Parliamentary Notes.

Alexandra Herald and Central Otago Gazette, Issue 374, 9 July 1903, Page 5

Parliamentary Notes.

In the House of Representatives last Thursday, after a batch of bills had been read a first time, Mr J A Miller , was elected chairman of committees. ' The Government Inspection of | Machinery Act Amendment Bill pro--1 poses to legalise the issue of service certificates withoat examination to persons of good repute who applied for certificates before the first of January of this year and produced testimonials to show they had been in charge of an engine or boHer for 12 months prior to the application. In view of the fact that there are a number of men clamoring for work who reside in the locality of the Otago Central Railway works, Mr Herdman aclcs that employment be found for them, iastead of workmen being sent up from Dunedin.

The Government Rating on Unimproved Values Amendment Bill proposes to repeal the provision in the 1896 act which binds local authorities when the unimproved value rating has been adopted to strike rates as near as may be, but not exceeding in their producing capacity, the rates previously levied, and substitutes the follow ing clause:—"The rate made and levied by any local authority under this act shall be so adjusted as not to exceed in its producing capacity the limit of rating power on the, gross value possessed by that local authority." The bill also proposes to enact that when a change is made from rating on unimproved values to rating on the capital or annual value, the new rates and every continuing rate shall be so adjusted so as to equal as nearly as may be, but not to exceed in its producing capacity, the rate that would be made and levied under the unimproved value. Mr Herdman is to ask the Minister of Mines whether he will take steps to amend the Mining Act with a view of affording the following facilities to miners lesiding at places distant from a registry office—viz: (1) Appointing in such places agents to receive mining applications, and (2) making the lodging of such applications with an agent equivalent to filing the same in the office of the registrar.

The Minister of Mines has on the stocks a Gold Duty Bill, which provides that the Government may apgold duty among neighboring boroughs or counties in such proportions as are deemed just. The Tenants' Rights Bill, introduced by the Minister of Lands, is a measure which is of considerable interest to Crown tenants. It provides that where provision is made in the lease for compensation for improvements, the provision will apply to cases in which the lease is determined otherwise than by effluxion of time, and where the lease is determined by forfeiture, the compensation, if payable by an incoming tenant, shall be paid to the lessor. Inany case, it is set out that the lessor may retain from the compensation the cost incurred by him in assessing the amount of the compensation, the amount of rent due by him, and the amount of damage sustained by the lessor through the breach by the lessee of the conditions of the lease, and shall repay any surplus to the lessee. The Crown Tenants' Rent Rebate Act Amendment Bill proposes that the rebate authorised by the principal Act of 1900 shall be allowed to every Crown tenant for a period of five years from the date of his lease, and will apply to leases issued either before or after the commencement of the measuse. The rebate will be credited to the tenant in reduction of arrears

The champion of the reform of the Legislative Council, by making it elective, Mr Ell, intends to again bring in a Bill for that purpose as early in the session as possible, and to use every effort to get it carried. Last session, ifc will be remembered, the first reading was agreed to by 42 votes to 15, tbe Acting Premier (Sir Joseph Ward) voting for it. The measure, however, did not reach its second reading stage. Mr Ell bejievesthat in the new House there is an accession of votes in favor of the measure, and he is confident that it will be passed, although he feels pretty well satisfied that Hie Council will refuse to sign its own death warrant,"and wiil consign the Bill to political outer darkness. " Bible Lessons in Public Schools Plebiscite Bill," which Mr Arnold is introducing at the instance of the Council of Churches of Otago provides for a plebiscite being .taken throughout the colony in the month of March next, the whole returns to be forwarded to the Minister of Education and presented to Parliament. A simple issue will be submitted to electors, viz, " for" or " against" Bible reading in public schools. If the decision is in the affirmative teachers will be instruucted to give a simple literary, historical and ethical explanation, but teachers who object to give such lessons shall not be required' to do so, and children and parents who object may absent themselves while such lessons are being given.