POLITICAL NEWS AND NOTES.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 642, 20 October 1909, Page 8

POLITICAL NEWS AND NOTES.

WILL ANOTHER MINISTER BE . appointed?. Two questions,,which are • being well can vassed in the lobbies just now are: Whenwi] the Hon. T. Mackenzie' 'bo elevated to fu] Ministerial*, raak? and will- another Ministe bo appointed ? From;what oan, bp, gathered,,'i seems clear ttat. the apfklintmeiit 'to'tfie -Minis try of Mr. Mackenzie is 1 a..sore-point • .witi many'members of'the Government party.- Wit! r ?8 a ?-4 Jf. suggestion' that another Ministe should be appointed,' it is fairly'generally hel< that another-- appointment could no't'be d« fended.'/ The cost of; government; it;is felt;' j sft®W high., .and 'the cost of ariothe Minister oould be better spent on p'ubli works,. .Owing to' the reduction of Doparl ments, no further-appointment' would be wai ranted.' If, said one prominent Governmen Supporter, only tho. best:'men had' been « lected for the position the number at presen would bo. found to -be quite adequate.'* I connection y;ith the: question; reference to th position which, arose when Mr. Scddon in 190 proposed to increase the number'of Minister will be of interest,-'. .'Although: the . numbe mentioned by him was not adopted, it is wel known "that exception was taken to any increai at-all; .Among the Btrongest objectors to th proposal- were the Hons; J. ( A. Millar and E M'Kenzie;' who were then private member< Summed 1 up by a'shrewd follower of the Gov ernment, the'position is that Sir Joseph War will not propose to give the Hon. :T. Mat kenzie full Ministerial, rant until at' any rat after the; present 'session.,: In regard to th vacancy in the Ministry,: he' holds, that Si Joseph will continue to dangle-"the. bait" ii front of his supporters in order'to keep-then from kicking,over the.traces. A TAXIDERMIST'S COMPLAINT,' A petition from Alex. Yonill, late taxidei mist-.to the. Colonial; Museum, wos ; presente< to Parliament yesterday. '.(Petitioner statei that his services were dispensed with from Oc tober, 1904, to February, 1905.' Up to the timof his dismissal, he had been doing privat, work in his own time, with the knowledge o the officials,' and no exception was taken to it In-1902 he was.employed by Mr. T. E. Donne then superintendent of. the Tourist Depart ment, to do some private'-work. He refuse< to;deliver the work until He reoeived'payment whioh was done, .he ■alleged,-by Governmen cheque., .His notice of , followed, ah< he oould. only attribute it ; to the influenoe o Mr. Donne. Upon his re-engagement, he wa told that he must do no more private work a the' museum.. After Mr.' Donne's return fron St. Louis, he again:, did what-he. alleged wa more private work for him, and was agaiij pai< by . Government, oheque. Last year he: retire! from the service, his salaiy being too smal to -live upon. But for his-e'n'foroed--retire mont in the year 1905,' he would have been en titled to' a retiring allowance of j£lßo, Hprayed that compensation should be affordei him.- ... A KARORI MATTER. Certain, sections having- a frontage of 400 ft to thelOld.Karori Eoitd were the subject of i -petition- to- the. House- yesterday.. The peti tioner, Catherine O'Connor,- of Creswick; as serted that owing either to the neglect or thi error.of the officers of-the Crown certain parti of- the road; became vested' in : private' indivi duals,. '. ; At the instance of the - Registrar General of Lands provision was made for thi closing of p.art' of the road fronting her'land and.further provision. was made debarring ani >eMon from having-a-claim to compensation Petitioner, avers that she. was never consultec in the matter. As a result of the closing 'o: the road, hdr land had'been depreciated to thi of;,about. She Geeks reason able -'v ... .PET.IR/ng^ v.Eeferences fe the joufnak. of'the Legislativi Council-6how tjiat,the terms of office of ; sov eral of. its mcmbera will shortly expire. Oi December 13 the following will retire:—Homi «; (Qtagp)i E.;H. J. Eeeves (Nelson), anc W. C. Smith (Hawke-s Bay). Early in Marcl next, the Hons. A. Baldey (Otago), W. C. F Caracross; (Taranaki), F. Trask (Nelson), anc T. Thompson (Auckland) , ; .will,.retire." Then again, the Hon. .Mahu'U' (Auckland) will ceaa to be a member of the Council (unless reap pointed) on May 22. Four: councillors, tfi Hons. W: Beehan (Auckland), S. 