THE HON. J. A. MILLAR IN THE SOUTH.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1117, 3 May 1911, Page 5

THE HON. J. A. MILLAR IN THE SOUTH.

—g ■ * RAILWAYS AND FRUIT INDUSTRY,' CONCESSION GRANTED, PARLIAMENTARY AND OTHER ELECTIONS. U3y Tclceraph—Press Association.! Christchurch, May 2. The Hon. J. A, Millar was kept busy the greater part of the day receiving deputations, somo of which wcro only of local interest. A deputation from the Canterbury Fruitgrowers' Association stated that in consequence of tho new railway regulation they had to pay almost as much railago as what tho boxes cost, and. ( growers in other parts wcro getting tfheir eases at half cost. They were all competing in the samo market, but Canterbury was penalised, and after a while fruitgrowing in (his province would Iμ >, but a tiling of tho past. They asked that / timber for fruit cases should bo carried' froo from tho nearest timber district.

Tho Minister, in reply, said tho matter, was not a new one. It hnd been before > him some time. Tho policy of tho Government had boon to encourage tho fruit industry, and they had endeavoured to do ' that. It did not pay tiio Government to : carry fruit at Hie pric;- they tJid, but; wlicu tho Hawke's iiay Association demanded as a right that trucks should be sent to lioj:oi'ua and fruit cases sent free from the'ro to Hastings, the Government considered it was time to take action. The Canterbury fruitgrowers had timber near at hand if they wanted it—at Case and near Greyinouth. They asked him . to carry cases free. He did not believe in that, but ho might consider charging only a nominal rale. If he granted their request all tho other industries would be asking to have their goods carried ■ free. Ho had been faced with a publio cry that the railways wcro not paying, and Commissioners had been demanded, He was asked every day to increase railway facilities, yards, mid wages, and to reduce fares. But how was it to be done? They would not like to put their money into a. business like that. He would, however, grant 100 miles free railage and a nominal rate for the rest. „ . Accident Pay. Replying to a deputation from the Lvr- ; tfilton Casual Labourers' Union, the Minister said he recognised the necessity for the prompt payment of accident pay, und as soon as he returned to Wellington lie would look into tho matter. He would telegraph to the general manager regard- , ing the cases of men who had met with accidents and who had not yet received payment.

The deputation also made representa- / tions on. the subject of accident pay being paid in cash where- injuries were re- ' ceivcd that incapacitated the worker for less than one week. The Minister said, that he fully sympathised with these re- ' presentations, and added that he had introduced in Parliament a clause providing that in addition to accident pay .£lO should bo payable for medical advice. This proposal ho had had to abandon, j and he had had to modify his-views on' tiie point referred to by Hie deputation \ because representations made to him showed that if given effect to tho pro-. Sosal would mean that premiums, would j e increased by 210 per cent., and that ' small industries would in consequence bo wrecked, j

Municipal Corporations Act, Replying to a deputation representing, the Municipal Representation Committee, which asked that the regulations governing Parliamentary elections should govern municipal elections, and that the i'ar- ' liamentary and municipal elections bo held the same day, the Minister said the! request for alteration in tho Municipal.' Corporations Act would be placed before! Cabinet. Personally ho would like to fee the Municipal Corporations ' Acfl' amended to give a three years' lease of, office to local bodies, including that of Mayor, because at the present time county '■ representatives took office for three some road boards for one year, and city councils for two years; but if they took all tho elections together on one day it would mean absolute confusion. Hβ would, however, lay the matter before his colleagues. The suggestion that the polls should be extended till 8 p.m. was, lie thought, a good one, and he would place it before the Cabinet. It could be easily \lonc. • ' Speech at Dunedin. Mr. Millar, in the course of an interview, stated that he Intended dealing fully with the results of the financial year in his address at Dunedin, whicn will tie delivered probably on Monday \ evening next. J Regarding his visit of inspection tine j afternoon to-Addington railway workshops ] Mr. Millar said that he saw tho new plant : and machinery and was pleased to learn | from the manager of tho economies effected as tho result of their use. Ho al«> | noted that good progress was being made ! with the construction of ten locomotives of the "B" type. Carriage of Dogs. A recent local casp in which cruelty-, was alleged iu connection with tho car-, riaga of dogs on railways was brought , : under the Minister'-, notice. He saw I that there was no more cruelty in put- i ting a.dog in a. box on a train than iu ' putting it in :i kennel, so long as too j many wore not put into one box. Thorn was nieuly of accommodation in the boxes, which were also fairly well ventilated. It wn? Hit only way that does cbuld bo carried on the railways. They could not ba put in the guard's van, for instance. | Tho Manawatu Line. Referring tn almost daily requests for . expenditure on railways, tho Miuisler - staled that shortly toiidderable expense' would have to be faced in connection I with station and other building's on the Manawaln line. The Census. As to lac likelihood of the North Island paining several seals as the result of the , census, and of the work of the RepiCf.ont:i. tion Commission, the Minister remarked that he did not think that (he South Inland was going to los? vho dumber ot scats that some people an'.iciiiated. So far the census returns showed increase-, of population in riimost every district in .'ho South Island, but it was impossible to sny accurately what the final result would bo until all (h<>--.census ligurr* were ill. The. Minister leaves by (he first express for the south to-morrow, and en route to Dunedin will receive deputations on railnay- matters at Ashburton, Temuka, aud Tiiunru,