PARLIAMENTARY JOTTINGS

Hokitika Guardian, 5 October 1921, Page 1

PARLIAMENTARY JOTTINGS

(Our Pa i li.inu ntaiy Correspondent.) MH ATASSKY WEI/UO.MED. WELLINGTON, Oct. 4 Hon W. E. Massey took bis seat in the House to-day, and was given a hearty round of applause by members. He was called on to answer questions almost at once. G HUMAN MONEY. Mr Hanau < Inveicargill) wanted, to know if the half million <4 German money brought back fey Mr Massey, would be applied to a reduction of the war debt r The Prime Minister replied that lu* would discuss this matter and other matters fully, in a statement to tin* House shortly, lie mentioned that the half million was not reparation money, but was the payment made by Hermany on account of the cost oi maintaining New Zealand troops on German territorv after tlu* armistice. pkice'oe scgau. lion Lee made a statement to the House regarding sugar. He told members that Government had renewed its contract with the Colonial Sugar Coy. for tin* purchase of raw sugar at Fiji, and for the refining of it at the Company’s Auckland works. The price of raw sugar .bad been reduced from L.’U10s per to to L "2'2 12s (>d ]»er ton, and the price to consumers would be reduced to I,‘d per pound from November

The Minister emphasised that this was a lower price Hum any other country wav paving for high grade sugar. Australia’s lowest price would bo (>d per lb tintii June JOtb ltexf. lie thought there was no danger of a shortage in the future. SHEA HEPS’ AWARD.

“Does the shearers award apply to the whole Dominion.” asked Mr Glenn Kangiteikib Tlie Minister for Labour lion Anderson replied lie had received several inquiries oh* this point and lie had asked the Department tor a statement of ilie legal posit ii*t. Tl .* Department was of opinion that the award i-o\ercd pot merely Wellington district when* i» bad luvn made, hut aU» all oilier industrial districts except Nelson and West land. The ease bad been heard by t!*w A i hit rat ion Court throughout tin* country and at the teqi'est nt both parties the Court had decided to make ;i uniform award.

T>.,. \| ioister added that a nnnilier of were out h 0 .111 .1 hv the a apl. mi in" m tln*ii not being meiii- |... . of ihe Shee)mwners’ t nioti. It W..S not the ease a> had hcen suggested l 1 •; 1 1 slleh -heepow iiers w ere hound by tin* previous awanl. The old award had eeased to exist. Shcepow tiers who were not menthols of the I nioti and had mu he.*n cited as parties to the present award, wore not hound hy any awa id. SI IK I*: I* KAHMKIiS TItOUSI.KK. When the dehate oil the Addiess-ill-Heplv was resumed, the problems that laee sheep farmers were discussed h,-idly in the House of Itepicsenlalives In* Mr Mcl.eol (Wuirarapn) who suggested that oliieiill statistics were to some extent misleading. I'.stiniate> of export value, had hooti made on a wrong basis. 'The export value ol nether mutton, tor example, was iepiosenled 111 the returns as .V*d per pound, lint farmers were sellino lit' o' wet hers, currying I), 111 and I I lbs "I wool for from l*>s In Its. Ihe sheep fuiming industry was In a pf'iiloiis condition at the pic-cnt lime. The sole thine that could save the industry from very serious trouble and many bankruptcies was a reduction in the enormously inetcased changes that he been imposed upon m at between the freezing works and I.ettdnii mnikets New Zealand meat wa< not hi itiyi.ill unduly prices on the l.ondoii market, le.it tin* various charge*-* had been increased to such an extent that the industry could not carry t’ . in