POLITICAL JOTTINGS

Hokitika Guardian, 2 August 1929, Page 7

POLITICAL JOTTINGS

WELLINGTON, July 30. IMPORTED TIMBER. A matter closely affecting the timber industry in New Zealand was made the subject of an urgent question in the House this afternoon, when. Mr J. O’Brien (Labour, Westland) asked the Minister for Industries and Commerce if he would take steps to prevent the dumping of foreign timber in New Zealand, as this was having a very detrimenial effect on the local industry. Mr O’Brien said that a grave position had arisen through the dumping of large quantities of foreign timber in the Dominion, the position being further complicated by the fact that the timber companies responsible for the placing of the timber on the New Zealand market were subsidised by their respective Governments. The Minister replied that according to the information at present in the possession of the Government, there was no evidence that timber was ’being imported from the United States under such conditions as to warrant the imposition of a dumping duty. No investigations had yet been made into the conditions under which timber in future would be imported from Canada. The whole question was, however, being closely watched, and if it were found that timber was being imported under such conditions as warranted action being taken by the Government, such action would be taken.

INTEREST CHARGES. Mr H. iS. S. Kyle (Reform, Ric-c-arton) asked the Prime Minister whether he would make a statement to the House showing the amount per annum payable for interest charges in respect to renewals of loans, including the present year. The Prime Minister replied that the information would, in the course of a day or two, be presented in the and for that reason he did not think it necessary to go into the matter at the present juncture.

THIRD PARTY INSURANCE. Mr W. E. Bodkin (United, Otago Central) gave notice to ask the Prime Minister if he was prepared to amend the Motor Vehicles Insurance (Third Party Risk) Act, 1928, so as to appropriate a percentage of every insurance premium collected under Section 5 of the said Act in order that a special comprehensive third party insurance policy may be affected covering such third persons as may be injured in accidents where' the identity of the .offending motorist cannot he, ascertained.

“I understand that recently a - man in Christchurch was run over and killed, and his dependents have not been able to make a claim because the identity of the offending motorist has not been ascertained,” said Mr Bodkin.

LOAN NEGOTIATIONS. In the House this -’ft'—noon, the Leader of the Opposition gave notice to ask the Minister of Finance when he proposed to afford tlm House an opportunity of investigating his allegation that he was prohibited from going on the London money market for two years owing to some action by his predecessor in office.

RENT RESTRICTION. During the debate on the Rent Restriction Continuance Bill, in the House of Representatives this afternoon, after several members had put forward the side of the question dealing with the protection afforded to tenants by tho Bill, the other side of the question, that affecting landlords who invested a small amount of capital in houses, was brought forward by the Hon. Mr Downie Stewart (Reform, Dunedin West). Mr Downie Stewart said that tho primary objective of the legislation was to protect tenants against exploitation and unduly high rent with as little hardship as possible to the landlord. He instanced a case where hardship had been imposed on people of small means, who had invested their life savings rn house property, through' a man having to pay taxation on a different valuation from

that on which the rent was assessed. It might be possible for the Minister to look into that point so that the anomaly could be modified or removed in the interests of people of small means who had money so invested.

The Minister for Labour (the Hon. Mr Veitch) said that when rents were being fixed the Magistrate decided upon the evidence. The Magistrate decided the actual valuation of the property. On the whole it was a question of fixing a fair valuation rather than a monopoly valuation of the property, and that was a sound principle that should be kept in mind in view of the, economic conditions that prevailed. IMPORTATION OF COCKSFOOT SEED. Mr H. S. S. Kyle (Reform, Riccarton) gave .notice to ask the Minister for Agriculture whether, in view of the acknowledged superiority of the New Zealand-grown cocksfoot seed, he would consider tjie advisability of placing a substantial duty on Danish seed or prohibiting its importation into the' country. As the Government had decided to set up a Select Committee to consider the wheat and flour duties, said Mr Kyle, would they consider the setting up of a committee to deal with the embargo op cocksfoot seed ? '

FIRE LOSS. Mr J. S. Fletcher (United, Grey Lynn), gave notice to ask the Minister in charge of the State Fire Insurance Department whether he would cause the Department to initiate an investigation with regard to the fire losses of he Dominion. “The loss of over £1,090,000 per annum through fire is such a serious economic loss to the Dominion that any steps taken to minimise this loss would react to the benefit of the whole community,” said Mr Fletcher in a footnote.

CONTROL OF MUSIC,

Mr J. Linklater (Reform, Manawatu) gave notice, to ask the Attorn-ey-General, whether an Association balled the Australasian Performing Rights Association could levy a yearly fee upon music hall societies for using musid it claimed to control. Mr Linklater said that during the past two years many music hall societies in New Zealand had received a demand for an annual fee. This demand - seemed , unjust, because the music had been purchased by these societies and their members were under the impression that no further payment was requried of them.

DEPARTMENT OFFICERS CRITICISED. Mr Poison also gave notice to ask the Minister for Agriculture whether he was aware of the serious charges of misrepresentation, plagiarism, and incapacity which were made against officers of the Department in the last issue of “Exporter,” and if he had taken or intended to take any steps to investigate the matter, Mr Poison also asked whether the Minister was aware of tho general fooling of uneasiness existing in the minds of producers as a result of this and similar criticism, and was he able, to offeb any scheme, of reorganisation which would reassure the public?

kEALTH MATTERS. Mr W. J.| (Poison (Independent, Stratford) gave notice to ask the Minister for Health: (1) Whether he would confer with the Minister for Education with the' object of a special effort being made to instruct young people in the matter of moral and social hygiene? (2) Whether the recent disclosures in regard to sick nurses would be properly investigated ? (3) Whether steps would be taken to secure that all nurses employed would be granted one day in seven off duty ?

(4) Whether, in view of the high rate of maternal mortality, the Government would consider the establishment of a Chair of Midwifery at the Medical School?