NEWS AND NOTES.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 678, 1 December 1909, Page 5

NEWS AND NOTES.

THE RADICALS AND THE LAND BILL. STRENUOUS OPPOSITION PEOPOSED. There was another meeting of Eadical members yestorday to .consider what attitude they should adopt, in , connection with the Land * . ■ ■ ' .''.. It was agreed that if those features of the Bill whioli are objectionable to believers in the leasehold are not eliminated it should bo opposed clause by clause by the exercise of full, free, and fair criticism. ■ It is reported fnat requests have been received by some , of.-the Eadical members to address meetings on the Land Bill at Auckland, Taihape, Petorie, and Palmerston North. According to a prominent Eadical, the leaseholders on the Government side feel very sore with reference to tho land proposals. To support the Bill as it stands would makVtho Eaaieals look-very-small in the eyes of their constituents. Ho avers that there is not the slightest chance of the Bill passing in ,its present form this session. .■'.-. REMISSION OF SENTENCE. A largely-signed petition has been presented by Mr. Buchanan. M.P., praying for the remission of the remainder, of the sentence on Gilbert Langdon, who, on November 26, 1908, was sentenced to two years' ,, imprisonm ii. I . The grounds adduced are that the prisoner is only nineteen years of age, that ho had from hirth a nervous, excitable temperament, causing him ,to be easily led astray, that the'owners of the cattle are parties to the petition, that the prisoner's behaviour in gaol hasi been exceptionally good, and that his parents,will be responsible for his good behavionr. .: ■ . . RABOTONGA-TAHlfl MAIL SERVICE. in regard to'-the subsidy to the Wellingtm-Barotonga-Tahiti mail service was asked 1 of■ the Prime Minister yesterday afternoon by Mr.. Glover. Ho drew attention to a paragraph published in The Dominion stating that the subsidy' had been renewed foi a-fur-ther twelve months. He wished to know whether this was true, and said that he would like j an immediate reply if possible from the Prime Minister. Sir Joseph Ward said that the matter had only been nnder the consideration of Cabinet that morniig.' Thfc service was being extended for six months in order to enable an adjustment to be made in connection vith the Avrekland'service. - It was hoped, he said, to be able to improve the Auckland service, as well as to continue that from' Wellington, and it was probable that a vote-of about ;£4OOO wonld be : required for each service. Hethonght that it was important that the connection between Wellington and Tahiti should be ccntinued if they could get reasonable terms,' and it was equally important that .they should also, have a good connection from -Auckland. '

COST OF THE TIMBER COMMISSION. A return was laid on the table of the House yesterday, on 'the motion of Mr. Massey, showing as follows the amount paid to each member, of the Timber Commission:— J. P. Arnold, .£79-ss. Gd.; W. H. P.- Barber, JUB2 4s. lid.: S. I. Clarke, ,£203 os. 5d.; T.. Y. Duncan, £75 9s. 6d.; W. H. Reid, iC25s. 6d.; J. A. Hanan, .£76-os. 6d.; W. T. Jennings,- ,£B2 175.; W..8.. Xeyland, £208. 4s. lid.; 1 , . Mander, W. Morris, ,£220 12s. Id.; J. Stallworthy, £82 lls. , - '■■ ■-. ■ . ' .■ . -~'..■.'. .. JOTTINGS. ■ According to a return laid on tho table of the House yesterday there were in the Dominion on Mar'ch 31 last 240 ownersof jiroperty of a capital value of, i>50.000 or over. On March 31, 190G, the' number : was 194. . ;. The- \ative ■ Affairs Committee has reootnmended that the petition of TCewanui Apatari and twenty others, of Oroua Bridge, praying for redross in connection with Puketotara No. .336, 'should; referred to the (government for . ■' -' ■■•■• '",■■'.. - : --~-' . ■ Mr. Wright has given notice to ask the Government whether Mr.' T. E., Donne was allowed, while head of tho Tourist Department, to have private work dtfne in the way of birdstnffing and the making, of cases for the same, such work being paid for with public money; and (2) whether Mr. Donne, while head of the Tourist Departments was enabled to 'purchase Maori curios, carvings, and carved honses. Mr. .Wright,is also; asking for a return showing— ;(l)'How much was paid by the Government to.'Mr. Donne for his collection of Maori curios, carvings, carved houses, stags' heads, etc., and who recommended ■ the; purchase and estimated the value; and (2) a■ list of such articles and ,the>pnce paid for, eafch/ . ,: ,

i'llr. (j: M. Thomson (Dunedin North) is aslun<j .the Prime 'Minister whether :'he will ■endeavour to arrange that next'session , of Par-liament-the. House shall meet for the'transaction of public business on all sitting-days at -.10.'a.m., .and .that;-all-. Select Committee work be.undertaken during the evenings or on such days, as the,, House does not,-sit. ; ;■ ■ ■■■ Mr. Wright has given notice to move the addition of the following new clause to the Shipping' and Seamen's Bill:—"Holders of seamen's lights shall be entitled to vote for Parliamentary candidates at a second'ballot in the following manner: Aftev a seaman has exercised •his right at the.first ballot the returning officer shall r stamp the said right to prevent it being/used again at the first ballot; and return; it to the , 'elector, who may vote if heiwishes at the second.ballot." ;■' '•: ;'•'•'•