PARLIAMENT

Hokitika Guardian, 16 October 1930, Page 3

PARLIAMENT

(By Telegraph—Preas Association). THE COUNCIL. WELLINGTON, Oct. 15. The Legislative Council met at 2.30 p.in. to-day. Stock Amendment Bill, Reserves and Other Lands Disposal Bill. Native Land Amendment and Native Land ,Glalims Adjustment! Bill, Apprentices Amendment BUI, Statutory Land Charges Registration Amendment Bill were put through the final stsigos- arid; passed without amendment.'- . .Tlie Arms Amendment Bill, Canterbury Agricultural College Bill, and Land Laws Amendment Rill were received from the House and read a second time, pro forma and referred to the committees. The Council rase at 3.10 until 2.30 p.m. to-morrow. THE HOUSE, In the House of Representatives the Disabled Soldiers’ Civil Re-estab-lishment Bill was introduced by Gov-ernor-General’s message and read a first time. . /

- The Goldfields and Mines Committee presented their special report recommending inter-alia, that the Minister of Mines and Minister of Pen-, sions should be given power to grant pensions at their discretion in certain miners pythisis petition cases, where there was no conflict of medical evidence, while in a case where a conijiot off medic-ail evidence arises, the committee recommended a minors phyihisis petitions appeal board should 'be iset up to consider the claims.

The evening session was devoted to further' consideration 'in committee ol Mr Lysnar’s Meat Export Control Amendment Bill. The short title was still unpassed when the House rose at midnight . REPLIES TO QUESTIONS. Mr O’Brien (Westland) asked the following questions:—(1) Whether he will take steps to have all of the roads formed by his Department metalled as soon as the formation work is finished, so as to prevent the formation being washed away by storm water and overgrown by: scrub. . (2) Whether he will have all of the streams and rivers crossed by new roads bridged as soon as the road is: finished to them, so that such road shall he made available for vehicular traffic at once.

Hon. Mr Taverner replied as follows:- , ;

(1) Wherever Local Bodies are, able and willing to find their proportion of the cost of metalling, this will lie done up to the limit of the finance available.

(2) .So far as funds permit, this is done, hut when the allocation of funds for an expensive bridge would delaj the extension of a road as a whole, it has been thought wiser to temporarily hold' over the bridge construction, provided that reasonable fords are available, so that earlier use of the road may, if streams permt, he made. Mr O’Brien asked the Minister of Mines the following questions;—

(1) Whether he will take steps to provide the Mines Department with sufficient diamond, keystone and other drilling machines so as to thoroughly test the coal, oil, gold and other mineral deposits of New Zealand within a reasonable period of time. (2) Whether he will take immediate steps to have men put into training so as to he able to take charge of these drills as soon as they come, to hand. Mr O’Brien said that at present the Mines Department has but ou© expert driller, and there is no chance of adequately prospecting our coal, oil and other mineral wealth, for, many years, unless at least ten drillers are kept constantly at work. Hon. Mr Murdoch replied:—There is no necessity for purchasing additional drills, as the Mines Department already owns four diamqnd drills, three keystone percussion traction' drills, one percussion drill, and one hand-placer drill of a total value, including equipment, of £6333;, and during the past ten years these drills

have never been fully utilised. Those \vho hire a Departmental drill mav arrange to employ drillers when the Departmental driller is not available Mr O’Brien also asked the Minister of Mines; Whether he will take immediate steps to have adequate gas helmets and safety appliances established at all mines where men work underground, so as to be at once available for rescue work, if necessary. Hon. Mr Murdoch replied:—Tins matter has not been last sight of. and I can assure the honourable memher that the first opportunity will be taken to go thoroughly into the question with a view to bringing the Dominion n.p to date as far as safety appliances and adequate protection for the miners are concerned.