Government Replies To Nationalist Questions to House

Grey River Argus, 7 October 1948, Page 6

Government Replies To Nationalist Questions to House

P.A. WELLINGTON, Oct. 6. In the House of Representatives to-day 35 Ministerial replies to questions were circulated.

The Prime Minister, (the Rt. Hon. P. Fraser) in reply (written before Ins departure) to a question by Mr W. A. Sheat (Nat., Patea), said the Government would decide on the action to be taken in regard to National Service on his return from the Prime Ministers’ Conference. He would be pleased to consult with the Federation of Labour, the Employers’ Federation, the Labour Party, the Returned Services’ Association, and other organisations of ex-ser-vicemen, on this all important question.

He would be pleased, also, to consult the Opposition, the Nationa. Party, and ad other interested bodies.

"T trust that the maximum of unanimity can be reached, both in Parliament and among the people as a whole, as to the necessity for thoroughly efficient defence forces,” said Mr Fraser. Mr Sheat had asked if the Government’s decisions on such matters must follow those of the Federation of Labour. Mr Fraser answering Mr J. 1. Watts (Nat., St. Albans) said he would not consider consulting the Waterside Workers’ Union on international affairs, nor would he consider including a watersider in New Zealand's future delegations to International Conferences.

DOLLAR EARNINGS The Minister of Finance, the Rt. Hon. W. Nash, replying to Mr T. L MacDonald (Nat., Wallace), said the question of possible dollar losses arising from the purchases of Australian and New Zealand wool by European countries for re-export to the United States had been the subject of a communication between the Australian. British and New Zealand Governments with view to safeguarding dollar earnings from wool exported. There was evidence that Austral'an wool had already "been resold to the United States by European importers and possibly also some New Zealand wool. To safeguard New' Zealand’s position, the Government had discussed the question with representatives of the New Zealand Woolbuyers’ Association and the procedure to be operated by the Reserve Bank, in conjunction with the Customs Department, had been arranged on a basis mutually acceptable to the woolbuyers’ representatives and to the Government. Individual woolbuyers had been informed of this. Mr Nash answering Mr K. J. Plolyoake (Nat., Pahiatua) said there was no provision in the produce agreements between Britain and. New Zealand for an alteration of prices in the event of the devaluation of sterling in terms of the dollar. However, the British Chancellor of the Exchequer had said that his Government had no intention of making any such devaluation.

SECRET BANK ACCOUNTS Replying to Mr Sheat he said the Government regarded all accounts in the Bank of New Zealand as secret, just as in the case of any other trading bank. For that reason, the Government did not seek information from the Bank as to the affairs of any private company. Mr Sheat had asked if the Bankheld adequate securities for the advances made to Labour Newspapers Ltd., the publishers of the “Southern Cross.” The Minister of Justice, Hon. H. G. R. Mason, answering Mr J. R. M'arshall said the Government did not intend to introduce legislation this session providing for the re-introduction of capital punishment.