NEWS AND NOTES.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 690, 15 December 1909, Page 5

NEWS AND NOTES.

THE MINING BILL, SUMMARY OP EROPOSED AMENDMENTS. ■The Mining Amendment Bill was received with amendments from the Goldfields and Mines Committeo yesterday. -. ■ ' ■ ■ .-'■ Tho area in. regard to which a special' dredging-'claim.- over an abandoned stream might bo granted was reduced from 10 miles in length and 500 acres in area to 8 miles in length and 400 acres in area. Twenty-four hours was fixed as tho time within which tho workmen's inspectors shall furnish to the: owner or manager of tho mine a copy of a full and faithful report of the : result of.their inspection of a mine. A new clause was added to■ tho. effect that applications for mining' privileges shall ..lie finally hoard and decided by tho warden within six, months'after'the. date of the application, except in cases where under special circumstances the warden, with the' consent of' the Minister, extends-tho time within which an application may: bo heard. , , :■■',■■'■ ;,,-. :. ■It is proposed that no application to a.vrarden for the use of more'than twenty heads of water (as against 4'.'heads in the present Act) shall bo granted except with the consent'.in writing of the Minister. . •: ■ .',.';. The committee agreed that sub-Clause h of Clause 107 should read: "Prior to any survey or inspection or,report (when area exceeds 20 ■ acres) being mode,- the warden shall Tequire the applicant to depositin the' Warden's Court, within thirty days of the date of the application, such sum' ; as the warden thinks reasonable for' snch costs and charges, etc." ■ ! .Under the heading "general rules," a. new sub-clausn is proposed ' as follows:—"In every, working shaft exceeding 200 ft.'in depth, provision shall be made and,* employed foriraislngand lowering persons'employed in the mino by means of. cages." ' •.. .-.•'■■ INDUSTRIAL SCHOOLS AMENDMENT, ■'■■■■-' '■"'. '■ '• . /BILL. ■'■'■•■.'.•■.■.• ■' -, ' The Industrial . Schools-Amendment. ; Bill % which was introduced" in , tho Council ■ -Yesterday, provided that where, . in the opinion of the Minister, an inmate of a schppl is morally degenerate, or is otherwise not (in tho public interest) a. fit person to bo'.fiee from- control, the Minister' may direct tho manager of the school to make application to a.magistrate for .an order extending the periodof detention, of that'inmate. On-rccoipt of such application the magistrate shall assign counsel, to the inmate, and such counsel shall bo- given, all reasonable means of asccrtiining tho full.facts of tho case If on hearing,the evidence tho magistrate is satisfied that tho period of detention should be extended, ho'may issue.an order extending tho detention of tie inmate .'for. four years from the time at which the inmate reaches the age.of twenty-one years. Within six months of the expiry of such extended period,like proceedings may ,be .taken, and''the. magistrate may make an order for. a further extension of the period of detention for a- 'period 'not exceeding four..years .from 'the ■ date of the , expiry of the first extended period, and so-on' in like' manner.proceedings.may be ■ taken, and'an order made.within six months of the.expiry ,of any period .'of detention;'. During the currency of any order 'made, under this ■ section," the , provisions of, the principal,. Act .shall apply to the inmate mentioned in/tho order inthe same manner-as if he.-were under the. a?e : of twenty^one' years. . Another ■section ; . provides' that the. police may take..steps 'to have any child who is not under. proper con 1 trol sent to an industrial school. By an amend' , ii\ent of the principal Act the charge which may. be levied in,respect.of the maintenance of on inmate.is increased from Bs. to 10s. per \ week. Section 64 is amended by the addition of ■ the following words:—"Por.