NEWS AND NOTES.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 654, 3 November 1909, Page 9

NEWS AND NOTES.

COST OF COMPILING STATUTES. At tho instance of Mr Masjcy, tho following return was laid on the table of the House yesterday, showing "the total cost to the State of the Statute , ; Compilation Commission, nnd Ihe amount paid to .each member thereof:— "Total cost of commission, X 5025 lGs id "Amounts paid to each niembci theieof—Sn Robert Stout, ICCMG, Chief Justice, .£1413 3s 9d , Tredc-ick Fitr-hetl, E"-q , MA, LL I), BWIS 3s 9d , Waltor Scott Reid, Esq, .£1413 3s Sd"

•.■■ •' ;r. :;' -. ■ ' ■■■".' ■'> ■ ■ ' .■ *■■. .■■•"■•■■. ■ \( v I'LANDOWNERSAND LAND TAX. ■: ■The following .return "'■vrjis- tabledV yesterday showing the number of landowners in New iZealiind.and.'their: payments of. land- taxi— iNura'bcr. of-landcwners, 1i3,243; ; number who pay'land tax,' 24,629.: Number of landowners who pay 2s. fid. to 55., 7CBj ss. to 10s., 1703; 10s. , to 155., 1383; 15s. to 205., 1218; 'to £2, '5930; .£2' to' .£.7,'2516;i £3 \o'-£i,--lWAi.£i'to-£i; 1259; 89i; to J37, eSG; £7 to'JES, , 721; JEB to £b hbS; M to .£lO, 438; £10 to. .£ll, «5;. £11..t0:'£\2,-W;\£l2. to .£l3, 421 j JII3 to *U, to MS, 285;- .£ls to £16, 251; ,£l7 to .£lB, 182; ,£lB to .{l9, 173; .£l9 to !-820,.,.15.9;. .£2o.'to 525, 531; .£3O to ,£3s.to'£«),: 250'; to 155; Mb to i£so. vSGO, ISIS £60 to '£10, 144; .£7O to 480, 126; M' to £%, 93; MO: to 77; ,£IOO to .£l5O, .232;'..£150 to ,£200,' 121; <E2OO to toME3OO, 39; .£3OO to ,£350,'26;' to '.£4OO, l?;;J£iOO to .£450, 20 s"-£450" to ■jeSOO, 15; .£SOO and -over, 113. . »

if;\ MAORI: WAR VETERANS. '. : .Richard Langmnn, ! of .New, Plymouth, , is petitioning the House, through''Mr. Okey, for compensation ;in the shnpe of a pension or otherwise for a wound received iri: the. Ma'ori War. AVilUnm Etlgecombe, of New Plymouth, Ipotitions for a: land grant >,in • recognition of his services in the same struggle; ..■,■.

-/MUTUAL FIRE INSURANCE BILL.; / .'The MutualFiro Insurance.Bill, which hns been introduced.by Mr. Dive,' is designed to enable, mutual life: insurance■■ associations to issue policies on the share'-principle, Premium hptcsvrunout every three years, and necessarily .at J .diirerent'rda'tfe, i'coiilp'uted l .' froni-v the, , times when the insurances verp ■'and' ■■ the liability' under • them -diminishes' after each of the three years—circumstances which obvjp.tisly ■tell-.against .thOvfinancial-'vstability : of', the associations. -■. 'It. is ■:felt: that. their financial position, woiild be, more .assured ;if i they, .were permittedi, to issue shares the .liability-, , ,uhuor which would not terminate,at short and. virying periods; Moreover,; the -associations coiildiinore ■readily borrow any necessary moneys if they could give atf security the.unpaid calls under those shares. The borrowing-powers under, the Bill are, however, carefully restricted iu" like manner as iin the Mutual Piro; Insurance Act,' 1908—viz., ! ;the, amount borrowed . must. not ex-ceedone-half ..of ,, the unpaid calls-/, under:' thoshares,' and mast -be'.,' exponded -..solely- .in"paying ascertained fire losses.' .■-.- ■'.'■': :■ : .'. ■. '•

:.'O MUTUAL ACCIDENT INSURANCE, - " i. tTnder the Mutual Accident Insuranco Bill, which,has been introduced .by Mr. Dive,' , .any inutual fire insurance /association .may '<. jusuro against accident .resulting in loss of life or in' bodily injury, or against disease, disability, or (iny, change of physical or mental condition; against employers'; liability .: against charges under Section 41 of p tho : Workers Compensation Act/.1903, v:.taking-- "of- , inprtgajjea, charges,. ;or /encumbrances, lawfully -'existing. . Insurance shall not be effected on tho premium note, or share principle/: 'The amount in which a member; isinsureq shall' be takon> into: consideration in: determining" the number of votea to i which '-he. is entitled at meetings. As ; regards the net profits, it is" provided that they ' shall form part of the gorioral funds.' All ■ the firoperty and assets of the association shall be lor.all, losses/:but .'no .meniber shall be liablei ■ otherwise: than to tho ■• extent of the amount unpaid upon, his '. premium. note, or undertaking.; (or shares)' issued : in. respect, of. fire-insurance. Money lawfully - bprrowod by the association may applied in : payment of ascertained.losses. with insurances effected under, this Act, lis well:as in-payment of ascortained firo losses. .-The'-.reserve' -fund may be.applied to pay off liabilities under.this Act 1 not met- by ordinary receipts; Provision is also proposed so that the : Governor may make certain regulations. U ... !/.,,/ ,'

