QUESTION & ANSWER

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 24, 21 October 1937, Page 3

QUESTION & ANSWER

-Press Association.)

Ballots for Tenancy of State Houses

AUCKLAND HARBOUR BRIDGE

[a]

(Bj Teleeraph-

i ' WELLINGTON, Last Night. * j • Ministerial answers to questions were circulated in the House to-day. 1 The Minister of Housing (Hon. Walter Nash), xeplying to a question by Mr. R. A. Wright as to whether a .ballot was held to determine who should occ'upy the State houses, stated that such a ballot was held in connec'tion with the houses at Miramar, Lower Hutt and Johnsonville and applications that came after the closing date of the ballot were not jreceived. In answer to a question by Mr. H. G. Dickie, tho Minister of Railways (Hon. D.- G. Sullivan) said he had no knowledge of any unrest in the xailway workshops nor of any promise to increase the hourly rates of wages of employees there by 24d an hour. Answering a question by Dr. McMillg,n as to whether the Minister of . Labour would introduce legislation to prevent young boys being cmployed delivering newspapers in the early hours of the morning, Hon. H. T. Armstrong replied that under the Shops and Offices Acfc boys under the age of sixteeh were prohibited from being employed before 7 a.m, This restriction ■ operated only so far as shop assistants were concerned and c'onsideration would bo given to the question raised by Dr. McMillan. The Prime Minister, answering a question by Mr. Coates, as to whether the Government was making a report on the possibiltiy of the construction. of the Auckland Harbour Bridge, said the Public Works Department had already . submitted a report on the matter. This indicated that closer investigation into , the possible toll revenue was necessary before a true prediction of the economic value of the bridge could be made. Mr. Savage also answered a question by Mr. H. S. S. Kyle, who asked when the decision of the Government regarding the taking over of the trading fcanks would be made public, to the effect that the matter had not been considered by the Government. The Minister of Industries and Commerce (Hon. D. G. Sullivan) xeplying to a question by Mr. W. J. Polson concerning the price of petrol in Taranaki, said the wholesale maximum price only had been lixed in Taranaki as a definite margin of profit to resellers. The arrangement therefore admitted of adjustmont in the wholsale prices by oil companies. Reply ing to a question by Mr. J. A. Roy as to whether he would take steps to have his surveyors instructed that before going on private property to survey they should notify the owners of tho property, the Minister of Public Works, Hon. R', Semple, said that surveyors already had that standing instruction and attention was again being drawn to it. The Minister of Defence (Hon. F, Jones), Teplying to a question by Mr. J.- Hargest, said it was not intended that all specialist work should be eliminated from cadet training in secondary sehools but it was desirablo that such training should be pf general value to ;'cadets as future citizens. In addition it was intended to enlarge the syllabus of physical training. The Minister of Agriculture (Hon. W. Lee Martin) Teplied to a question by Mr. A. S. Richards asking whether it was. necessary to allow the importation of 500,000 butter box9s into New Zealand, by stating that it was imperative that these boxes should be imported to meet the needs of the dairy industry. The Government, however, had arrau-etl witii saw-nuuers aiitl uox manufacturers to use overy possible means to provide for tho dairy industry's future requirements.