NEWS AND NOTES.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 689, 14 December 1909, Page 5

NEWS AND NOTES.

." ■/! UNCOMFORTABLE QUARTERS... '. v The temperature in ■ the House . on ■• ■■ Friday night was:Bs.dogrees.' Mr. Ell (Cliristchurcli South) : 'drew .■ attention to ■ this fact yesterday, and .again urged that, the: number of strangers allowed on tho'floor,of .the House should be limited.'... ;.-:■•.:' y -: ■.-... . •■;' ~- ; .... ... ■-. Mr.Masscy. urged- that the Primo Minister should 'give .'members' an opportunity of .saying they: would go ' back to the old Parliamentary Buildings. He had not spoken to one member who was npt'of opinion that a mistake had been made .in .coming tovthe. present; building. If they did not make up their minds to go baclc they •would' have' to' occupy tho present inconvenient niakeshift-.premises for many years. .■The Prime, Minister replied: that the. House■had 1 decided that question already. Mr. Massey should accept the decision with.a good grace. Provision would ,bo mado : during tho.recess for. the; proper ventilation .of the chamber. : .He moved that the outside attendance be restricted to the'public galleries and. sis seats on tho loft of the Speaker's'chair. ~...■ ' . . .■■'. ■ . Mr... Herrics. suggested that during the recess the Prime Minister should consider the advisableness of, reverting' to a : long chamber, instead of a circular chamber. Rooms should also be provided.to which members/could take their . constituents. -..He , hoped aleo that the

membors' desksj which : were' - very inconvenient, should bo'removed;: . '■■" '■' '• • /'The Honiß.M'Kenzie'protested 'against ex.cessive ■ fault-finding;- . The present arrangements were-very-satisfactory; and had cost, a great deal of money, but he would do anything reasonable to improve them. • ~Mr. Herdman (Wellington: North) asked if the (lovernment had,any definite idea as to its future policy with regard to tho reconstruction of the Parliamentary" Buildings. He was op., posed to 'further public expenditure on the present-old; , decrepit premises. ■'" " ' ":■■ Mr. Rsher (Wellington Central) moved an amendment, to. add to tho motion "and that the space ;'along the outer wall be reserved for members' wiyfes." .The-Hansard seats shonld be moved on to the ■ floor of the House. ■ ■-• ''■ > ;Mf.-Wright (Wellington South) seconded the amendment...:..:.' ■■:: :,..-■ i. '~ ■.' The Prime. Minister thought that the .attention which had teen directed to the matter would cause the Speaker to limit the issue of privilege -tickets. He suggested, that nothing further should b/done this;session. : ; The Prime Minister's motion concerning the attendance of visitors was withdrawn. , MR. HOGAN'S.RECORD.'./. '. Mr. Hogan (Wanganui) replied yesterday to Mr. Fisher's comparison of tho attendance of Messrs. 'Fisher, and 'Hogan on committees and at divisions. Mr: Hogan said he had- never roflected,-ur the first' place, on Mr. Hsher's attendance at divisions. ■Hβ ■■.(Mγ. Hogan) was at a. disadvantage with regard to committee meetings, because-:ho was on three committees whose meetings often- coincided. Mr; Hogan then read tho following : comparison of his attendance at divisions during successive sossions with -that of' Mr. • Fisher. The figures referring.to Mr. Fisher's attendance are given m , brackets: —l9o6; 116 (108); 1907, 299 (278V--1908, 98.(85); 1909,: first ■session; £I (9)7 second session to December 6, 74 (60).' - •-■•.■■•■ .Mr. Fisher replied-that he stood by his pro■nous figures, which were'absolutely accurate 'Also, he was on five committees. - -.-■■

PUBLIC WORKS AMENDMENT BILL. The Public Works Amendment Bill, introduced by-Mr. Miaren,' has been received back from the committee to which it was referred The" committee suggests that, tho Bill' should be amended as follows:—Clause (2) Notavithstanding anything contained, in the- Public Works Act, 1908,. or in any other Act, where any part of any road or street is unformed and is in the opinion of the local/authority not likely to be required I as a highway, the local authority in respect of such unformed part have tho following powers: (a) The local authority may lease any part of such unformed portion immediately fronting any proncrty. to tho owner of such property (if any) for such term and atsnehront as it shall in its absolute discretion think proper, or may grant to such owner any such'right or. license to construct approaches to his property over any unformed portion on such terms'and : subject to such conditions as the local-authority thinks fit; (b , ovory lease or license granted pursnant to the provisions of this section shall be detenninable by the local'■ authority without compensation by one month's notice in writing to the lessee °or-licensee.....The committee recommends that as amended the Bill should . bo . allowed to proceed. ■'.;■" . . ■ ■ r PUBLIC WORKS BILL. ; The. Public Works Act Amendment Bill, which-was: brought down-by Governor's Message yesterday, provides that surface , soil need not-be acquired for purposes of constructing a tuiipol or-any other underground' work. Provision- is made for the .revocation of a proclamation or ; .Ordor-in-Council taking any land if it'is'found that the land is. not'required, or n. mistake:has.been made. Claims-to compensation may be made .within: one. year .of, such rcvoca'tibn.y In certain-cases; claims for'-com-Venfiition may »e filed -in , , andh&vi>th«> effect of,- an' awaxiot tifiSttjjifißjfi-.Coui-t, iWJiere J

