POLITICAL NEWS AND NOTES.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 669, 20 November 1909, Page 7

POLITICAL NEWS AND NOTES.

;0F; Riy.ERS. C- S; ,;y>- .: iThe question- of the'-silting -of: the Ohinemuri ■ and t WaihoU"!Riyers was'-referred, to .by 'Mr. Massey yesterday afternoon.. Hβ'said that tho matter was a T serious ono, : aiid ; ho asked- the .Prime Minister to 'state what/action tho !Governnieht.interided to Jate.iin. regard to it;,:>■'/.■■;i , : .'Sit" Joseph j\Vaidl said-that there-Weroat;pTC-' ■eeht:petitions:on: the subject beforo:the .Mines Committee, ' ( and .until the;■ cotuinitteo .'reported. 'ho ''.thought'.'.'that;Hie^m^tfer.;!:mi<?ht'. b'e> : par-m'ittedjo.'retaeiii'.-'in''abeyance'.'."; /The question. ,-,of protecting -tho' interests; of....the .rattlers', and •at. tho saaie ,time preMrvin-gith'oso -!of.; the -important. juinlngTihulistry. was . a ;oh& ! oral .times, and , after; the MineslConiinitteo had .reported/:the'inatier would bo.gone into'again. v'Massey': , Willi : £ometltfug!;be; done.;, this , session ?; ■: '<■■ ■';-.'■. ■''%;. '"s : ;J- '■' : >: J.V %; ; ; \-; v J- ;■:'; ''(■'') ;' ■'' '/.V----.'-■■"Sir Joseph WardV/We.'want to do something i£ wo .possibly! cani-.-rv. 7 . ';>: ■■;.'-. "v.'-'.,*. ■jX'A".'; :; v;v

i ; ,ihe; Hon. :: G./Poviids read -yesterday after'nObniithe reply;of-the. Minister for; ,Hpni: J.,;A; Millar)-:.'toVMi'; Grahani's •ntlbstion 'oohcßrnrng ■theVJaciMn , s- , He'ad-': ; ply;'stated;that- theT.Oil'laniplVon- Jackson's Head: had proved.'^satisfactory; , '-:"; , I£ went-,out on'!NoT«imDef'lo,-,'and/ thrco , 'attempts had since : been.-niado.;by.-.the..'steamer.,:Elsio to.effect, a '.landing to relight it., jThe'liarbour-masterrhad tried-to'land at,-daylight '.that^day',.but the sea' -AnotherSallcmpt: would be made after! midnight.. The Pinboh ;light .apparatus had;--not been. ercoted, : because -.it -vas. impossible to- work" at; the" place-in the 'strong' ; ;winds '.proyailing.'-at : ;- ; thie'.Htihie:;. of;.the:-.year, , ; .ahd,.!tho.,weather not likely, 'to -'be calm : enottgli: f or!: its ..erection until -January. -..'; The '.new-light, would then 'bo'orcnted.'-VMr.'.Gra-;haDi thanked the' Minister for :his prompt, aid ! : no t;fi nsatisfactory -rpply.-.i : -'i■;■'';':■'';.'-.v-. , '•:'■■'■ .;;".;

j-..OiV,ilioOPriiQ«,llinister'S.motion, it'-T\ifa^»"(I^" cided'. yesterday:; that; , onand- after'j MbiidayV November 29: tho: House , :shbuld: siton.- Moii--daya.,;fMr..:siassey admitted I 'lllo'accessity for' endeavouring , to ■ niaJce up ■ some.of the: ground that had been."lest," but-lie''stated,:thiic;some : of.,the menibers, ; - including'hiiu'sclfi■hadbmade arrangements -,that;.would take' them', away, from '..Wellington- on'/Moiiday, > November: 20,' and 'he' suggested Hhat; the first , Monday : -to -betaken.in :thjs way'should ■be devoted' to formal matters. , ;It was■ usual. in : tIiCEo j circuni6 i ta.noe.s to give the first-Monday: to members in'oliaveo of local -8i115., , . The. Prime' Minister.'-replied' that ■Uβ .cbuld .not agree to the suggestion, -'sincp' his mptwn.. was lntendeUtoS facilitate .Government business.! '-It,..was. usuahto take, local Billsat the end. of-the .iEoseioiti-'! ■■■■ ";'\ -':;• : .;, : ' ! ../:'i ' ; ,.

v^;£S;>i£^NAVAL^esEßyp,:.: ;■: y : v^'. ,;A -proposal" for.iforming a:naval reserve.was made in ■ : the Hous'b last night by' Mr. T. E: Ta;?-. lor (Christphurch North), 'i Mr. Taylor said ho had. Heard , on , 'good, authority 'that' torty men -were, recently, paid\ott' from, HiM.Si-Pioneer; alter having term, 'and that they.'hadrecojved XIO.MO, /.reaping :each--;£2o"(). that had accrued ,'tb . tliom on -the New, Zealand scalo'of. wages. ■ Ho .was;told':. that...not one. of- these men. was;, willing to 'remain in "one ■ Majesty's,ships,.and the whole'number quitted (ho Navy the 'inbuieiit. they', got. their' pay/ , If this was-soyit was-.a , serious matter .wliether the Government should not' open somo induced . niont to 'these. : men to. remaiii ■■ in ■■ some" ivessel : irithe■ Australian .Squadron. , '' They should' endeavour to ascertain■ why .these'men preferred noti to/stay itvthe Navj,\and-legislation might ■be passed , so '.that.'.tliey shoulcf. be -employed' in tho colony..:on.-, tho land or in State;.em-, plbyment,: i orniing ,& naval reservo , : force,' which would bo available, ivHenevor it^was: needed.'";

