HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Opotiki News, Volume I, Issue 10, 14 March 1938, Page 4

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

MR. HULTBULST’S QUESTIONS The following questions tabled by Mr. A. G. Hultquist, M.P., will be answered on Wednesday in the House of Representatives:— Lending Policy,

To the Minister of Finance: Whether the public statement made by him to the effect that a more liberal lending policy is to : be adopted by the State Advances Corporation Board can be understood to apply also to farmer or rural applicants who may desire assistance to . imporve tlieu* homes or build accommodation for married or single farm employees ? [Note. —The Corporation lending policy lias been tc> some extent liberalised lor the purpose of encouraging persons to build new homes, but the same degree of liberality has by no means been accorded to any, person who desires to add to or implore homes which have been up some time or to persons who may reside in more isolated places.]

Invalids.—To ask the Prime Minister,: Whether lie will consider making provision during the next session of tin's Parliament for invalids who reside in isolated places where no Justice of the Peace is available to apply for and record: their vote at the general election by using the services of the nearest postmaster, school headmaster, or stationmaster? Cost of Fertilisers.-—To ask the Minister of Agriculture: Whether he is yet in a position to announce any substantial reduction in the costs of fertilisers and manures to farmers on the East Coast (where prices are high mainly as a result of transport costs) by stating that, a subsidy will he paid either for transport of manures or cost of same? [Note. —Farmers living in places , served by. railway get substantial assistance in the abovementioned matter, but farmers living on the East Coast, especially north of Gisborne and inland from Gisbcyne where fertilisers and . manures are most needed owing to the tendency for the country to deteriorate rapidly, get no assistance.] Farmers’ Tours.—Toi ask the Minister of Agriculture: Whether, when drawing up the itinerary of tours of the North Island' in future for visiting groups of farmers or farme-rep-resentatives from overseas, lie will endeavour to make provision for Wliakatane ;ind the Raugitaiki Plains to

be included, and for; adequate time . to be made available for a proper inspection of the district by Visitors ? [Note. —In responsible a:;l>revi-; ous question 1 asked in this connee- . tion, a promsie was given me that; : o; Wlialv,atan e and other East Ooas't' places would be included an - erary, and the promise Vvas in respect of a visit paid recently by a party of visiting Australian farmers, but. the'itinerary permitted of only a ten-minute break at Whakatane, and no opportunity was -provided for. them to visit- the Raugitaiki Factory, with an output of 6000 tons of butter, apart altogether from a .visit to other parts of the Play, which could have been of great value to the visitors in every respect.]

Principle of Subsidy.;—To ask the Minister of Agriculture : Whether he will investigate the possibility of continuing the principle of subsidy, and also of providing a more liberal subsidy to local bodies—County Councils mainly—who employ on a full-time subsidised basis Inspectors' of Noxious Weeds for the purpose of giving great•r encouragement to the counties to proceed' with the eradication of ragwort, etc., in a more intensive campaign? [Note. — : Certain Councils are not in a financial position to make up the subsidy to an amount sufficiently adequate to compensate inspectors fully for tlieir labour, travelling-ex_ penses (including wear, tear, , and general depreciation of their cars), hire of horses,, etc., with the result that complete success in their efforts may not lie assured to the extent it could otherwise lie.]

Cost of Petrol.—To ask the Minister of Finance: Whether, in .view of the very high cost of petrel in Gisborne and other places on the Coast, especially north of Gisborne, where the cost is as high as 2s 8d per gallon, and in view of the decision of the Minister of Industries and Commerce to fix only the margin of profit which resellers can make, lie will examine the possibility 'of altering the amount ofi tax collected on each gallon to a sliding-scale basis related inversely to transport costs and depending on the places at which petrol is sold, with the cibject of thus assisting to bring about a uniform price for petrol throughout New Zealand? [Note. —In places where trasnport charges of petrol, tort-lie point of distribution are high, a, rapid falling off in the amount of petrol used is taking place. The Government- is thus losing the tax which would, he collectable if the price per gallon were substantially less.]