POLITICAL NOTES

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 19164, 22 November 1927, Page 10

POLITICAL NOTES

j [TOT PRESS Special B,^ WELLINGTON, Members' Pay. Replying to a question by V, k > (Nelson), the Prime Mini following reply : ~«i t h «*• to submit any amendments to aJnt List Act this session. I havn .i**! 3 stated in tho House that Sa**fr Government recognised the \ ' nature of the demands made u M „ ,? private resources of many memW. ♦ the discharge of their Parh«ne n u2 duties, it was regretted that thev unable to submit proposals to ment this session providing for*!crease in the honoraria of Bible in Schools. The Government quite clearly a*. ' not wish to meddle with the KblTschools question. The, following among the replies to questions eW lated to-night: "The Government W prepared to take steps to amend tk Education Act in tho direction of «*! viding that no Education Board » School Committeo shall have power k prevent duly accredited persons fton giving religious instruction in &!u school buildings, out ef coapnW school hours, as given at present hY Nelson and other places under the JUL son System of religious instruction." Fertilisers. - The Hon. Mr Hawken states that it' Department of Agriculture undertake* free of charge the analysis of any fa tiliser purchased by a farmer, and aa\ vises the purchaser whether the anarnii' agrees with the vendor's guwSL; Official samples of fertilisers are aM taken from time to time by spectors under the Fertilisers Act. B* arrangement with the importers of bata slag, and with the Imperial InstiW London, samples of this fertiliser e* signed to New Zealand are takes ail the port of shipment, and analysed S London. In the event of any a* crepancy between the analysis and tat manufacturers' guarantee, the imports will be notified before the arrWaltl the shipment. A Shark Industry. Mr Bhodes, member for Thanes, ■ anxious to have a shark-flibJag tiaW try established in New Zealand, ft quotes an authority as stating .that B commercial products are obtainable from sharks. "Land sharks!" interjected am keey member. Mr Bhodes, in advocating aid to ndj an industry, said he was quite letioaV The Minister for Marine replied thai his Department has collected a eonejdep able amount of technical information 0| the subject, which ean be placed at ttf disposal of anyone interested/ There is not available at present, however, aaj reliable information as to whether its species are in sufficient numberi U form the basis of a permanent indurtty Mining Subsidies, Beplying to a question by Mr life son (Motueka), the Minister for Minji stated that the Government is not pft« pared to grant a subsidy up tola total of £50,000 for the treatment and wort, ing of oil, gold, and other minerals « the West Coast of the South Island m the basis and subject to the condition! suggested by Mr Hudson—£s for £l. Under the existing law, before an application for a subsidy can be tmtep tained by the Government, the applicant is required to supply to the lunu Department full information as to the proposed prospecting, the estimated expenditure required, and 1 the? jostifie* ; 'tion for incurring such* expenditure.'' If definite proposals are submitted dealing with particular properties; they: will re. ceive consideration by the Government, after due investigation has been made,