POLITICAL JOTTINGS.

Hokitika Guardian, 27 January 1922, Page 3

POLITICAL JOTTINGS.

IMPORTED EGG PULP.

amalgamation oe departments. Wellington, .Jam 2-1 Replying to it question asked to-day by the Hon J. A; Haiian* regarding proposals for the amalgamation ol State Departments in the interests of economy, the Prune Minister said that half a dozen such proposals, at least, were under consideration at the present time. The two Insurance Departments were being amalgamated, and the Lands Purchase Department was being merged in the Lands Department. He would make a full statement on the matter, probably next week. HIGHWAYS AND MOTOR VEHICLES BILLS, “1 am not prepared to answer the question at once, its it Ims not yet been decided that we shall go on sitting for another month,” was the Prime Minister’s . reply when lie was asked to-day by Mr Sidey whether the Government intended to proceed with the Highways Bill and the Motor Vehicles Bill this session.

PROPORTION A L REPR KSEN TATION.

Mr McCombs to-day asked the Prime Minister if, before the session closed, lie would give him ml opportunity of moving his Proportional Representation Bill.

>ir Massey: 1 don’t know whether the hoib member is serious in making the request. Mr McCombs: Quite serious.

Mr Massey: Well, he does not look it. I shall be very glad to take the lion, gentleman’s request into seiious s consideration, but J am alraid J cannot hold out much hope that his request will be acceded to. SHOPS AND OFFICES BILL. To-day the Moil G. J. Anderson . moved that the House disagree with the amendments made by the Legisla--5 tive Coulicil in the Shops and Offices 1 Bill, and that Messrs J. S. Dickson, Sidey, and the mover he appointed managers to conier with the Council. The motion was agreed to. The House took especial exception to the amendment which increased the hours of employees in or about hotels and restaurants from nine to tell. i Legitimation niLL In the House this afternoon, the Hon W. Dowitie Stewart moved the second reading of the Legitimation Act Amendment Bill, which he said extended the privileges of the Act ol 1 00.-'. He explained that many cases of hardship were known to exist, and this amendment was intended to meet these cases.

The Bill was read a second time on

the voices

REPLIES TO QUESTIONS

Replying to questions, .Ministers stated : That it would he impossible during the present session to make an amendment of the V ablation ol Land Act 1903, making alterations in the valuation rolls date hack to the date when the valuation objected to was entered on the roll; that Mr Lloyd George had been invited to visit New Zealand after the Washington Conference, but it was known that this was impossible at present; that the Government does not think that the Canadian sales lax could he applied in New Zealand; that no amendment ol the licensing laws was proposed to be made this session ; that no reduction in telegraph mtes could be made at present.

mu alternative to the RETRENCMMENT SCHEME. Answering to a question by Ml JVigor Brown, during the debate tonight, Mr Massey said if these r Ci trenchment proposals were not agreed to, it would mean that thousands of Civil servants would have to be dispolled .with., but tluv,t was not a plan that he would adopt. He added that there was another course of action, but it was not a matter for discussion at the present timo The Prime Minister, in tills latter statement, was no doubt refoiiing to the resignation of the Government.

THE AIEAT POOI

In the House of Representatives today. Mr Veitcli asked the Prime Minister ’if it was true that the compulsory meat pool was not to be brought into operation until after the general elections, and if’so, why? Mr Massey: My answer ia in the negative. .No decison Las been. arris - cd°at.

Replying to a question by Air Sidey about the importation of egg pulp into New Zealand, the Hon. E. P Lee said lie had receiv’d a communication from the Otago Egg Circle on the subject-. U’c, agreed that it might ho advisable to enforce a prohibition, but tho Department must first he satisfied tnat the present production of eggs hero was sufficient for the 'needs i f th» Dominion. Egg pulp came i» not' only from China, but also from Australia. __ r Sidey: We don’t mind Australia. Mr Isitt: They don’t manufacture it there, they get if from China. Air Lee said he would be glad if the time arrived when New Zealand would not need to import any egg pulp at all, when our requirements •would be satisfied by the Dominion, and we should bo able to totally .prohibit the importation of egg pulp. Meantime he was making enquiries.

land AGENTS- BILL. The La,nd Agents Bill has been reported to the Legislative Council from the Statutes Revision Committee, which suggests a number of-amend-ments. '['lie Bill as passed by the House provided that a solicitor should not be deemed to bo a land agent merely boeaaise, in connexion with his business as a solicitor, he acted as agent in a land transaction. The committee had added to this provision the qualifinction : “ Unless ho is remunerated by ii, commission in addition t-o or in lieu of his 'professional charges.” Tt has also inserted a, new clause prohibiting a barrister and solicitor while in practice ,as a barrister or solicitor from holding a. license under the Act after March 31st, 1923. Another new clause states that a land agent who is aEo licensed land

broker under tho Land Transfer Act shall not net’ as ai land broker for either party in connection with any transaction in which, he is employed as a| laftid agent. The penalty for breach of this section is to be a fine not exceeding £SO.

The Bill originally made it an offeneo for any person who was mot the holder of a license under! the Act to hold himself out asj at la,lid agent carrying on business as a land agent, or accept: remuneration for services as agent in respect of the transaction in land. The coriiniitteo lias deleted the reference to acceptance of remuneration iii respect of a transaction. The committee proposes that the Governor-General-in-Couneil shall have power to issue regulationos prescribing maximum rates of commission which may be charged by land agents. MOTORS AND ROADS. The Prime Minister must have been in a jocular mood when he told Mr Sidey, who had asked if the Governments intends to proceed with the Highways Bill and Motor Vehicles Bill this session, that this point had *liot been decided, qsi Cabinet had not come to a decision whether this session would bo continued for another month. The reception of this statement showed that the House believed it to be a- joke. Though a stonewall threatened on the retrenchment proposals will certainly add a few days to the session, members generally hope to complete work in a fortnight,