WHAT MEMBERS WANT TO KNOW.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 685, 9 December 1909, Page 5

WHAT MEMBERS WANT TO KNOW.

MINISTERIAL REPLIES. '"'■''■;' Answers to questions were circulated yesterday. Tlio following ate somo of the most' important replies:— .v.; • Workers' Dwellings Bill. ■The Hon., J. A. Millar hopes to introduce-a Workers Dwellings Bill shortly. Bush and Swamp Lands. The Primp Minister sees no reason for amending the legislation relating to bush and swamp lands so as to enable settlers holding ■leases under-that'tenure to rate the lands* in order,to provide interest on special loans for road and bridge construction. If . this were done, ho states, tho exemption of settlers from payment of t rent and rates at the commencement of their leases■ oould.no longer bo allowed. .. , . - Gaol for Palmerston.i 'A' report upon the condition of; the police gaol and lock-up at Palmerston North has been called for, and,- when it comes to' hand, tho matter of erecting a gaol will teceivo the consideration of the Government..' Land for Settlement. Every effort has been made to.obtain additional land for settlement' under • improved-farm-settlement conditions, but the Commissioners of Crown Lands report that there is no more suitable land at present available. For' reason the original number, of • 400 of such holdings, that it was the: intention of the Government to open, recently had to-bo reduced to 320. The Prime Minister does not therefore anticipate that additional; land can be opened as improved farms until further land is acquired from. tho Native, owners. ~-'V Civil. Service Classification. Owing ,to • the. various Departmental changes both already, effected and contemplated in consequence, of the policy, of retrenchment and amalgamation that is being carried out by the Government, it has not been possible to complete the classification of the : Civil Service;. As soon, however; as the • final . Departmental arangements are made, the matter will receive further, consideration. '■

■ '•'.";■ ,; :Trains at Waikanae. Mr. Field asked the Minister for Railways whether, bd was aware that the. wholp of the land required for the Manawatu railway lino through the Waikanae Block, a distance of several miles, was presented by 'the Native owners to the Manawatu Company in'* consideration of the company agreeing to stop all trains at Waikanae,'an . agreement which tho company always faithfully carried out. Mr. Field further'asked whether,-if-it was now proposed that some of the trains which had stopped at Waikanae for.years past should not now stop there, the Minister.would'at lpast substantially fulfil the company's undertaking by stopping at least ono convenient mail train, north and south, at Waikanae.' : ■ "":■'.'•"; The. Minister's reply. was as follows:—"I am not aware of the conditions under which land for the Welliugton-Manawatu railway, was acquired-by the company from the Natives. In so far, however, as the stopping of trains at Waikanae is concerned, that station has been: better served since the acquisition of the by tho Government than it previously was. Four, trains each way per day now stop at Waikanae, for tho purpose of picking up and setting down passengers, and this is amply sufficient for. all tho requirements. The express trains to arid from New Plymouth stop at Waikanae as heretofore, so that the-request as fully ;met.; I may further state that the train conveniences afforded to -.the .' settlers along the-Manawatu line-between Wellington arid.Palmerston North ard considerably in advance :of those, provided during ;tho company's regime." ." , ' ' : '' ■ The Customs Act. ' '•'■;'' Mr. Wright asked the Minister for Customs whether he would take stops this session to aniend ; the regulations regarding drawback of duty on ships' stores, making it possible for merchants"to obtain drawback on goods-sup-plied as ships'.' stores to foreign-going vessels. ■The Hon. G. Fowlds has replied that there is no power to .alter the regulations in the direction asked for-without an amendment of-the Customs Law Act. 'Tho question of submitting such- legislation to .Parliament is at, present under! the consideration. of the Government. Country Telephones. ; In: answer- to Mr.Bniok (PoVierston),; who. asked that countrynsettltjrs 1 . should be enabled' to- connect more, cheaply' With tho telephone, 'the Primo Ministef^feplidtlfthat the rates■ for* connection with telephone:exchanges are already: as low as they can be made for the exchanges to be self-supporting.-. In addition,.the Departs ment gives every facility-for. private, wires of settlers to be: connected, either: with exchanges, or,'.'where-there are -no-exchanges,.-with tolc--' phone offices.- ; * < - '.-■< ■ ■..■■'•>. •!

