Mr Holland repeated an offer he hnd made previously to find labour for tho Westport-Tna"crnliua line, which_ is to traverse the Buller Gorge and give access to extensive coal denosits. Mr Coates said h'o doubted if tho Government, would be justified in accepting the offer, when every man obtainable wns reauired in the coal mines. 'Mr Holland: T would get them from outsido New Zealand. Small Grazing Buns. Tho subject of the small grazing run leases, which was fully*discussed vrhbn the Land Bill was before the House, was again mentipnod to-day by Mr K. S. Williams, who asked tho Minister of Lands when the special legislation dealing with the matter would come down, and whether that legislation, whon it came down, would assure that tho lessees should liavo full compensation for the loss of their rig'ht of renewalThe Minister of Lands said that hefore the session ended, amending causes to the Land Bill would be introduced. He could assure the jnember in general terms that tho lessees would ho fully satisfied with the provision tiliat was to be made, and that full justice would be done to them. „ Backblock Schools. s The suggestion that the Minister or Education should spend a portion of the recess investigating the position of back-block schools, witih a view to giving them the advantages of any reform of the educational system that was intended, was made in a question which Mr Hockly asked in tho House th'.s afternoon. . The Hon. C. J. Parr said that he intended going into one or more of-iheso districts to see for himself the working of the schools. The problem was a difficult one. Where thete wero two or three families scattered about these districts. with six or seven children of school age, it was difficult to know how to provide for them the some class of instruction as that given to the children in the large city schools, with up-to-date staffs. The Government had alreadv done a great deal for these schools in the last four or five years. During that time tJho capitation grants had risen to £1-2 a head and was now, being made £15, the object being to induce teachers to undertake the work. Tho Education Bill which had just been passed contained a special provision for itinerant teachers to bo paid on_ a. special basis, instead of on the capitation system. Ho could assure his questioner that ho was very onxious to improve the of these schools. Mr Jennings suggested that tho Minister might also enquire into the- disabilities of the settlers owing to the want of nurses and doctors, and the Minister undertook to do so. Superannuation for Norses. An enquiry concerning tho progress of tho sdhemo to provide superannuation for nurses in tho public hospitals was made in the Houso this afternoon by Mr Young. The Minister of Public Health (tho Hon. C. J. 'Parr) said that ho had not got very far with the matter, which was one of grc;il difficulty. Nurse; entered tho iiublic hospitals, stayed there tor a year or two, and then very often left to enter upon private practice. •lie was in hopes, however, oi' being ablo to do something. Ho had a set of draft provisions ready. The whole question of superannuation would be considered during the reaess, with a view to legislation next session. He was in hopes that" tho difficulties were not insuperable. (PHESS ASSOCIATION' TELEGRAM.) Labour Legislation. In the House this evening, Sir William Herries moved the committal of the Shops and Offices Act Amendment Bill. Tho principal provision was that tho number of hours to be worked a week should be 48. He said that next session ho proposed to bring down a measure consolidating the labour legislation of the Dominion. ' Mr McCombs congratulated tho Minister on giving shop employees tho concessions embodied in the Bill, which were long overdue. In connection with the consolidation of labour legislation, ho suggested that the Minister, should call a conference of employers and employees for the purpose of agreeing as tar as nossiblo upon necessary reforms. The Bill was put through Committee with an amendment moved by the Minister increasing the hours that might be worked overtime at stocktaking by 138 in each year. The Bill was read a third time and passed.