-the purpose of this '.. section, the residence or.premises.of .a'ny person 'with whom an inmate of any school '"s licensed :to reside under "Section 48 shall be deemed to bo a part of that school, and that • person shall be deemed to bo an officer oE the '■ school." ;;■■ "■' ■ ;., ■> '" -, ■'•. . ■ '•; ■ 1 ' TEACHERS' SUPERANNUATION. • Two petitions in connection with tho Teachers' ' Superannuation -Act were reported upon by the Education Committee'of tho House yesterday. Tho petitioners w'ero Ellen Astloy and , Mary Lovatt, ■ both of whom ■ represented that they had been, teachors "under tho Auckland , Education Board (the: former for 18 years and ' tho; latter for 31 years), but that through ignor--1 ance of the terms of the Teachers' Superan- : nuation-Act they, missed the- opportunity of ' being included in.its benefits.- They therefore asked to be put on the footing of original members. Tho committee: have referred both pol titions to-.the Government for favourable sideration.:, •....,■. ~': '.*■'■■:: . The.Education Committee.have.referred to , tho Government for favourable consideration i the petition of Walter Kerr, a master at the Napier Boys' High School, to, be allowed; to I remaiu under tho regulations for "teachers snperaiuiuatiou, although his application for admission .Was not mode 1 within the specified time. - . .:'.■ ■■.'■ ' .:/ '■ '. ■' ■.■•.' i KETONE AND HUTT POST OFFICES. 1 Mri Wilford is asking, the Postmaster-Gen- . cral vihether he will provide in the coming ■ year for the conversion of the Pqtono and Hutt ' Post Offices into chief offices in oriev that ' depositors may be enabled to obtain moneys to ' 'be withdrawn on application,.instead of waiting • until such applications are referred to tho City l ,of Wellington. Mr. WilfoTd states that, apart ' from the personal inconvenience suffered by ; single depositors, tho regulations are irksome, : . and cause mnch waste of time to trustees of lodges who are: required io constantly, attend . for even petty withdrawals. '.■ : : ■ ■.'■■■ ,', \ / IS;LORD KITCHENER COMINfi? i I Mr. Ehodes has given notice to ask the Minie- : ter, for Defence, whether Lord.Kitchener has ' accepted tho' invitation' to visit New Zealand, ' and, if so, when, is ,to be'expected; also ' what arrangenioiitsi if any, have been, made forun inspection of our military forces by himi '■■ '■' ', ■ A "STRANGER" APPLAUDS. , ' ■ Sinco : the House has 'been 'sitting in the J present chambtr, with the "makeshift , nature of many of its arrangements, it has lost something of the dignity that is usually associated ! with. Parliament/ The visitors have-been brought, so near the members by the proximity . of £he galleries to the floor of the. House "that they have become induced to forget that : the : behaviour of "strangers" is required to bo of the most circumspect character. Last evening, when Mr. Poolo was speaking, an occu--1 pant of a seat in the strangers , ' gallery signi ; '• ficd'.his-approval, of a. certain remark by. applauding, in tho form of a hearty hand-clap. ' The Chairman of Committees (Mr. Wilford) promptly intervened,' by saying: "If: there •is any'.more .unseemly conduct from tho-visit- ! ors, J .will; havo the galleries immediately 1 cleared." This rebuke had the desired effect. : I : TAXING RACB CLUBS AND BANKS, p i It is worth'.'noting that although the Prime I Minister stated in moving the second reading ■ of the Stamp Dntios Amendment Bill that the I 21 per cent, tax on race' clubs would bo on • tneir total, receipts, the wording of tbo Bill I. itself-is. as duty of-ljt per cent. iilipbsetl by Section 142 ofHhe principal . Act is ■■ hereby incroased to 2}' per 'cent, in ,ree[)ect of > every race meeting held, after the. passing of : this.Act or in.■ progress■: nt"the dato ;of.:tho • passing' thereof." ': ..' ;.' -■' . . '<■', : . ' The d iity. referred. to in : - Section -142 ■of ■• the - principnl Afct,'is' a tax •upon, tho gross .takings■ i! of■'; totalisatoi's. rThe duty...of. lflf. per.-'cenl. , im])p«e<l on isi-iies of banknotes' by.tlie principal i Actik:iucr«:i«;d to 15s. Vy thg' iiracndiuy' m«iI JfIUTA, \ ■ • ' '-. : .'. •- : ••••■:. ■'■' ■ '..-■:;'• ";<v -•■■-■-"•