'T. .Georg< (Auckland), T. K. Macdonald, and H. F. (Canterbury), : 'go"out of'omceUi thesucceeding*month'.'" ; ■ ' A iMONSTER PETITION. The'largest petition which, has conie- befor< | the House'this session was presented last night It . contained no fewer than 11,000 names. Th< petitioners asked. that the vast areas of fertilt land in ' and to the-north''of the county oi Waiapu shoiildbe thrown open' for seleotionThe! land, it 'wa's -stated; was eminently suited for pastoral, and dairying; purposes. Being foi . the most part bush .'land, it. could only, be, developed by the- expenditure of capital and ■' th< application of stifled methods 'of olearing and passing.; It is impossible for the Native'population to' utilise 1 those' great areas of. unimproved In the opinion of the memorialists, the area reoommerided.by the Native Land'Commiesion.tb .be thrown open 'for settle ment was ;tbo small,"and' qilite inadequate tc the wants, of the increasing 'European popula tion. The .jwtitioners asked.'that the Waste Lands Committee should 'call evidence", and report,on the.matter,'.this session/' v.- ' .' FOXTON-SANDON LINE. A .deputation from- the Manawat'u- Countj Council waited' upon the Prime' Minister yesterday witll reference to the. Foxtop-Sandor line. It' was stated that it was proposed t< extend the 'lino, ,to/ ; G.reatforiil'. where they wished :to be allowed' £o> • connect' with the railway. Before'.makjhg- all the.'nejjessary' arrangements for ; the wor£, which would. be verj heavy,, the. deputation.''fished to knois ■ whethei that wish would ibe • acceded to. Sir Joseph Ward asked-, the council to give' a pencil traoing of the proposed .scheme.; He would have il reported upon .-by tho Kaihvay. Department, and let the oouncil know the,' result as 60o'n 'at possible. .;'. -' . MANAWATU SERVICE. v Mr., J?ield has given .notice to ask the Minister fpr Eailways whether he will on three days, of the .week''say,, Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays run' the: early morning train from Ot'aki instead;of from Paekakarila on: a satisfactory guarantee being to. make iip tlie difference, ;if ; any, between the cost of .run; ning such train between Otaki'and Paekakariki and the actual.' moneys- earned: for the Department thereby? It is folt' (Mr... Field points out) ,to be-a great inconvenience- that ■ settlers albng: the' Manawat'u- line' north of Paekakariki are, unable-'with' the. present, time-table ...to visit Wellington in- the morning and return the. iamo evening; and, as. the Department has refused up to the present to' alter the timetable, and the' Government has expressed ib willingness to provide . trains -in all cases where a clear 3 per,cent. is.assured,,the'above suggestion is made as''the only method of overcoming the' inconvenience which seriously affects the whole population from Paekakariki to Manakau.' .• ; ,'- LOCAL. NEEDS. Mr, Wilford .will- ask the Minister-for Justico whether he" .will;' after-consultation- with the Minister for' Pubic Works, place upon the estimates'a sum of'-money for the erection of a Courthouse -at Petono? He -will also ask the Postmaster-General whether' he will,- on, a site which is available at Silverstream, . cause- an up-to-dato post office and telephone bureau to be erected, there being insufficient accommodation in the present: premises.,- The Minister for Defence is-to be asked-by Mr., Wilford whether ho will set apart an area under- his control in the Silvorstroam district for the purpose of; a school house?-..1t is stated that this site, .which is'not usod for defence purposes, has been selected -by the Education Board as suitable .for tho purpose:• suggested; and -will meet-the urgent,-needs of settlers in the vicinity. 1 , PARLIAMENTARY BUILDINGS. Mr. James'Allen...is,-to movej .That there bo laid before tho House a return showing—(l) Tho compensation, -paid ■■to the- contractor for surrendering' his contract to erect new buildings on tho sito api>roximato'.to the, Parliamentary Buildings that. Were burnt i' (2) the amount expended, en (a) the old Parlinmcntarv Buildings, (b) oiv the residonco'lately bccupied by his Excelloncy (in renovation,'alterations, and new buildings, and-tho connecting of the same with the old buildings), -the amount, expended to be, up', to. the date of this return; (3); the-amount to be expended on 'the new residence for his Excellency.'-■ PROPOSED VETERINARY SCHOOL. _ A': mooting - convened '.by ■ Messrs!: Allen- and Sidey, M.Pj a, who are both members of' flie Otago University Council,' to oonsider mattera in regard to the. establishment: of a school of vetorihar.V wience,, was , attended by, 19 members of Parliament ...- .

