POLITICAL NOTES

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 299, 13 September 1919, Page 7

POLITICAL NOTES

BUSY MINISTERS Ministers nre ; having a very busy time at present, Mr..-Massey told the House of Hepreseutatives yesterday something o't the troubles of Ministers just now. ••'There-are so many strangers in Wellington at present;' attending conferences here," said Mr. Massey; "that Ministers are occupied for tho whole of their time in seeing people. .It is quite impossible /lor Ministers to .refuse to see them, when they have come two or three hundred luiles to do their business. It is almost impossible to make -arrangements to see visitors during only certain hours of the (lay. People coma along at. a few hours' notice, and fay that they want to soe the Prime Minister or some, other Minister, or, perhaps two or tlireo Ministers together. I don't think 1 could have had less than fifty people through my loom to-day. Under these conditions it is, almost impossible for Ministers to prepare work for the House." Mr. Mafiseys. words had reference to a question asked him as. to when replies would bo furnished to : the questions asked last week. .. Mr. Massey. replied that the replies would be furnished as soon as Ministers could get time to attend to them.

: PRISON POLICY. The New Minister of Justice (Mr. : Coates) was asked in the House of Representatives yesterday whether ho intended to continue' tho policy of the Prisons Department in removing prisons from ' the centres of-population. . The Minister said that the policy of the : Department was as had been stated '■ —rto. .remove the large, prisons from .the city centres. It was not' proposed at ■< present to go iii for any largo expenditure in the building of new gaols., In regard to Wellington overy effort had been made to secure a sito which would be suitable for • the. district. .Provision was being made ,at Point Halswell for the accommodation. of women prisoners. .' Mr.'Fraser': Surely you will never send • them there.. ■ • ■. - ••. Mr. Coates: That is the intention. ".Mr,! PraSer: - Go' and have a look at the Bite for yourself,• ■ and . you will never ■ do.it. '' Mr..'Coates promised to look over , the .site. The establishment of new prisons could not all be done at once on account of the expenditure that would be involved. For the present he'intended-to-ad-here to the policy of the Department, approved by both -of his predecessors in officer. Later.-he would perhaps have occasion to use his own judgment more. 'the u'rewera country. The 1 Minister of Native Affairs .(Mr. J-. Herries) was'asked'in the House yesterday, by Mr. Pearce what information he 'could/give, about - the, settlement of- the lliewera Country'. .." .'•.'" The Minister said that up till July .11 • the area of the Urewera lands bought by. the i Crown was 28pj602 acres, the total amount bought : in' the' past year having been 42,693.acres. rn ,Whether these areas could be put'into occupation at once dfc. pended entirely '.on the Lands Department. The lands purchased might not - be suitably; situated'for immediate subdivision. He .would be very glad to consult with the Surveyor-General and the '• TJhder-Secretary :of .'Lands.as to. whether the time was ripe for cutting up-the Crown purchases l -for settlement.,; ' V COMING EVENTS? Mr. Semple asked the Prime Minister. In the H«use of Representatives yesterday "'whether it. has been brought under his notice that certain individuals' are canvassing or enrolling special constables in-the country?" i • • Mr. Massey replied: I have, heard: nothing of it THE HIDES MARKET. 1 , A question regarding \the present unsatisfactory state sof the market for . hides was asked of. the Prime ; Minister in. the House., yesterday. Mr. S. G. .' Smith asked the''Prime Minister whether '. it was the.intention of the Government ; to removp, the.Smbargo on the .export of, :::.,hldes'at'&3 tt Wy4'date:;!' : ':. ■ ••-

Mr. Massey ..said 'that .this, matter' was ,| at 'present"'under; .the "consideration :<Jf the Government,' and a conference was being convened' of those particularly interested—the producers, tanners, bootmakers. and freezing, companies. He hoped, that the conference would meet next week, and that as the result of it Bopiething miglit be done to put things on a better footing. ■ SOLDIEHS"LAND SETTLEMENT.' . Delays in getting work through the Distriot Lands Offices are'alleged to be responsible for much of the loss of time in the settlement'of lands'available for settlement by soldiers.. "In' the House ;of yesterday Mr.- Witty: asked the Minister ; of landsi if lie would increase the staffs in the district offices, ns it was almost impossible for the pre-' sent staffs to continue working at the present high pressure. - The Minister'-(Mr. Guthrie) said that the danger of staffs being short had been recognised a considerable"-' time ago., when the-Commissioners met 'him in Wellington they were instructed not to let themselves get, snowed .under, but to ask for staff increases as soon as the need..,arose, Mr. Heed: Applications.have been made In the case.of the North Auckland Board. Mr. Guthrie-. And they have got,it. , Air. Witty: And in Christchurch ? ' Mr.- Guthrie: In Christehurch tliey have got it. too; but what I fear is that the increase-lias been made at the bottom, and not at''the. top. What they want; there, is a man of experience. . TEMPORARY EMPLOYEES, Dr. A. K. Newman (Wellington East) has asked the Prime Minister "whether, In view of the fact that ;very, shortly all the soldiers will return, and that in many Departments 'of tlio Civil Service a large number of temporary employees will be thrown out of work; the Government will make an organised effort to prevent distress among them and their fami?ies ?.

NATIVE LAND PURCHASE. The annual report of the Native Land Purchase' Board, laid before Parliament yesterday, slates, that during the past year 115,389 acres, were purchafed and 63 blocks, comprising. 125,780 acres, were proclaimed Crown land. Negotiations are in progress ill respect of blocks comprising approximately 771,8fi3 acres. The area purchased' in the Urewera- Native Reserve during the year wa5.42.693. acre.", making the total area purchased at-[Unroll '31 last 290,602 acres. In the Tolchanu-Taiino district 58,5+1 acres were purchased. The total area of Native land alienated J;} - way of sale since the passing of the Native Land Act, 1909. is approximately 2,258,738 acres, including 955.394 acres acquired' on behalf nf the Crown.