V; ' EARNjNGi ; THE(R .HONORARIUM. / ; ; ! ,''AVtiU : a't : tho : Legislative 'Council 'was indulged in by Mr.: T.'.E.; Taylor last evening/ Ho:did: not know,, he said,' now the members of "the .Council eonld find, it iri ■ thoir : hearU to : take, thdrvhonorarium'i 'They, only /eat, about Van■■-lipnr ; a fortnight '-on the .averagb during, a 'session,- and he did .not know' how they, .filledv in ; the. remainder of .' tho .time. - Two*br ";three:,'of .theni, he said,- ■ we're' , seen wandering - about: the ■'. lobbies, ''. but ■:■ whero the others wore "the ;lord only knew.,' (Laughter.) Three'members of the Council ,wero in. their ■galUry- whilst .Mr. Taylor was speaking. ..,

:: RECENT •;DEPAFITMENTAL;;iNQUIRY. -: ; ', Daring tho . course of tho debate"' on the Estimates last night, Mr. Massoy '-asked V the Prime' Minister whether the report in connection/with, the jndicial inquiry .-'■, into certajn mattorg rolating -to the: Land arid Income' Tux. would be presented'to Parliament. Ho ; wished toimako it clear that he had not the slightest-: iintention■ of '. asking. that any'jportion of the report ivhich-concerned the private, affairs.of ■ any ■ taxpayers - should bo: made ' pnWic';; The -House 'thought, entitled to havo-qthcr' portions ofithe'-report placed before.it; It .was not this'object, to try.to- inilict: hardships on' anyoriei-Vfor-he did hbt.know. who was cbn-'. domed■■iii.rtne , .':'touiry.;.; ■■'.;■■ ■.■': ", : -' ;^:^: - • Tho Primo.Minister (in .reply)''said.that .thp. Government -had;received 'the ■. report'.-'.- of; thp; judges : in f 'connection,with the limttor; \ilinisters ha(H'hopod' : toihive.be"en^.ahld;toi.: c havo,-:'coh-. r sidofed ■H'f.before "'Ubjfj' but,lowing". , , to 'the- indis^

position/of ; one.: or , .two.Ministers through. influenza,- a , "full Cabinet meeting ,cbuldnot be . held./- ,AVlien-tho. .Goyomment .'came ' to; a ; decision in'regard to the matter, he would make : an .arihouncemont to the House. .'Any. portion ; ;of:tho report relating, to, tho affairs pf.'any' , -taxpayer'would:.most, certainly not be'.made ■ ; known.'* There were in the report a number of such matters. : He might bo able to:wake the announcement .on Tuesday v ior'■'-,•.Wednesday: i Subsequently, Mr.' Herries..expressed- the- hone ! that" if the judges suggested any alteration in ; .tho;:metho.ds.in,'voguo : in .the Department, the ; House would rocoive information on the i subject...' •/•.'.. v'" '..'■ ;•■■ .. ':■■■,:. : ''';■'■•': •■.

■■:^; : :-.-:- , jottings. .'-.;/ '" :."; MTfus> petition of ,'Edwafd. Donovan,, of .■Wellington; praying 'for compensation for injury sustained by him \vhile employed as anassist-' not gardener at Government Buildings, Wellington, has. beeii .referred by the Public Peti- ; . titions A., to. :L Committee to the .Government: for favourable •' .: ■ : : 1 For every case .in which justice is done as tho; result of a petition to •Parliament,' there are ten cases in which justice ia not done" to ■petitioners.—Statement of opinion by Mr.' .Massey. ■■ -~,-.■;■...' •'.. :•■ .-•., . ■■' . ;•'■ ■': Sir. Wm. 'Donovan,: of the Railway -Work•fihops, '"who "has been promoted to a position wt . Wanganui, was, on ■ Wednesday, night, the recipient Ofa. presentation from his follo-w-workers' .of the boilcrmakcrs'-department;... ■' - ; '' ; \'■;■■••■.-.'■ ;.Efforts made'by'the Railway Department to oncourag'e station : gardens, have hot. bo satisfactory, causing tha Department to discontinue nurseries for the.supply.of : trees.-.. Stationmas. ters and: others who wish to plant trees and shrubs, intho station grounds can obtain thein; however, through;the,Traffic Managers•■■■■■■ " :No vote will ho provided this year to open'up ,'ths tourist, track from Teparapara (nearßangiwalna). to the; Tararnas, ..The county is - not considered of sufficient iniportanco' as a tourist resort-.V: '- : / ";':■: ■.;■.• '■}; ■;< ' "■■■■:■ . '.'■.: '•■['"■'■■] J, No. alteration .in: ,ths. hours of meniali'lios-. pital. employees is proposed .at present. Nurses' salaries were substantially.iincreascdiast'year.