■':.■' LEAVE' OF ABSENCE, c °; '- ; ', Leave of absence was granted. yesterday'■ as follows :-Mr. E. H.' Taylor : (Thames), for 14 days, on account of illness; Mr. G, ; M. : Thomson (Duncdin North); 7, days, oh account of beleavement in. his family; and Mr.' F.: Lawry (Parnell); 7 days, on account of illnessiin , his family.-,-'" - : . '■'.'■ ;: .: [ ~-■' '■ ■ !..-''-■ :•: ■■•■ •■.'.■.

\. ■■.;■■■■■; KING'S BIRTHDAY. V ■ ■'. Baring,' the sitting of- the House'/yestorday the Primo Minister said lie had considered the suggestion of Mr. Fisher that the King's -Birth-" day should be honoured.on Monday, November. 8 instead of Tuesday, Npvornber 9. It.; had been found: that under the law the proposed '.alteration could hot .bo mode. Ho would nave been'very glad if he could have. seen, his'way to: have tho suggestion adopted. Under tho law an information could be laid by anybody if a v -Department' closed on the ? Monday arid, remained open on the. Tuesday. Last year he forecasted legislation providing that all holidays should be colebrated on Mondays. Itinifht be possible to enact ■ the requisite legislation this:session;- ,'■■.;...".-■' <':-'-,'. r :i ■;,:■''' .v

/'; •;•'■■" WHERE, DID THEYGO?" '< One of'the principal bones of contention-,in the discussion on the. Hospitals and Charitable Institutions' Bill last nignt was the proposal to give power to the Government to appoint a member of tho honorary staff of the hospital tola seat on tho board.'- During, the debate on the point, Mr. T. E. Taylor remarked that Auckland'was a notoriously contentions place and he believed that one of tho pastimes,thore was r to watch the'proceedings in connection with the hospital board. ■.- ' .'. " ; Mr. Allen: If there had boon a membbr of tho honorary staff on the board thore would lmvo: boon, no friction. r Mr. Glover said that there had been a groat deal'of frhtion among the honorary staff, at the Auckland Hospital.' ; . ■ _ ... ;. I Mr. Bollard, denied the assertion. ; Mr. Glover: I repeat statement! but there : has been no friction lately. I don't want, to go into details". , • . ■-. . ; : 'Members: No, don't. - : .-.-.. ■ ■■'■/:■ ..-';■ .;■'■ ' Mr,.Gloyer: If I-did,l might ask what betamo of tho winp (laughter) Why tlipio iven poor paluiit suilenng there on their bods ot agony and wheie did the things *hich they rcquiiod to to? A mcmbor And the cigara? Mr G!o\ei Yes, Hit tigais 100 (laughtci) llesuming Mr Gloyei said \iit] tin 11 there wore fowls and chid on" Where did thpj goi , (Liughtor) Why the stiff had evening parties (Renewed laughter) The incident then dosed.

..: ; ;■' y "Since I camo into this House, I have learned to have very grave doubts' whether there is any such thing as Liberalism in existence. That is my pc«iti&n now."—Statement by Mr. y>. M'Lnrcn.; , '..'.. .' ..- --.-.■ ."Some peoplo. seem to think that Liberalism consists of. trying to-do better thnn well, nnd of experimenting as much', lis-.possible.'. , ,.-As t\ mntter of fact, progress very often consists of going backwards in regard to: some things."— ' Mr. Fraser, J1.1V,-.for Wakatipu...: ;,:-■■.-... Mr. Hcrdmnn has given notico/-to-ask'••.tho ■Minister for Finance .whether, , 'when'compile ing the table' !which gives pnrticiilai's-'of'tho public debt, he will, in;, addirjjm:'-to giving particulars of the various sums borrowed, with. their various due dates, give to, the House such information as will cnabki it to ascortnin.iwhen the various sums making .up:tho aggregate public debt were- borrowed., ■■-'■"■ ■■; ■■.■■,-■ ■ ■■ ...-:■' Mr. Herdninn 1 ■'intends to'ask the. Prime Minister, whether he.has approached the board appointed nnder the' New Zealand Society of. Accountants Act, 1908,' with a view of having tho election ;of a counoil conducted with seoreoy. - ,: -r-. ■ ■■..■."■ :'.-' ;. ":■: "■': : " ■■'■, ■:

Mr. Buchanan intends to ask the Minister for Agriculture, whether he is nware ; fliat; tho number of rabbits.in various districts of the Dominion havo - greatly.-, increased during' the last few months, and what steps he proposes s to take to cope with such a serious position.' -.