NEWS AND NOTES.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 900, 20 August 1910, Page 3

NEWS AND NOTES.

'; ' ' ■' ■"■■ ■.--. ■' ■'■ , " ■'■ ■' MORE INFORMATION WANTED. A complaint was made byMr. Massey in the House yesterday that insufficient information is given to. Parliament" in tho annual return, with reference to. the working of the land for settlement system. The usual return, ho ; said, gave only the price of. the estates acquired, the number of. settlers, and just an indication as to the outlook in connection with the'scttlement. If additional -information' were": also given .it would be not only of interest to the House, but also to the whole community. In reply, the Prime Ministerstated that ho would be glad to consider the proposal. •■•■■■■■ ."■■ SPEEDINC-UP. Notice was given in the ,House yesterday .by' the Prime Minister that on Wednesday next he would move that, on and after Wednesday,'-August 24, and for the remainder, of -the-session, Government business should tako precedence. . ; ' .. '■•■> .-■• : FOR THE BOOKMAKER. Mr.. Glover maintains his reputation for presenting long petitions. Ho tabled 'iiro yesterday protesting against the repeal of the bookmaker clause of the Gaming Act, signed by over , five thousand persons. ■ . . , OF INTEREST TO TEACHERS. The extent to which the State should [provide in the caje of long-servico 'school i .teachers!.and inspectors who have not received the full benefits under the superannuation scheme was'he subject of ac-in-tercsting discussion in ■ lie House on Thursday. It npponrs that ■ an ex-inspector named John Smith, of Marlborough, had had 40 years'. service under the .Govern-, meut when he retired in' 1907. Having come under the Superannuation Act of 1905 Jfr. Smith was entitled to-superan-nuation which, in his case, amounted to only J;79 per annum. As this was quite inadequate, Mr. Smith petitioned Parliament, but in its report to the House yesterday tho Education Committee intimated that it had'no recommendation to make Mr. Duncan (Wairau) moved that the report should be referred back to Hie Committee, with a view of further considering the position of petitioner nnd

oth«Ts in a like predicament. Several members, including' Mr. .Mnssey nud Mr. Allen, pointed, nut. that, care would .have ; lo l>o taken not to overburden- the Super- ! annuation Fund. ' Cases of hardship could be met by vote on the Estimates. The-Hon. G. Fowlds, in tho course of a few remarks, declared that it would bo a greater act of justico and generosity if the Government put. a vote on the Estimates to provide a small modicum of pension to teachers who retired belorc there was a pension scheme-than to increase the pension of those who retired within the first two or-three years after: tho passing of the Superannuation Act. There was, however, no opposition to Mr! Duncan's amendment in favour of the Education Committee reconsidering the whole matter. JOTTINGS. "Education means something better than tho acquisition of knowledge. It moans tho bringing forth of the best that there is in man."—The Hon. O.>' Samuel, on- tho ideal of education. . The Education' Committee has deemed petitions asking for a Dominion; referendum on the subject of Bible-reading.in State and; national schools to lie in the nature of a request to a private member, and the petitions are referred back to him.