POLITICAL NOTES.

Otaki Mail, Volume XXVIII, 18 August 1920, Page 3

POLITICAL NOTES.

Baths at Primary Schools. Mr .1. A. Nash has given notice of his intention to ask the Minister of Education whether he will consider the I ipe'stion of granting a pound-for-pound subsidy to school committees towards the erection of baths at primary .schools, so as to encourage the children to learn the art of swimming? Thorndon or Lambton'? The inconvenience and un.-uitability j of the Tkorndon railway station and the delay in providing a new central railwav station ill Wellington form the subject of u question which i- being addressed to the Minister of Railways | by Mr Mitchell (Wellington South), I who asks whether the Minister will | make provision to ran all passenger trains to and from the Lambton railway station ] Newspaper Postage. Mr Kdie (Brace) is asking the Post- ! master-General whether he will so alter the postage on a newspaper as to bring it back to not greater than id: and 10 make up the deficiency caused by the foregoing by increasing the stamp duty on a sliding scale— namely, from £2 to £-.-.. 2d; £25 to £SO, 2Jd: £SO to £IOO, j 3d; and so on, charging 3d extra for every £IOO or fraction of £100'? A j note to the question states that the i effect of the increase of postage is to ' penalise the haekbloek settlers, making ! them pav .30 per cent increase in the i cost of a paper as against the city ' dweller. Backbiocks Telephones. fn a question he is putting to the ' Postmaster - General. Mr Malcolm j (Clutha) implies that already the in- ! crease in the charge.- for the telephone ; in country districts has had the effect j of leading the users of country telephones, especially, of party lines, to give ap the telephone. The result will, he says, be that the whole charge- of the "artv line ii thus thrown ou two or three, who in turn will have to give up the service, to the financial loss of the Department and the very great inconvenience of settlers. Mr Maleolia therefore asks thai the PostmasterGeneral will immediately bring in an amended scale will permit county to have the use of the telephone at the old or even reduced rates, and make ap the loss of revenue by increased charges on telephones used almost constantly for basinets pura -omewha* different view or the r...-"t*&' 'is taken'' by Mr Haw&es who; is asking the Post-master-General when hs espeets to have sufficient material to go on vita the construction of the parry telethons lines in the country districts;

I At Saturday'.; meeting of the Horowhenua" County Council a letter was received from the Pabnerston Korth [Borough Council staling it had made representation to the Government asking that every consideration should he given to the advisability of making the Saturday half-holiday general throughout the Dominion. The Minister af Labour had replied that if a general desire on 'the part of local bodies was expressed for legislation 'making .Saturday half-Holiday compul- I sory, the question would be carefully I considered. The Council asked that if I

Horowhenua Council were agreeable to make tlie necessary representation. The. Chairman said at a previous meeting the Council had decided to vote against such a proposal, but asked if councillors had changed their minds. Councillor Harkness considered the half-holiday should not be made universal, but Cr. Broadbelt differed. The i chairman said one town should not die- ] tale to another, while Cr. Ryder sug- ' gested Saturday be the universal half- I Letter received. |