PARLIAMENTARY JOTTINGS

Hokitika Guardian, 7 April 1921, Page 4

PARLIAMENTARY JOTTINGS

BELATED REPLIES TO QUESTIONS I asked during last session.

I (By our special reporter). ! WELLINGTON, April 6

j .Ministers’ answers to some of the ! questions asked m the House of RepicI scuta tires during; the recent session i have been issued. .Many ol the replies, ; as usual, are indefinite, and some of the j information given has already been published in other forms. I Mr Massey states — i That a revised railway tariff is now ' i„ course of preparation and the work is well advanced.

Government has arranged to continue the subsidy to widows. The Treasury is preparing a report regarding the position of the superannuated civil servants. A Main Roads Bill will he dratted shortly and local bodies will be allowed two or three months to consider it and make suggestions before it reaches Parliament. GREY HARBOR AREA. WELLINGTON, April 6

Replying to a question asked by Mr Seddon. during the session, Mr Massey

slates that the report of the Commission regarding Greymonth harbor ratine area, lias not yet been considered by Cabinet. The question as to whether it should he published will he considered later on. FO R ESTR Y R ECU!. AT lONS. Mr Seddon asked during the session whether in view of the indefinite postponement of legislation in regard to forestrv control, the Prime Minister would cause forthwith a tribunal to be set iij) to enquire into the question of timber royalties payable to the Counties of Inangahua, Butler, Grey and Westland, such tribunal to decide (1) The amount of past dues collect rd by the Government and not pant over. ». rj) What royalties are to he paid in future and on what basis, and (;>) The general scheme of a progressive timber sale policy, the lines of which are suggested by the Direetoi i I Forestry in his departmental report. Mr Massey has replied that it is proposed to introduce specific forestry legislation in the second session oi this vear. It is not considered that tno matters defined in the question should be submitted to a tribunal.