IMPREST SUPPLY

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 236, 30 June 1920, Page 8

IMPREST SUPPLY

- & PAYMENT FOR NAURU ISLAND £500,000 FOR SOLDIERS' SETTLEMENT The Imprest Supply Bill, which was introduced in the House of Representatives yesterday t,nd put through nil its stages, provides supply to the amount of ■£3,063,500.. This includes a sum of ,£600,000 for the purchase of the interests of the Pacific Phosphate Company in Nauru Island, together with preliminary expenses in. connection with the development of tho phosphate deposits of Nauru Island and Ocean Island. A sum* of .£500,000 is to ho transferred from, the Consolidated Fund or other account into the Discharged Soldiers' 'Settlement Account, and is to be repaid later from moneys raised under the Discharged Soldiers' Settlement Act. The. items in the schedules to the Act are as follow:— . £, The Consolidated Fund— Ordinary revenue account 2,100,000 State forests r.coount 5.500 State coal mines aoco'nnt ' 25,000 Nauru and Ocean Islands account 600,000 The Public Works FundGeneral purposes account 270,000 Electric supply account 80,000 Separate Accounts— Land for Settlements accountLand for Settlements account— Opening up Crown lands for settlement account 10,000 Native land settlement rccount 500 Fishing industry promotion account Tile Government Insurance account . 8,000 The Government Accident Insur- • ance account The State Fire Insnrance account Jj'i/S The Public Trust Office account 13,500 The State Advances. AccountAdvances to Settlers Branch account 2,000 Advances to Workers Branch account y""V" Advances tp local Authorities Branch W .£3,003,500

TRANSFERS OF LICENSES COMPLAINT BY MR. ISITT. A grievance of the Prohibition Party for some years, past has been that in some licensing districts there have been licenses transferred under circumstances which justified the inference-that the transfers amounted in effect to the establishment of hotels in districts which previously had not had licenses at all. Mr. Isitt asked the Prime Minister in tile House yesterday whether he was aware that notwithstanding express prohibitions . in the law licenses had been removed as great distances as G0 ( or 70 miles.' He'instanced two the Tauranjja and Bay of Plenty districts. One of the transfers had been 'worked by "a man named Barry/' who > three years ago had done the same thing m connection with a license for Ohitva. Quoting .from the Act he sqid that it was quite clear that a license could not be moved by transfer more than half a mile in the'case of a borough, or jnnre than a mile in a county. .In case a license were allowed to lapse no new license could be granted instead of it except under the same conditions as for a transfer. The way this business was worked was that the people interested applied for a license and got it granted. Then they deliberately allowed it to lapse by failing to pay the- license fee. So they contrived to have one licenso floating, and they, applied to ■floating license granted in respect ot another building in another part of the district. In one instance the applicant had told'the Coiirt that this had beeti '"jrr.Hfasscy said that his attention had been drawn to the matter some time ago. The application had come before the •Licensing Bench at Tauranga. on June 10> and on that occasion ths application was oppesed by the Crown Prosecutor in Auckland. The difficulty of the Government was that at present the case was pul> judice, and he could not help thinking that it would not be right for liim to try to influence the decision of the Court—in this case the Licensing Committee. He could say no more than that, as tho application had been opposed 011 the last occasion on which it had been before the oomm'ittee, so it would be opposed on the next occasion when the question was raised. 1 . Mr. Isitt had another complaint. Ho said that in order to be in readiness with their building for this application, a new hotel was being erected at. express spued in the town of Tauranga. The men could not get enough work done during daylight hours, and nn. electric lighting plant had been established to enable them to work at night. Tho men had even worked on Si'nday last. . "I want to know," 6aid Mr. Isitt, addressing tho Minister of Justice, "why this business is allowed'to violate everf law in the land. What would happen to me if I had men workin? on Sunday to add to my. business premises?" Mr. Isitt said that not only was the building being rushed up by working day and night, but the building was being erected of wocd in the brick It was not' even permitted to acW a wooden vestry to a church in Hie hnck area, but this tig hotel was being built ' wholly -of wood. ■ Sir William Hemes (member for the district) said that the building was not in the brick area. . , Mr. Mossev said that he would instruct tho police to make inquiries into the matter. . ■ , . Concerning tlw' question of the wooaeii building beiwr erected in the brick area, Mr Coates (Minister of Public Works) said that the honourable member seemed to be much better informed on tho matter than he was himself. He had heard of it for the first time at that moment. Ho would be glad to have inquiries made.

N SAHOAN AFFAIRS Replying to a question yesterday, the •Minister of External Affaire (Hon. E. P. Lee) stated that an opportunity would be given for the discussion of Sarnoan affairs during the session. He proposed to lay on the table a paper dealing with Samoa and members would then have ah unrestricted opportunity •to discuss the affairs of the dependency.;. He intended to place the paper in their htmds before the day of the debate. WAR - TROPHIES The allocation of war trophies was mentioned in tho llouso of Representatives yesterday by Mr. Edward Newman. He asked the Minister of Defence whether he would give' instructions to tUe committees to deal with the' allocation of war trophies that country members representing those districts surrounding the centres where the committees met should be consulted ns to where the trophies should be given. The Minister (Mr Coates) said ttiat central committees'had been set up some time ago, prol>. a'bly a year ago, and for tho committees

representatives of borough councils, town boards, and, lie thought, county councils also. He would be glad to consider the request of the honourable member, for the suggestion had his sympatic. He thought that meralvers .of Parliament ought to be consulted when this could be arranged. MOURNINGRESOLDTIONS Before the adjournment of the House yesterday the Prime Minister submitted resolutions expressing the sense, of the Hou=e of "the faithful services rendered to this country" by two erstwhile members of the Legislature who have died p>ce the House last met. These members wero Mr. Hennre Kaihau. who sat as member for Western Maori, from tflOG till 1911, and Mr. George ltandnll Johnson, a member of the Legislative Council from 1872 till 1892. in which venr lie resigned and left New Zealand to go to Unsrland. The motions were each seconded by the Leader of the Opposition, nnd also Sir William Hcrries, as Native Minister, spoke of tWi late Mr. Henare Kailiau, praising his efforts for the welfare 'of the Native race. The Hon. W. H. Triggs will be the mover in the Upper House of the Ad-dress-in-Eeply. Tlio debato will probably be opened early next week.