V- Railway to" Miramar, - Mr.' Luke asked the 'Minister -.- for'- Publio Works' whether- he would at early ■■?-. date reply to the deputation-of .residents of To Aro, Kilbirnie, and Miramar Peninsula;' who waited on his predecessor, the, Hon. W. HallJones, asking for the extension of the railway system beyond To Aro, ; so as to serve 'tha : ',coni«. munity of the southcrid of ,tho.'. city, and Miramar'. ',■. ..-.- ,"■ ' - ■■■'.'■ The Hon. It. M'Kenzie replies that there is no record in the Public Works. Department of any representations- regarding tho .extension of the railway system beyond To Aro having been- made to Mr. Hall-Jones by a deputation from, the districts referred to.

Mpumahaki State Farm.-. '.'■•'.'■'"' There were 21 bands employed on the Mpumahaki Experimental Farm',''of ; whom -ten •have been retired, leaving- elevens-on -.the I estate including 'the'manager. '. The; Director of Fields and Experimental- Farms'is now at Moumahaki, and will' on his return submit a report for the consideration'- of' thes Government'lt is not at present intended to take on'boys as' apprentices,- at. Monmahaki. ' - : MrvT\ E; Donne..... •."■:-;...■ ■•■■v, Jlr.' Wright asked :the Government (1) whether Mr. T. E. Donne was allowed, -whi.le head of the. Tourist Department; to have, private Work done in the way of bird-stuffing l and the ; making of'cases for the same, such work being • paid for with public money;, and (2) why Mr. Donne, while head - of the ..Tourist Department, was enabled to purchase Maori curios, carvings, and .carved iouses. ■ The Hon. T. Mackenzie has replied as follows:—"Some valuable skins belonging to. Mr.' Donne . were > stuffed by the-Department in order that New Zealand, at the International Exposition,, might.bo able to show some good specimens -of its ' fauna. This was considered a service to the Dominion, and was done by Ministerial authority. The birds have also been shown in other places; and they will be exhibited in the United Kingdom." Mr. Donno has'for. thirty years' been a; .collector,- and possessed, what was probably .the most valuable collection in. the • Dominion and placed thorn unreservedly at the disposal of the Department without charge'of any kind." ,

Regressing Pastoral Lands. The Government is experimenting. with- a goodly number of native grasses -with a view to ascertaining their '.quality and adaptability. The question of regrassing. pastoral country is one of the very first importance; and the Government is about to further experimont'bv enclosing areas of 25 acres for the purpose of ascertaining the extent to-which native grasses will come again by protection. Where this doe's not occur tests will be made of both native-and introduced • ■■■.-'■ War Office Contracts. With resard to meat contracts for Gibraltar, the' Hon. T..'Mackenzie states that the Industries and Commerce Division of the Agricultural. Department, through Commissioner's Office,, has closely attended to, tho War Office contracts, and the utmost,energy has been .Bhown with' the object of. securing for this, country a share of Mm frozen mutton and beef contracts. 'This is'being 'closely watched at the present time, and it is hoped that the superior quality of New Zealand meat will secure a'share of the War-Office, contracts.' ' ;'.- The .Rabbit Nuisance. . .'.'■' ' There is usually an increase of. rabbits. in the King Country at; this season of the vear, but, as the officers in the district are (hose who have maintained control'over, the pest there for many years past, it is hoped that they,can .bo trusted not;-to. allow any permanent increase: to take place. The Department; has for a-long time past, kept the' rabbits in ohock on the wide extent. of unoccupied land in the King Country, and has protected tho isolated-settlers by following -up the poisoning with trapping ■■ and fumigating bur-' row's-in the neighbourhood: of the' farms.- ■'■■'