' Mr. Allen,'who;presided,'.6aid• theGovern--mont, officers;, had advised '•him '. that; jthe' Stojck -. Department alorie would the services'of ■three: or four men- every-, year for-the ..next eight or-nine-years, "which-meant, that training would be'.required for about 30' Government veterinary. - surgeons alone. The Government had put ,£3OOO on-the-Estimates for buildings,: but on.tho-best advice plans hod been, prepared providing for absolutely minimum 1 ' requirements,' and.the.estimated cost The Government hod promised JCI2OO a'year.-'for ,- upkeep,. and although,' the Otago University Council estimated that the:cost of administra-' tion'would.be-rather more'than this, they were: willing to accept the responsibility of starting , ■ with that amount.- .;•'■' ,- '•.;'-. ' ,'". A resolution was passed:—"That this "meek: ing heartUy approves.of.the # establ]shinenvM,ft. veterinafyschool 'in connection with the Otago . University!" '- . '. , .' ' -,- . '■.. -.'-.'-. • '-'z' '\ Leave of absence'for'four days was granted the Hon. A. Balden in the" Legislative Council yesterday.-. : -.-'; ;, ;,;, ; --/,' ,',i/'.■'-.•'•-"'" : ''-.-':.'•'• Tho election, to : the-position of- Chairman .01 i Committees. in the Legislative, Council is .expectcd t0,., result, in-, the return- of; the Hon. Reeves. '■'...' '••■"■' ; ■'■•''■'■■■■■■'; ■■■'_■■'■ -, ■;' ■•■..'-. Notice to ask.'for; a -.return, .showing -the' bonuses which' have been paid to,railway servants for improvements expected)by them,,was,; giyen by. the Hon. J.- E.; Jenkinsoh. in the Legis- •-. lative Council yesterday. U7- ','.;,'.- ■ .' : . -, COLONIAL'' GdVERNMER^iECUBi.TIES. Mr. Herdman has' given, notice to ask the - Minister for 'Finance'whether -the item Jn-.the Bank of New Zealand balance-sheet for March 31, 1909, '-'Colonial • Government; Securities, .£1,083,021," relates to debentures of the New Zealand Government?*' . ; '..' -.JOTTINGS;; ..-■: ;''.;. V V' Mr.' M*Laren stated in. the House' yesterday' '. '" that during the recent 6la!ck season the General Labourers', Union Most: from 600 'to 700 mem- ' hers; and the Wharf Labourers' Union, almost • js'many. It was by no means true that "during.- slack-'seasons' all''classes' of.taen-rushed-. ,-. to-join the'unions.;'....;. ■"'.' :."\ '/,' ; ' ' '".. : " Mr. Ell's Gaming Act, 1903, Amendment Bill, which was read a first'time yesterday; has for , its object the abolition of; the totalisator. In the event of tho Bill not passing, Mr. Ell will ask the-House-to remit the question-to the peoplo for' a referendum,, either on -.'»,-' special day, -or "at the next general-, election. The only petition' presented in the: Legislative Council yesterday was one-by the Hon. WiPereon behalf of'Ngamako te Kango end Raumaewa te Rangd,.praying-for legislation:to ' regulate the practice of adoption ; among Maoris and for restitution of: certain land of '■ their deceased sister awarded by: the Land,' Court to parties- whom. the - petitioners deny,' to have been either blood relations or. lavfolly adopted children of the deceased. • ..;.,' A return Maid on-the table of the' House : yesterday'. shows that, the' number of:'-Crbtm " tenants who paid land tax last financial year, was 570.. -■■ ....:•' .- . _ '.-,.•' "'',■;■ .-....,.-. 'Astatement of the receipts and'expehditurt' of the Government Valuation of Land Department'shows that salaries for'•; last. ':■ year \ amounted to 'JUljlti); Fees to valuort: amounted t0".JE2226,'.,,'and;, travelling.' allowances and" ox- , penses to-''J55400.• Tlie'receipts included fooa for ovaluors'. reports, :vCtO,2lß,"'cbntribnti(jns • from' local authorities for preparing - and ; correcting rolls, £iSll, from Advances to Settlers'■'' Office for agency, work, JJIOOO, fronrLand Tax '' Department forsupplying tax' rolls, £8600. The •! net::oost 'ofi the:' Department' is -stated -to.be \ 411,121. .y.'",■■■-.'.- .--■.-' ■■:>.:'..:.;-:'-.•."■'."■'■''' • -"Is it ;not'a fact," asked Mr. MasseyMast evening, "that: yon-have, in'the. Minister.'for Education.the most prominent single taxer,in' New. ZealandP- Nobody- can 'deny it.-, If there' is, one morejprominent,. I wish the Minister for Publlo Works would tell me,, who he-is. He has-the.mi6fortune to' be tte. colleague: of' that gentleman,': in whose' politics! he ! does: not believe. ■":'.'/ "■•■'■ . :•■'■■ •'/,...,.,:', ,/•"■-•,'