NEWS AND NOTES.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 246, 10 July 1908, Page 9

NEWS AND NOTES.

A Bill was introduced by..Governor's'.'Message 1 yesterday, to repeal Act'of 1906, with. the. object'of "cancelling'aNative reserve at PJimmertin. WerVr in • question is ' the historic < spot'* where ; > paraha was captured by Sir Georgo"' Grey.; Itis also a' native ,cemetery_,.v.,Tho i ..reason forj the cancellation was that,"too; high s a'» sum. of:money would be involved ;i'n"=its ypurchasW.; A question was \-p&Ycg(Christchurch) as to tbe/eiigagement-of-Mr. Shannon, Chipf : Customs Expert, ; ' tlie. inatt'er of whose salary was debased''in'the'..Hopse last year.! What, aslied Mr. Davey/'had bcpn dono ■ regarding the engagement?'" ister-for :Customs, (the said that the old engagement'-'wak'-feMmated 1 on' Juno 30, and the expert ijras : now employed at £800 a' year with' Sl-a, day'allojvanco. when- actually £<• Mr. Wilford yesterday from John Ward, settler,'\of'.llower..Hutt, who states that lie is a lessee, of, land'vi;hich.! ho i; not empowered to agricultural purposes, but nay. so much in. rates 'ivaiuel that the interest of himself land' Mi- .brothers" (who aro his co-lessees) is ,a miring ..quantity., James Sim, of' Johnsonville.' has' petitioned Parliament to direct a Land Transfer-'certi-. ficato to bo issued to him'in : fdspect of".cer-j tain lands at Johnsonvillo;" tfhich/'he'statesj' were willed to his mother % certain''Maoris;' in return for . kindness in 'giving' them •food', and clothing. . • He declares : "th'at'.' ; he -lias' cropped and been' in possessio'n' ; of~the'«''land ever since 1856. . - : "■ '"r : '"' : 7 Mr. Wilford is to ask the Government^whether they "are aware of the. growing- evjl'of" chlorodyne drinking, and .'whether.-.'they"will take steps to provide for restrictions!-on Vtho sale of tlio same ? Mr. Wilford states that, three women in the month; of: May... this;,year' were committed to mental'hospitals thrpugli the chlorbdyno' habit. ' .>> *

■ Mr. Field is to ask' the-sMimstej?6f "Public • Health whether ■ it is true, :as -reported •; to the questioner,.that.numbers.'of our-mental hospital patients owe their''ulifortlin'ate'ihen-' tal condition to the habit of-'chlorodyne-drink* ing, and that nevertheless this .insidious drug is being sold in largo arid increasing quantities to anybody who chooses to buy it;, and that tho demand for it is srowiii|; a .«o iasfcj that many chemists have difficulty "in i ing their, customers; and whether,>t-ho. Gov-li ornmeht will place .the - sameyiest.rictip.nis ljppjithe sale of chlorodyne, as already* caso of other poisons, or:-teke-. some ;otbef means of reducing , as fajfi'as? possihle iho'j number of helpless the.dread hiabit. referred top • • .1 ;nyry;hisi'' U. z: Mr. Wilford wants.the Ministerfqr Roads'; to say whether ho will place the sum* of-££so' on the estimates in order : 'to "assistin''the proper formation of a road from:Silverstro'am to Whiteman's Valley. . The question yesterday was greeted with loud laughter. Mr. Aitken. wants', to kriow'-whetheir x the : Premier is aware that Honour t-he Chief Justice (Hon. Sii\ Robert is 'visiting America_ arid Britain nexfctyear;','and 'if', ad-' vantage" should not be taken 6f his ;- visit to Canada- to ask him. to reprcserit this" Dominion in the groat celebrations ~to be held thero then? , • • Mr. Rutherford's objection to compensation being paid to Meikle was to'the amount proposed, namely, £5000. He'is not opposed to compensation, but to the'SmbripK ,"-•■■ ■ Mr. John Hunter, a wellikqo'wri:. is definitely announced as the Opposition candidate for the Masterton Boat against Mr. Hogg, tho present member. Mr. Hunter is

a member of the firm that built tho Wellington Town Hall. In a recent borough election at Masterton; he secured a very Heavy poll. Heyis'said'tobe" popular and a good speaker.•; ' ••' ' . , '■'" ' HOUSING OF SHEARERS HOK/ Mli: 'MILLAR'S BILL. • , ; Tho/signlficant part' of 'Accommodation Bill, which has been introduced by ;the, Minister.'for, Labour, is the schedule, which'is^ as follows: —• - provided by the employer,for' 'the'accommodation.'of shearers shall be sep- • arafevfrom the buildings used for the shear-' in<»' flf'slieepi iaivd'';shall be distant-therefrom not less than. one. 'hundred' and fifty feet nor more than-nine: hundred. feet, and shall not be less than 'one hundred-, feet distant from any killing-yard' ' , ; ' ;. BuildingS'.ysed for' sloping-accommodation'^. -and".for ; tlio aiicl 1 serving; of meals ;v. shall be in a' clean and'healthy state hy> the.' / : Not Jess. than.;Wp-hundred and forty cubio " ,-feeV of air ;spaeo" shall be" allowed to each ' • "person-sleeping .in'any such building. Tho height of .every sleeping-room shall not j.bo-.-.less than, nine feet six inches,, measured .by,'/.the wall-studs

number of bunks shall bo pro- ■ ' ivided by the employer in each sleeping-room for' r ;the : accommouatio'n of shearers,;but in no , case shall more-than, two tiers of blinks be :allowed in; any-sleeping-room. / Jn every :sleeping-room -a fireplace' with , proper chimney shall be. provided by the em-' • ployer. av,:-. -.v,.OrJa'aU bunk's'ofbed's'lnattresses of sufficient :-. ■ chaff or Straw-shall,' where-spring mattresses".- ' arenot 'provided, v' be- provided -by the em- . .ployer for. each shearer. .//.•-" : . : . sv^No - . sleeping-rooin shall be used for the - ■■■' -cooking Or'serving pf meals, and 1 a separate: sleeping-room shall, be provided for the cook ;• • . and assistant'-(if f any). - '/- ;r/'Eroper! ahd' : sufficient.;light and ventilation - each sleeping-room and ■dining-room/ " ■ ?;s' j ; £Ea<sh Sleeping-room and dining-room shall. V be-providod with a wooden floor: '/ ' -Proper- and" sufficient cooking utensils and table accommodation shall be- the employer-in each-cooking and ;_dining-room. A sufficient supply of good water for drinking, cooking,' and washing purposes shall- be / supplied-convenient to any ,building in which shearers are. accommodated. -. A. room containing a boiler and bath shall ,be, provided by' the employer,' adjacent ,to / ■every.;, suck: building, together with the neces-' sary. - utensils for ■■-. washing and' washing •clothes. K -'-ij..; >•:" .Sufficients sanitary accommodation shall bo •provided,"-situate/not-less _than ono-hundred :: feet: from-.-any -building in .which shearers; .: are : accommodated, : and not' less/than two . hundredrfeet 1 from/the- water-supply used / for cooking; drinking,, or .washing purposes ' by the 'shearers.:.- • --••-• ; - .-_A-;book\ofi-instructions ott' first aid to, the .injured and-, a- rproperi: and sufficiently sup-"-plied; shall'-he provided -and. -maintained every employer for the con- : vonionce.-:: of shearers/ The /price to be •charged iJor-any medicine'' so' supplied "shall not/exceed the nearest town rates, with, the cost of carriage added. " '