PARLIAMENT

Hokitika Guardian, 22 September 1922, Page 4

PARLIAMENT

[by tepeohaph—per press association] WELLINGTON, Sept. 22. THE COUNCIL. The Council met at 2.30 p.ni. The Customs Amendment Bill and Weights and .Aleasures Amendment Bill'was read a second time pro forma and referred to the Statutes Revision Committee. The committee subsequently reported the bills with, minor amendments. Insurance Coys. Deposits Amendment Bill was reported without amendment. The Council rose at -1.45 p.in.

THE HOUSE. The House met at 2.30 p.ni. The following local bills were read a second time —Auckland City and Auckland Hospital Board Empowering Bill (Hon Parr) ; Petone and Lower llutt Gaslighting Bill (Air AVilford), Invercargill Corporation Empowering Bill (Hon Hanan). Haurnki Plains Amendment Bill was reported from committee with a minor amendment. Ihe AA’ar Disabilities Removal Hill was put through committee without amendment, rend n. third time and passed. The second reading of the Post and Telegraph Amendment Bill and Fuellight Bill were agreed to. The House rose at 11.10 p.m.

QUESTIONS. In reply to questions the Ministers gave the following answers:— | That advances are not now. made to discharged soldiers for the purchase j of holism lint only for their erection. As soon as funds permit the extension of the Act to South African veterans will he considered, hut this cannot he clone until all applications bv dis-. charged soldiers of the Great A\ ar now eligible for advances have been . dealt with. There is. however, no objection to South African veterans becoming transferees of houses acquired under the Discharged Soldiers’ Settlement Act, if the owners cannot transfer to other discharged soldiers. I That export of cheese made from part skimmed milk was provided for , in tho regulations of 1899 under the Dairy Industries Act, and no licenses for export are required. There was lifctlo probability of any part skimmed qlieeso being manufactured for export until after the new year. In the meantime the dairy division of the , Department is in touch with represeu- . tatives of the cheese industry with a view to arranging for a thorough dis- ; cussion of the question from all points of view. 1

That when a conference on matters affecting electric power hoards is con- | veiled, the Government will bring up the question of bringing the Electric ; Power Boards Act into conformity with the -Municipal Corporations Act and Counties Act, dealing with the disqualification of members 'who have contravened section 15 sub-section (6) of the Act. by deleting the three years’ disqualification. That a reduction in the price of bread may be expected when costs, of production and distribution warrant such reduction. Present costs are such as to preclude the- possibility oi bakers being able to sell generally at below the maximum prices fixed by Ordcr-iii-Coumil. and which are operative until the end of February. [t was difficult at this time to state what tlie effect on the. price of bread the removal of the Government guarantees for wheat, would have hut if the harvest of 1922 was a hountihil one .wheat prices would probably be lower, and consumers of Hour and bread would benefit accordingly. That it was the. invariable practice carefullv to consider all remits sent in either by local bodies’ conferences and associations or by ether associations, and as far as possible effect was given to such remits. That the Government was now considering an amendment of the law to free soldiers’ pensions from income taxes. . . * That it was proposed to introduce legislation this session to strengthen the teachers’ superannuation fund in the direction set out in the actuary’s report. . , ] 'I lint the (i over nine nt was consider-j ing "the- question of amending the In- j dustrial Conciliation and Arbitration I Act by deleting the section which required a ballot of members of a union to he taken for the purpose of eonfinning a resolution to refer a dispute to the Council of'Conciliation or the Arbitration Court, when the saul resolution already had been passed at a special meeting of the union of which every member had received noThnt a scientific survey of the doer herds of the Dominion was being undertaken hv the State Forest Service, with a view to suggesting the best method of control of deer berth and of dealing with the- prevention of damage by ‘tliofse animals. - i.tn while authority invariably was issued to settlers and others to destroy deer found on their properties committing damage or injury thereto.