NEWS AND NOTES.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 880, 28 July 1910, Page 6

NEWS AND NOTES.

THE GAMBLING QUESTION

PETITIONS AND COUNTER

PETITIONS.

A petition has been presented to Parliament by Mr. Arnold (Duhcdin Cen'lral), signed bj; 2G35 people, in and near Dunedin, praying that the bookmaker may be retained so long as the totalisator romaius in operation.: Th'o petition concludes as follows:—"Tour petitioners are iiriniy of opinion that, the experience of the last three years shows that the real reform required in tho Gaming Act is provision for stricter regulation and supervision in the granting. of licenses to bookmakers to carry on their business on racecourses, and not the repeal of the law providing for such licensing." ■On the other hand, 19 petitions have been presented this session in the Legislative Council, and 37 in the House, praying for the abolition of the bookmaker, and their total signatures number 5332. The average number of signatures to the petitions presented in. the Council was 112, and in the House 83.

CABINET AND SUNDAY. The Prime Minister gave a denial on Tuesday.to .a statement ■of Mr. Dive (Egmont) that he did not suppose a.Sunday went by when the Ministry .did not hold a' Cabinet meeting. The statement was made by Mr. Dive in commenting upon the lefusal of the Hon. R. XlTlenzie to visit the Opunake railway routo while he was passing through the district on the ground that ho did not work on Sundays. ,

Sir Joseph Ward said he wished to give Mr. Dive's statement an unqualified contradiction. No Cabinet, meeting had been held on a Sunday since the present Ministry -;7as formed. Members of tho Ministry had met together on a Sunday to, discuss matters of somo concern, but they had not hold a Cahinet nicotine on Sunday at any time. .They were all op. posed to Sunday work, and* he hoped that Mr. Divo -would never get his railway if it depended on a Minister making nn inspection on a Sunday.

Mr. Dive said he accepted the PrimeMinister's' denial.

LODGINGHOUSE-KEEPERS' GRIEVANCE.

A number of iodginghousc-koopors of To Aroha and Rotorun iiro petitioning Parliament through Mr. Hcrries, complaining that tho lnw (loos, not afford them sufficient protection in the pursuit of their business. The law does not allow them to detain the goods of lodgers who

I may leave without settling their bills, or allow them to dispose of goods which are left and are unlikely to he claimed. Theso rights are enjoyed by innkeepers under the Licensing Act, and petitioners ask for the same or similar rights.

COUNTRY WORKERS' ACCOM MODATION.

Mr. M'Laren (AVellington East) , has given notice lo move that - there be laid before tho House a return showing— (1) The cases of inspection that have been effected under the Agricultural Labourers' Accommodation Act since the passage of tho said Act in 1907; (2) the cases which the unions of workers have drawn attention to as requiring inspection; and (3) the cases of inspection carried out, of which the workers' unions have been notified.

HUTT ROAD

'Mr. Luke (Wellington Suburbs) is moving for a return giving the following information in reference to. the construction of the new Hutt Road now being carried out by- the Government—(l) The length and width of rpad; (2) depth of formation; nnd (3) expenditure to date, together with estimate of cost to complete the road. NEEDED REPORTS. In the House yesterday, Mr. Herries (Tauranga) aslied the Prime Minister when he intended to lay on the table the rejtort of the Superintendent of the Guaranteed Advances Department, which the Act said must be produced within fourteen days of the commencement of the .session. He also asked when-the House was likely to have the Railways. Statement, which was very important to anyone wishing to discuss tho financial affairs of the colony. Mr. Massey, in supporting this question, . urged that the Government should respect its . own iavrs, especially a. law which tho Prime Minister had been so anxjous to pass as tho Guaranteed Advances Act. The Railways Statement was usually laid on the table beforo'. tho financial Debate began. The Prime Minister said that the documents had not been produced owing to causes beyond tlie Government's control. If possible ho would lay the advances report on the table, tho next-day. Ho bad not yet received it himself, in tho past there had been times when reports could not be produced at the regular time, and no exception had been taken. It was hoped to lay the railways report on the table within the next few days.

NO-CONFIDENCE MOTION. Following a suggestion that ce?tairi committees should meet during the progress of tho Financial Debate, llr. "Russell (Avon) alleged that Mr. Massey had indicated that his motion of no-confidence was not to ho taken seriously. Mr. Massey said ho had given no indication of the kind.. A want-of-confidenca morion was always a very serious matter, and he sincerely hoped that his motion would be taken seriously in the very fullest sense of tho word. '

The Primo Minister said he recognised that a want-of-confidenco motion was a very serious matter, but personally ho did not feel quite eo serious as Mr. Sfassey suggested.

WON'T ANSWER INTERJECTIONS. There was a chorus of approval in the Hnuso Inst night, when Mr. Fraser, M.P., announced his decision not to answer any interjections. "I deny the right of 'any member to question me," ho declared. Sir Joseph: "So ilo I." Mr. Fraser: "But I claim the right to question tho Prime Minister hnd tho Government. That is another, matter." Sir Joseph: "By interjection?" Mr. Fraser: "Don't, you talk, about, interjecting. If there is ono sinner moro than another in that respect it is you." (Laughter.) RISK TO STOCK. Mr. Buchanan (Wairarapa) •' is asking the Minister of Eailways why the three H cattle-trucks, ordered l>y Mr. T. Mackenzie on July 14 for loading at Masterton on the 19th, were not supplied, in stead of the undivided. T truck, which was substituted for the two H trucks, ordered, thus risking serious damage on the Eimvtaka . Incline to tho valuable stock consigned. PICTURESQUE METAPHORS. "Born in misery and conceived in absolute despair," was the opinion expressed by Mr. Nosworthy (Aahbui'tou) on the Government's land policy. "Tho codlin moth within tha Cabinet" was Mr. Nosworlhy's description of the Hon. , G. Fowlds. The Ministry, he declared, was a veritable Cave of Adnllam. What sort of. land policy could be expected from a - Ministry which . comprised so many different opinions? Mr. Witty (Eiccarton): A: Scotch mixture.

Mr. NosTvorthy: Yes, a Scotch mixture, (Laughter.) ,

JOTTINGS. The average roan in New Zealand to--day is carrying ns much taxation as he can fairly carry.—-Itr, T. E. Taylor (Christchurch North).

It would bo it good tiling for everybody if some of tho subjects now taught in the primary schools were cut right out of the syllabus. Thev are a waste of time-Mr. T. E. Taylor (Christchurch North)'.

T.ho Phosphorus Matches Bill was passed through Committee without amendment on Tuesday.