ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS

Chronicle (Levin), 12 September 1946, Page 7

ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS

-Press Association

♦ Number of Matters Before Parliament

By Telegraph—

WELLINGTON, Sept. 11. Tlie Ilouse devoted this alteroon to the consideration of Alinisterial replies to questions. ilr. Nasli, answering Mr. C. G. F. Harker, said the wkole of the shares in Union Airways was purchased on behalf of the National Airways Corporation as from April 1. At that date the corporation's directors had not been appointed, consequently payment was uiade out of Etate funds and the shares are held in the natues of the nominal j shareholders pending a transfer to the corporation, which shouid have taken place witliin the next few days. Meansvhile the Government holds undcrtakings from the nominal shareholder«i concerned, wlio are mainly Treasury otticials, that the shares are held in trust and will be trausferred to the corporation wi-thout cliarge wlien required. Closing of Rolls. Ilon. P. Eraser, replying to Ilr. T. II. McCombs (Lyttelton), said radio and Press publicity would be given to the closing of the electoral rolls and the procedure to be followed to obtaiu enrohnent. Mr. McCombs, in a note to his questiou, claimed to have been reliably iuformed that National Party canvassers were telling householders that canvassers would attend to enrolment. Mr. Fraser, elaborating his reply to Mr. McCombs on the niethod of enrolment for the forthcoming election, said that the fullest possiblc publicity would be given to tlie people of the JDoininioii i and that the individual responsibility to enrol would be emphasised. Rush for Patent Rights. j Ilon. F. Jones, replying to Mr. ~\V. J.| Broadfoot (Waitomo), said that duriugl the past year there had beeu an extru-j ordinary increase in the number of ap-j plicalions for patents of a highly tech-' uical nalure, lUed in the Patent Ollice, i with the consequence that there was| a steadily increasing accumulation of 1 matters awaiting technieal examination.j Tlie Public Werviee Commissoner was at present eonsidering the appoiutiuent j of several speciul technieal experts to; ihe Patent Ollice slaif. Ilon. J. O'Brien, replying to Mr. j Watts, said a report had been niade to; ihe Labour Department concerning tliei threat to deelare ''black" n Christ-I churcli baker who was baking and de-i livering bread on Eaturday. "The Government does not approve; of the aetion of the union olHcials con-

cerned. There is no evidence oi a1 breach of the labour laws but to tlie) extent that the baker eoncerned is ill-j all'ected by any aetion, he shouid con-( sult his legal advisers as to his right; of aetion for damage* " said Mr. O 'Brien. Mr. Watts had asked if the Government intended to take any steps in tlie matter. Ilon. A. H. Nordinevcr, replying to! Mr. IL M. Algie (Kemuera), said tlie! Department of Health recently obtaiu-i ed an increase of 33 1-3 per eent. in the! supplies of penicillin from Australia| and the present allocution appears to! have satislied all exeept a very few o f i the hospital autliurities througli whoni distribution is made. Wubstantial addi-j tional quantities have been ordered ! from Britai.il which niade the supplies | available for export iu June. fSome of these additional supplies were to liand,' others were in trausit, and with tlie; regular receipt of these l'urther suppliesi all reasonable requirements would bej uiet. i Ilon. F. Jones, replying to Mr. (hyde1 Carr (Timaru) who had suggested; making grumophone recordings of Parliamentary broadcasts and lilins of; Parliament in session, said it would not| be praclieable with the equipment ! available at present, to record or lilm contiiiuously proceedings of tlie House rft' llepresentatives. Further, the Ilouse; had many limitations which would be; diflicult to overcome before lilms of:' the' required technieal standard could be produced. llecordings could not satisJ'actorily supplant llausard as tlicy had: certaiu limitations coinpared' with tlie priuted word. These iucluded the risk of breakages, possiblo niechanieal failure when recording, inaccessibility ofj records to the public exeept at great. expense, in pressing the necessary: copies from the original, the limiledj playing life aiul dilliculiy of referringj to records which niust bc played as; against tlie priuted word which could, bo read. "Aloderu iuventions shouid enable ai permanent record to be made," said | Mr. Clyde Carr, when he diseussed the j reply of Mr. Jones. He considered thatj the magnetic wire recorder which had; beeu used duriug Ihe war, would over- 1 come. niauy of tlie ditiicuities i'orecast ; iu the Minister's reply.