M.P.'s Queries,

Horowhenua Chronicle, 8 September 1911, Page 2

M.P.'s Queries,

LAND SETTLEMENT

VACCINATION.

AMD CABINET MINISTER'S ANSWERS. AN INTIvRICSTfNG RANGE. (Culled from Parliament's Order Paper). From Parliament's Order Paper we extract the following items of local and general interest:— THE BRITISH NAVY. Mr J.. Duncan to ask the Government, "Whether there are opportunities for New Zealand boys entering the Navy for the purpose of -becoming commissioned officers, and. if sih'li do exist, will the Government endeavour to make such .arrangements with the Admiralty as will open the way to those of our youths who may desire to become naval officers? (Note.—ln connection with + Aw above purpose, will the Government consider the desirability of establishing naval scholarships.) Reply.—-Arrangements nve already and have been for some- years in existence whereby tho Government of New Zealand in common with the Governments of certain other Rritish possessions is empowered to nominate'a limited number of cadets for entry at the Royal Naval College at Osborne, through which all naval commissioned officers must first pass. The Admiralty arrangements provide for two nominations annually for New Zealand candidates who satisfy tho conditions, and hitherto this number has been sufficient ,+o meet the demand'. [ Copies of the regulations applicable, may be obtained from the Education Department, which 'has charge, of the matter. Tt is-estimated that for a colonial candidate tho total cost of the whole ; course of training—at Osborne, two years, at Dartmouth, two years on the trainingcruiser, eight months—together with any further allowances necessary before the rank of acting sublieutenant is reached, would approximately .anion nt to not less than CSOO. Scholarships of this value the Government is not at present prepared to offer.

"DOCTORED" "WINE,

Mr Manderto nsk the Government, Whether, in view of the statement made by n deputation to t.!io Minister of Justice that wine made in the North of Auckland was doctoral, they will take steps to have all wine manufactured in the dominion analysed, so as to prevent the sale of wine of an inferior quality? Reply.—The honourable gentleman's suggesti'mo will receive consideration. T propose to introduce legislation this session •to regulate the sale of New Zealand wine. SCHEDULE BY-LAWS. Mr Okev t-n- ask the -STinister of Publu. Works, Whether il:o will this session introdneo a Model By-laws uili. which will give a number of. schedules from which local bodies may choose- suitable by-laws and adopt the same? Reply.—The question of f rain ins mode! by-laws for the use of focal bnd.ios has' been under consideration from time to time: but there are difficulties in preparing a snitaMc scric ■ of such bv-hnvs. .and some doubt as to v ! >ether the advantages would be sufficient to justify the time and trouble required to prep/arc 1 them. PRISON INQUIRIES. ,Mr Mnssey to ask the Government, Whether they will give the House their reasons for not acceding to the requests of counsel and accused in the recent prison inquiry at Auckland, to the effect that such inquiry .should be public and not held behind closed doors? Reply.—'Hie inquiry referred to i« being held under the -authority of the Civil Service Act. and the regulations made thereunder. 'Hie regulations, which were made in. 1873 provide that, except when otherwise directed by the Govern'or iu Council, the proceedings of I Hoards of Tnquirv shall be private. I am informed that it has been the invariable .practice to hold such inquiries in private, and no adequate reasons have been given in this case for a departure from the usual practice. RAILWAY FREIGHTS ON FLOWERS AND EGOS. Mr Herries to ask the Minister of Rnihwiys, Whet'ier he can see his way to reduce the freight on flowers and eggs, so as to make the freight the -same as that on fruit? Reply.—Both flowers and eggs are carried at a cheap rat" at the present time. Cut flowers art; conveyed at half parcels rates. A package of cut flowers weighing '28 lbs uouk' be carried 100 miles "for Od and 200 miles for l.s. Eggs are cari'iec' -at a rate wuich averages slightly under Id. per dozen, for eggs properly picked, and sent 'over the railways for' a distance of 150 miles 1 do not think that these charges are by any means 'heavy, and regret that I cannot make any reduction thereon

