NEWS AND NOTES.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 534, 15 June 1909, Page 5

NEWS AND NOTES.

WHAT MEMBERS ARE, SAYING AND DOING. ■ New 81113. Mr. I/aurenson (for tho Hon. A. 11. Guin-1 ness) has giveu notice to introduce a National Sick and Accident Dill. Mr. Luko lias given notice of a Jolinsqnvillo Town Board Lighting Empowering Bill. Mr. Rhodes will introdueo the Ellesmero Domain Empowering Bill. Minors' Phthisis, ■Mr. iPoland (Ohincmuri) has givon notice toask the ■ Minister for Labour, whether;

owning the coming recess, he will take into consideration the advisability of so amending the provision in the AVorkers' Compensatiun Act relating to industrial diseases as to provide a real Benefit to those who are incapacitated from work through miners' complaint, or pneumoconiosis; and if he will submit legislation to that, end during next session. Of Interest to Farmers. Several questions of. interest to farmers were included among those of which notice was given in. tho House yesterday:— . Mr. Hogan (Wanganui) is to aak the Minister for Agriculture whether he will take into serious consideration the advisability of his Department taking in hand'tho spraying of all orchards in. tho Dominion, the cost to bo defrayed by charging ■ the owners a ■pro rata amount per. tree or per acre. [Note.—Tho spraying 'of orchard's is in a very backward state, and in the: Wanganui district' the stato of the orchards might even bo described as scandalous, owing to the neglect of the Department or the want of funds to cope with the. evils that exist: Action is urgently necessary to foster .a growing industry in this Dominion.] .:.'■ . ' '.•.■Mγ. Field will ask the Minister whether he will, without delay,. take more ■ effective measures to oheck the alarming epread of ■noxious weeds in the Dominion, particularly blackberry, Canadian thistle, and ragwort, which in many places, are slowly but surely taking complete possession, of largo, tracts of valuable land.

Mr. Okey : (Taranaki) is to the Minis T ter for Agriculture whether, seeing the drag .that New Zealand frozen meat is _on the London market, he will mako inquiries ss to tho possibility of opening up additional markets. " ■'..•'..■ ' . . ■

Mr. Dkey will move also that tbero be laid before the House all the' correspondence between the Government and the Homo authorities dealing' with the,_ stopping of the importation of boned beef into tho United Kingdom. ■'• ■'■."'■ ■■■''.. "". ■ ■, \ ■■ : , Mr. Sidey (Dunedin South) is ■ to , ask the Government whether they will take into consideration, the adoption of sonio comprehensive scheme applicable throughout tho Dominion for the maintenance of the arterial roads; ■•"..•■■■.■■■■ " . "■ '

The Amokura. 7 Miv Arnold'wants a report'laid before tho House 1 showing: (1) Tie amount paid to tho Imperial Government for purchase (of, and cost of -alterations to, the training-slup Anvr,kura; (2) the total cost per annum for each boy- for the years 1905-6, ,1906-7; 1907-8; (3), the number..of boys received on the vessel for each of tho above years; \4) the average amount of/fees received per annum for each boy during tho same period; and (5) the number of boys who have gone to sea, and to what ships they have been drafted. Vj ; - ■■■■/'. ''.. /,-'• . ■ . Life Insurance Methods. The Primo Minister is to vbe asked by Mr. Hogan (Wanganui) whether be will set up a special committee next session to consider the petitions to" be/presented praying for protection from the methods adoptedby some life ■ insurance companies. It is alleged-that the questionable, practice of offering some policybolders'less in satisfaction of their, olainis than they paid in premium's is frequently resorted to by.somo companies, and as this is held to be equivalout to defrauding I thesp policyholders Mr. Hogan considers it is time a searching inquiry was made, and also time the House afforded tho protection asked for'.-.:. ; : > ' -. ■ ■ ■; Ohakune-Wanganul Railway. , Mr. Hogan is-to ask the ''Minister. fox. Public Works, whether ho will' authorise a survey' of : p . the proposed•■'■'-.Ohakune-Raetihi-AVanganui 'railway■ line, and thereby carry nut the promise made by tho Hon. 1 Mr. HallJones. [Note.—As this is a ■ very important line, and would pass through some of the best country in tho Dominion/th© residents of tho.districts cohceriied feel convinced that it would pay from the.very day it was completed, and many of them are quito willing to, giye tho necessary guarantee referred to inja.recent speech by the Rt. Hob.- , the /Primp Minister,'but, before thiscan be done a survey is'necessary;] '':' '"' ' ; (

