TRAVELLING ALLOWANCES
PAYMENTS TO SCHOOL CHILDREN ' ■ TO RIDE OR TO DRIVE Travelling allowance is paid by the Education Department in respect of children who drive to school, but no payment is made if the children ride to school, unless the road used is considered to do too rough for a vehicle. Mr. J. R. Hamilton (Awnrua) mentioned this matter in the House of Representatives, and asked that the anomaly should be removed. Children, he said, wore much safer od horseback than in vehicles, and' the discrimination made by the Department was not reasonable. Another grievance was that the Department insisted upon bring the judge of whether or>not a :oad was fit for vehicular traffic. It refused to accept tho certificate' of the district engineer or the county chairman. The Minister of Education (Mr. Parr) replied that lie would look into -he ouestion. Tho payment of travelling allowance by the Education Department in any circumstances was a recent arrar.gement. If the Department -undertook- to subsidise children who rode to 6chool as well as children who drove to school, the cost would bo substantial PORTFOLIO OFNATIVE AFFAIRS A TRIBUTE TO SIR WILLIAM HERMES. The Hon. A. T. Ngata (Eastern Maori) said in the House last night that it had been hinted that the present Native Minis! er (Sir William Homes) might not be holding the portfolio next session. He hoped that circumstances would not moke it-necessary for the Minister to give up the portfolio of Native Affairs. He believed that Sir William Herries had learned to temper justice with mercy in dealing with the Natives. "If anything should happen to make the honourable gentlemnn give up the portfolio," said Mr. Ngata, "I should be one of the first, on behalf of my race-not of my party -to regret his decision. I hope he may yet see fit to retain that portfolio." . The Prime Minister: Hear, hear. Sir William Herries expressed th|> hope tot- his work had been useful to the Natives. The Maoris were a fine rac; v >,. and to become familiar with them was to dearn to like them. His work had been a labour of love. The reception given by the Natives at Rotorua to the Prince of Wales had been a magnificent cne, an event unique in His Royal Highness's New Zealand tour. . the weoTsmiATioN STOCKS AND PRICES. Information regarding the, quantity of wool held by the Imperial Government 'was sought in tho House of Representatives by Mr. E. Nowniun (Manawatiu). The Prime Minister, said. Mr. Newman, had stated in- the House in August that the stocks held by the Imperial Government amounted to 3,000,000 bales. But a member of the Houso had received a cablegram from England this week stating that tho quantity of wool held in Britain was 1,000,000 bales. If; both statements were true, it followed that the market had absorbed 2,000,000 bales since August. If this was the tase, the holders of wool would .feel '. muck less anxious about'the position. The Prime Minister replied that ho did not think he had received any fresh information on the subject sinco he made his statement to the House in October. The figures he quoted on that occasion had been official. He would cable to the High Commissioner and ask ,what was the present situation. Another question regarding wool was asked by Mr. G. Mitchell (Wellington South), who wanted to know how tho ■withholding of wool from sale was going to affect' the local consumers. If the wool was not going to be sold at the world's market price, what price would bo charged in the local market? Mr. Massey said that he did not anticipate any difficulty. Wool sales would be held in New Zealand, and the prices realised at those sales would determine the price of wool within the Dominion. FREE RAILWAY TRAVEL ' i — THE CONCESSION TO CHILDREN. When the Railway Estimates were under consideration, earlier in the session, members' of tho' Houso urged tho Minister of Railways to allow children up to seven years of age to travel free on the railways. Mr. Massey objected that this would involve a substantial loss of revenue, but he indicated that he would consider raising the age for free tavel to five years. Mr. Young (Waikato) askcd.'.vosterday if any decision had been reached on this point. • ' Mr. Massey replied' that the Government had been too busy lately to deal finally with the question. Ho expected to be ablo to do what he had suggested. The matter would bo taken into consideration within tho next few days. HOSPITAL AffIMHARITABLB • INSTITUTIONS The Government Bill dealing with hospital and charitable institutions wis reported upon yesterday by tho Health Committee. The Dill contained n revised schedule of subsidies. This lias been struck out by the committeo, which, in view of tho complicated naturo of the subject, recommends that tho Govorn- , ment should set up a Commission during the Tecess to take tho evidence oi hospital boards, Departmental officers, and actuaries in order to arrange a lair basis of subsidy and to report to tho Government and to Parliament. TONGARIRO NATIONAL PARK A clause of the "washing up" Bill proposed to add a Defence reserve of MM acres and forest reserves totalling 69,(00 to the 'longariro National Park. Iho Lands Committee of the House of Kepra tfcnta lives has struck out this clauso. UNUSED NATIVE LAND The Native Afiairs Committee has recommoutlod that .Mr. T. M. Wilford's Native Land Amendment Dill shall bo afibwed to proceed without amendment. ■ This Bill contains a scheme for the development of unused Native lands under tha direction of a specially constituted Maori council. Mr. Wilford indicated, in commenting on' the committee's report, that he did not expect his Bill to proceed further this session, but he would brine it forward again next ses-
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Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 34, 4 November 1920, Page 6
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966TRAVELLING ALLOWANCES Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 34, 4 November 1920, Page 6
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