LAND FOR .SETTLEMENT. Mr Forbes to ask the Prime Minister, Whether he will introduce an amendment of the Land for .Settlements Act, so as to give power for 1 bo Crown to take land for close-r-------.s-?ttlcment purposes compulsoiriiy at arbitration valuations? (Note.— the want of this amendment of the Act is responsible for the almost complete cessation of settlement under this Act in North Canterbury.) R(p!y.--Th:s matter will :be duly considered. It is doubtful, h'owever, va I other loigishtinn can be brought down during tlic pro>-ont session. MAORI LAND LTASES. Mr Jennings to ask the Prime Minister, Whether he will propose an alteration of the. law in the direction that Maori loavr-s of land to Europeans, suitable for closer settlement, etc.. mav he secured for sich purposes? (Note.—Blocks of land, suitable for dairying purposes, ir. various parts of the North Island, particularly at K'ai T-wi and in the Kimr-eountry, are nb.'sut falling in, some smcti neerss-irv step is indicated by the question is imperative st as to mike co-ope-nth'e dairy hef'M'ie.s more -siioeo'-sfiil by increasing the number of suppliers:) • Reply.—When any amendments are being undo in the Act the matter wil rcci'ive consideration. COMPULSORY 'TRAINING. Mr Russell to ask the Minister of Defence. Whether the Government will, at .an ea,rlv date, make, a definite statement as to whether the

new .Defence scheme is to bo carried- out on the lines of universal compulsory military training of the population within the affected ages; "and, r" not, will ho state- what 'classes, of the population are to be exopmtod from compulsory military tracing, and why? Reply.—The training under the defence scheme will ho universal. There will be no exemptions for any special classes of the population. The only exemptions from training will he. those for physical unfitness. The physical standard for the Territorial Force must be made sufficiently high to insure the inclusion of only those who are porfoctly lit, since the Territorial Force is for the defence of the country; but the percentage of rejections for the 'Sen-ior-Cadets will be kept as low as to exclude only .those who arc ■ quite fit to undergo tho training required, or to be improved physically thereby, ft is in the senior cadets that the universality of "the training of the yout.li of the country will be earned tf its utmost possible limits.

GRADUATED LAND TAN. Mr Banan to ask the Prime Minister, Whcu'ier. in view of the numerous applications by land seekers and the 'benefits secured by increasing the country's production from the soil by the extension of closer settlement, he will introduce legislation to the graduated land-tax, so that it may bo made. to have a more practical effect in breaking up large estates and making land available to the many who are anxious to obtain it - Reply.-The actual effect of the present rates of the graduated landtax cannot bo accurately guaged until the 'Vainer-General has complied the next series of statistical tables showing the areas and values held bj individual owners. This is now being done.

SMALL GRAZING BUNS. My Newman to ask tlio Minister of T/ands, "Whether, in view of the increased liability imposed on lessees of small graziug-runs by the amendment of last year, altering the basis on which the rateable value of such runs l? assessed, he will, by legislation, di otherwise, take such steps as will prevent anything like a breach of contract on the part of the Crown with such lessees? Reply.—-In common with every kind of tenure, holders of small graz-ing-runs arc subject to the varying incidence of land-taxation, and selectors of Crown land are supposed to he aware of their liability. The terms of every Crown base are such that the lessee is responsible for all rates that may be levied subsequent to the date of his lease. Nothing is stated or implied in the Land Act oi any other Act that the principle in vogue for ascertaining the rateable value -value of any land shall not be altered during the currency of anv lease, and every lessee, equally with every freeholder, holds his land on the understanding that the Government has power at any time to alter the incidence of taxation as may be advisable in the public interests.

Mr Clank to ask the Prime Minister. Whether ho will take immediate steps to get the Land for Settlement Act areei'V:! °t ouc-e. so as to enable land to be taken compulsorily at a fair price to cqpe with the tremendous demand for land? (Note.—At a ballot for fifteen sections 1 and at Inve>rwirs:ill a few days ago there were 000 applications.) Reply.—No amendment is proposed this session, but the matter will be kept in view.

TER RTTORT AL OFF rOKR.S. Mr Fisher to nsk tf:p Minister of Defence Whether lie is aware that the method of appoiiitiii'j: officers under the compulsory training sell pine is entirely by nomination, .and that it is alleged that in the rark.s have little or no opportunity of ever attaining commissioner!, rank; and, if this is so does it meet with his approval? Reply.—The method of appointing officers under the universal-training scheme is laid clown in paragraphs 81-91 of the Defence Regulations. The allegation that those in the ranks have little or no opportunity of ever obtaining commissioned rank is quite unfounded. On the contrary, under the universal scheme, in which everybody has to serve, the appointments will of necessity all be made fmm the ranks, as everybody on attaining the acre of eighteen years will he. compelled to join the ranks of the Territorial Force.

Air Greenslade to ask the Minister of Defence, Whether any provision ir the Defence Act authorises and requires a medical examiner to ask any cadet or Territorial whether he has •been veccinated, and, if not vaccinated, to enforce vaccination (Noe —No public notification, of such authority has been made, and, considering the fact that a large proportion of the people of New Zealand are opposed to compulsory vaccination, its enforcement would make the working-out of the Defence Act almost impossible. Reply.—The medical officer, when filling in the medical report, is requirec to state whether each Cadet or Territorial examined has been successfully vaccinated. There is no authority to enforce vaccination.