road lies along the:boundary of two or mote districts the uvvwiior 'may mrect which ot the local bodies shall have control of it, or in what proportions they shall contribute to the cost of maintenance. In certain cases the: Governor may causo a.road, bridge, or, ferry to' be repaired, and the cost may bo recovered from the local authority. Other amendments are made to the Act. of 1908.. : ■'■ , ■:■' STAMP DUTIES AMENDMENT 81LL,," The Stamp Duties Amendment Bill, which was introduced yesterday, provides that tho duty of one and a half per centum imposed by Section 142 of the principal Act be increased to two and a half per centum in respect of . cvory.raco meeting-held after tho passing of this Act or.in progress at the date of the.passing thereof; also that i the duty of ton'.-shillings P pT . centum, imposed on issues of bank-notes by- tho-second schedule of the, principal Act be increased to fifteen shillings per- centum, and that the increase shall begin to take effect-in respect of the quarter ending on the last-day of Doceniber, 1909. INDUSTRIAL -.DISPUTES, ACT.'.;...'., ■ Mr. "Wilfprd has given notice to. .ask.the. Prime Minister'whether he .will, during /the recess, , obtain from the Canadian Government ! information showing, the working, of the- Industrial Disputes Investigation Act, 1907, popularly known as the "Lomieux Act,", such Act being so called after the Honourable Kodolphe Lomieux, Minister :• for Labour in the Dominion Government. This .is an.Act, Mr. Wilford states, to aid in the prevention and. settlement , of strikes and lock-outs in ■mines and industries connected■'■ with public utilities. The compulsory aspect of the: Act is limited to 'the-, investigation .dr. inquiry before the suspension of work' by lock-out or strike. If, after such inquiry. before a tribunal, tho' parties, to the dispute refused to come to an agreement, they'-are free to act as they please. There have been forty disputes under the Act so far; in one case tho inquiry failed, to secure an immediate settlement, and'in the case of this : single cxcoption the award of tho b6ard was accepted. : , ; RAILWAY; SAFETY. ■'"■■'. . The examination of the undor-geaf of the rolling stock during the stops at stations is the object of. a suggestion that Mr. Bollard has niado to the Minister for Eailways. The. member tor Eden , suggests that -a' small bonus be paid to an.examiner for every flaw detected, points out, will tend to cause 5 tho men to;perfect themselves in their, work, and thus ensure a greater measure of protection to tho travelling public. The Minister has promised, a givo the proposal his careful consideration. ;.. -.'.'; .-.•.■• ■- ■■■ -.■■■■■ ' ■■-•-;;. JOTTINGS. ; ■ y ~"I know of nothing worse in this country than.the lack of love of one's homo that is displayed."—The Hon. O. Samuel, in the Council yesterday. ... . Reporting on. tho petition of tie New Zealand l'armers Union, praying for' legislation lor granting to : Maoris the same political'and local government privilege as those <held bV tho European race, tho Public Petitions Committee .stated as the petition involved a. question .of policy it had, no .recommendation to make. ■ ■.. ' ■ .:■. •.. ... It is the opinion of the Public Petitions Committee that the petition of Alex. • Youill, of Jxewtewn Museum, praying for . compensation lor. the loss of office as taxidermist, should be referred to tho Government for consideration/ - A' vainglorious patriotism is especially, distasteful to:' Mr. Hogg, . membof for Masterton. bpeakmg on tho Defence Bill last- night, he said that though he.believed in'fostering love of country,--he:.had heard "Boys of the Bullape. Breed, ■. and .similar ditties, till he felt •' Bl °j «r 2 S Blad rm ?ot'a-'"Mad Miillah," said Mr. Jlogg, m parting ■ reference to these excesses.'. : ■y ■ yy ■•.-.■■_. :,,■ . ~'".."■ .Horace is not,often 'quoted : in'.the" House o Eepresentat ves Mr .Thomson,' memfcS Dimedin North, following a. speech .bv Mr Hogg, added T this touch: of culture'to -tho dei bate-on.the Internal DcfencoßiH last evening; Uβ stated that there was a phraso of. Horaco which ? some, '.members: ■ might remember^ desipere m loco,' mplying that'thcro' wore a tamp and a placo for amusements. The quotation. was'recdived : in'an awed silence.-