ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS IN HOUSE

Chronicle (Levin), 10 July 1947, Page 2

ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS IN HOUSE

WELLINGTON, July 9. In the House of Bepresentatives, Mr. Fraser, replying to a question by Mr. T. L. Macdonaid, said appointments to praetieally all positions in the publie service were governed by the Publie Service Aet and were controiled by the Publie Service Commission in accordance with the authority and in the manner provided in that Aet. It was not intended to alter this proeedure. Such an alter ation would involvd amendments to the Aet and no such legislation was proposed. Mr. Macdonaid had asked if the Governmpnt intended acting on the lines of a remit adopted at the recent eonferenee of the Federation of Labour which stated that when appointments to responsible Government positions were made, preference should be given to those sympathetie with the Government policy. Mr. Cullen, answering Mr. McAlpine, said he hoped to announce within a few days the appointment of a Royal Commission to go into the serious question of hill country farming. Miss Howard, answering a question by Mr. Finlay, said even in ,a country like New Zealand where there was ample nourishing food available for every cliild, diatetie ignorance may eause malnutrition. Mr. Finlay had asked for an investigation into the reported malnutrition among children entering the health camp at Campbell's Bay, near Auckland, and had inquired what steps were being taken to cheek what appeared to be grievous negleet by some parents. Miss Howard said inquiries so far made from the camp authorities and others had produeed no evidence to support the sug'gestion that the cohdition of these children was due to parental negleet, the eausative factors b'eing wholly or almost wholly constitutional. It should be understood that cases of malnutrition could exist in spite of the evidence of good home conditions and parental care. A more extensive knowledge of the nutritive properties of foods would largety eounteract the danger of under-nourishment. Miss Howard said that although further investigations wrere being made, it was to be depreeated, in view of the recognised difficulties of assessing causes of malnutrition, that there should be reference to parental negleet in specified cases. Mr. Fraser, replying to Mr. Finlay, said full information concerning the proposed second Japanese whaling expedition to *the Antaretic and the exchange of views on the matter, would be placed before the House. Negotiations were still proeeeding. Information was being' sought about the " propo^als affeeting the phosphate industry in Anguar Island. Mr. H. G. R. Mason, answering Mr. J. T. Watts, said he was examining the recent English Eill concerning the rights of citizens to sue the Crown and would see whether similar provisions would be convenient in New Zealand. Mr. W. E. Parry, answering Mr. E. P. Aderman, said the suggestion made by Dr. Thompson, of New Plymouth, for a fund to commemorate in some practical form Mr. Churchill 's service as a war leader, would receive careful consideration by the Government. Whether the proposal was the best way to commemorate Mr. Churchill ;s services would have to be the subject of diseussion both in Newr Zealand and the ITnited Kingdom. Mr. F. Jones, answering Mr. Mackley said there had been a loss of publie money .through some unauthorised person or persons improperly using Air Department orders for the purchase of railway tickets. The orders used were stolen from the Air Department. The amount of the loss appeared to be about £250. Poliee inquiries were proeeeding.