PARLIAMENTARY JOTTINGS

Hokitika Guardian, 18 July 1922, Page 4

PARLIAMENTARY JOTTINGS

RIGHT TO WORK

"In a. recent court case it was reported that, an ex-member of the Waterside Workers' Union was refused permission to work unless he paid a »tlni of Xi2 its to Abe union. .Seeing that the right to work is so prominently lielore us now, will the Minister inquire into the .extorting, of money in that way? What..is .the money used for?” So -Mr-.Nash, Palmerston, questioned the .Minister of Labour.

The Hon G.’J. Anderson replied that lie understood the case was substantially as the lion member had put it. He thought it was one of those matters which he should have notice of, so that he,could thoroughly inquire into it. He would sooner make a statement from the absolute facts that occurred than answer offhand. BOTTLED MILK TROUBLE.

Wellington City Council’s municipal milk delivery scheme is based on American-methods, and. the system has encountered one difficulty due to An rican measures. Allegedly pint bottles are short measure to the extent of half a fluid ounce. The department has undertaken to make good this deficiency by giving consumers an extra bottle free etery thirty days. . Ihe ■ matter was raised in the House by Sir John Luke, ex-May or of Wellington, wlio asked the Minister in charge of weights and measures what he proposed to do. The Jlou G. J. Anderson replied that he had an official report nil the subject and had taken up the question wi fi the municipal milk department, which had undertaken to notify consumers of the deficiency and make it good, lie was not going to put the. law in motion without delay, because there was the important interest of the public health to consider, lie was assured by doctors that a great deal of tubercular trouble and other diseases arose through defective milk, and that the new system was superior from a public health viewpoint.

SALARY CUT. 11l view of the*-conference between secondary school teachers and the Minister of Education this week on the subject of the .second salary out, Mr ■Wilford asked the Minister if an arrangement had been made. The lion 0. J. Parr replied that le‘ was glad to state that a conference had been held with the executive ol the Secondary School Teachers’ Association when the. second cut was fully discussed. teachers thought it necessary to put in a formal protest against r!■ ■ cut, hut lie had pointe I out that this was belated, as the legislation to enable the reduction was paused last January. He had given them an assum iiev tluit increased cost i»f living v.as undoubtedly a factor which lie and the Department had taken into consideration in making the very large increases which bad undoubtedly I, i n made in secondary teachers’ salary, and this assurance having been acccp’ed. the conference discussed the method of the cut. The executive ha I expressed satisfaction at the methods proposed by the Education Department to distribute the reduction. They were satisfied that the wind was being tempered to the shorn lamb.

WIDENED BOUNDARIES. Sessional committees are about to fi set up. and a suggestion was made to da\ by Mr Wilford that a new one shi'ithi he created to deal with questions from Rarotonga and Samoa, as petitions were coming to Parliament from i hose islands. The commit tee might he called the Foreign Affairs Committee or External Affairs Committee, and a very good committee could lie secured for this work livm among mouthers of the present House. Mr Massey expressed approval of the idea, lie had noticed a petition from Samoa, hut he would he glad it Mr Speaker would look into the qtlosti ll whether stub petitions could come before the New Zealand Parliament, lie expressed no personal opinion, except that the question ought to lit; decided. Cook Islands were a part of New Zealand, hut Samoa was not. though he hardly thought either could he eaih- I foreign countries, ft a committee was appointed it could he called the External Affairs Committee.

BONUS AND SUPERANNUATION. Air Wilford asked the Prime Minist-v whether ill view of his statement that he was only touching "bonus” and not “salary.” of public servants he find overlooked the tact that Civil Servants had been paying superannuation on bonus as part of their salary, and whether if a further ieduction is made the extra amount contributed to I fie fund during the time Civil Servants have received the bonus will be <sct oil against further payments, which should lie correspondingly reduced until the extra money paid in siipeiamuiatiou on bonus is worked off.

In putting the question Air Wilford said that since the bonus bad been granted a Civil Servant receiving about C2SO per annum (inclusive of bonus) bad paid approximately till extra, and this later amount should now be taken into account.

Mr Massey replitd that this matter bad belli brought up last session when tilt Bill was in committee, and fie brought down a new clause to meet these eases, lie was now inquiring from tfic Treasury as to what the position was, blit bo could assure the House that no injustice would be dine to public servants affected.