Uvln-Foxton-Stratford Railway. Mr. .Field, has<Given notice, to ask the Minister for. Public Works whether the Jovernmerit realises the importance , of con- , tructing the Lovin-Foxtbn-Stratfbrd, devia.ion of the North Island Main Trunk rai , - ray, recognising the telling facts that it will lave some sixteen miles in the distance beiween Wellington and Auckland, . that: It .raverses flat, and fertile land at present unierved by any railway, that-it will , obviate ieveral inclines on the present lino, that a arge portion of the deviation is already conr itructed in the fgnn of the Sandon Tramway, ind that .tho deviation is- one which - will >enefit not-only : the district -through" wh'icli t passes, but:, the Dominion .as "a : 'w-holc; vhether. the '-Minister" will himself inspect the ■oute of 'the. proposed deviation before next iossio.it; and whether ho will inform the rlouso what the Government .proposals (if my} are concerning , this important public vork.' ' ,-' '■ .'".,■•.' ..■''■'" '■'.'■ ■ i Lighthouse on Tonguo Point, ■ . 1 Mr. Wilford is.to ask the;, Minister.,-'for Marine, who.t.hcrbo will make immediate proI'ision for the. erection of a lighthouse at Tongue Point, Terawhiti, and so remove tho sreat. perils ' involved in the "navigation of 3ook .Strait, and- thus insure .a greater 'uarantce of safety to mariners and. the travelling public.V : ' ■ . '■''.■ North Auckland Railway. Tho Minister for Public Works (Hon. R. Nl'Kenzie) informed. a deputation of Auckland members last evening that he hoped to be: able before the Prime Minister left for, England.to announce <his-depision as to the route to be followed in the extension of the North Auckland main trunk railway. The Minister said,tbat-he looked upon this railivay.as one'of-the "best paying linesnrider sonstructiion in tho Dominion at the present time." j Ho thought ■'■ that it ■■■: should, be pushed oh to Hokianga as soon as possible. Members' Entertained by tha~ Speaker. > To mark his. re-election to the office' of Speaker, the Hon. A. R., Guinness-invited members of the House to'-, lunch . with him at Bellamy's yesterday. During tie conrso of the proceedings, which.were very enjoyable, several toasts, including tho King) his Excellency the Governor, ,the Primo.Minister, and the Leader :of tie Opposition, were honoured, ihe toast of the Prime Minister was proposed by Mr. Herries, a leading Opposition member, whilst that of the Leader of the Opposition was given by Mr. J. A. Hanan, » southorn Goyernnient supporter. The-function testified to the fact'that although members may differ politically, ■ the kindest feelings of respect are entertained for Jeach; other-privately. ■ , . .. ... The End In Sight. , Now -that the Loan Bill has been introduced, and is to be discussed to-day, it is considered practically certain that. an attempt will be made to conclude to-morrow. TKo .Prime wants ,a -clear day at least fo adjust his affairs before his departure on Friday, and last night he expressed a. wish that consideration should be shown him to this extent. .'...■'■■ • . . . ' v , Police Provident Fund. • Tho annual report of tho Police Providence Fund, laid on tho table of tho House yesterday, states that during tho year one inspector, two detectives, two sergeants, and seven constables woro rotifcd. with annual ..allow'ancos under the Act and placed on tho fund. There were on March 31 last, four ex-in-spectors,, twenty-three, cx-sbrgfcants, fortysix ox-«onstablca, four ox-detectivos,; andtv.-o widows on the fund, their aggregate '.annual allowance being £7529 15s. 7d! Three pensioners died during the year. On March 31 thero was a balance to the oredit of the fund of £31,813 75., lOd., being an iiiorease of £1276'25. 3d. on the amount at the corresponding date of the preceding year. • Questions. : Mr. Russell (Avon) has Riven notice to ask the Primp Minister when the classification of the Civil Service provided for in the Act of 1905 is likely to be completed and announced. Mr. Wilford will ask tho Minister for Railways whether he will give instructions for the erection of a small sholtftf>atation at Milling, Lower Hutt, aoar the cite of the

Milling Bridge, and also the land- acquired for workmen s homes.

Mr. M'Laron is to ask the Minister for Labour whether he will take into considiu-a-tion the matter of providing Government registry offices in country districts where md-ploymont-books shall be kept, so as to meet the requirements of tbo farmors and farm labourers in the procuring of laboar and employment. . ■' ■ The Minister for Railways will be asked by Mr. J. Duncan whether he will assist in relieving to some extent the congested state of the labonr market by engaging auil placing a substantial number of men upon the ueiv wharf works at Picton and so insure a more,satisfactory rate of progress than now obtains. ■'.

Mr. Reed intends to ask the Government whether they will set up a commission to inquire into the kauri-gum industry with a view to putting that industry on a better ' ■ ■ '. ■ Mr. Ppole wants to know if the Minister for Customs will give further consideration to the question of reducing tbo abnormal duty on slippers. . ■-'■■, Mr. Colvin is to ask the Minister for Education if he will bring in a Bill next session to. allow school committee elections .to start at noon. Mr. Loke is to ask the Postmaster-General whether he will at an early date take the necessary steps to. acquire a site on which to nrect-a post office at Karori. ~.■..'., ■ ••• Jottings. "With such a solid backing the Government can practically do anything they like Aβ soon as they have done anything, all they need do is to call their supporters together to ratify it. That'is the curse of party politics."—Mr.-- Wright during the Dreadnought offer: debate. '••-.' It was Suggested by Mr. Fisher last night that the Prime.Minister might get from.his colleague, the Minister for Public Works, export advice which would stand him in good stead at the Defence Conference. During a debate last year, said Mr. Fisher, Mr. M'Kenzio informed the House that in Jaoi) this Dominion will have invisible airships which will be .able to blow the Dreadtftughts into smithereens." (Laughter.) '/...

"We are assnred that there was unanimity in the Cabinet in regard to the' Dreadnought offer, bttt tho credit iii regard to it. rests with the Primo Minister."—Mr. Fisher on the Dreadnought- offer. . . ■' !'Since,the last Imperial Conference the Erimo "Minister, under -his own administration, has allowed our defence forces t« got into a chaotic and defenceless condition that is a reflection on the <*onntry."—Mr. Fisher in the course of his Dreadnought, speech.