POLITICAL NEWS AND NOTES

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 112, 19 August 1910, Page 5

POLITICAL NEWS AND NOTES

By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent. Wellington, Last Night. THE OIL INDUSTRY. Mr. Okey asks the Prime Minister [whether, seeing it is proposed in the Mines' report to submit legislation to the House affecting the petroleum industry of the Dominion, and as this is the first legislation proposed to be placed on the Statutes dealing with the deveN opment of mineral oils, he will have copies of the legislation to be brought down submitted to those immediately connected with the oil boring industry, so that they may have ample time to consider the measure before bringing it onto law. Note.—.lt is admitted that, from the interest taken in the industry 'by the Minister of Mines, his bringing down legislation is intended to be in the best interests of the industry. It is with thi9 view that those who have been immediately connected! with the worhing of the different fields should be consulted, so that any legislation will be in the direction of assisting rather than retarding the industry. THE CO-OPERATIVE SYSTEM. Mr. Hine asks the Minister of Public Works whether he will make enquiries as to the authenticity of the paragraph appearing in a Taranaki paper, under the heading of "Whangamomona Correspondent, and, should the paragraph be a correct version of the position, will he take the necessary .Heps to bring about a better system for the co-opera-tive administration of the railway works in the Taranaki District? Note.—The paragraph reads as follows: "There is" considerable dissatisfaction amongst the co-operative men on the railway works, through the small amount earned per man. Last week some gangs had as low as 2s Id per day per man. This is really a starvation wage.