POLITICAL NOTES.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 925, 19 September 1910, Page 8

POLITICAL NOTES.

USE OF MAORI IN PARLIAMENT, MORE ABOUT PRISON REFORM SCHEME. . ' : Of the members of the House of Representatives who ■ aro of. Maori extraction, only, two (Messrs. Pa'rata and Kaihau) address themselves to the;. House in. Maori. The other members with Maori blood in their veins (the Hons. J. Carroll and A. T. Ngata, and Br. Te Rahgihiroa) use English,, and it must bo admitted employ it with greater facility on the whole than many; of the European members. Even in the case, of Messrs. Parata and Kaihau,'it is perhaps not their,lack of acquaintance with tho English language ■that prevents them employing it ns thevehicle ..of their : thoughts. • ■ Mr. Parata,, at all events, speaks English quite fluently, as the House/ had /occasion to know in .'the early hours on Saturday; morning. It was to plead for an increaso in his interpreter's salary, that' Mr. Parata employed his English,, and the House did not iniss tho ihumorous aspect of the situation. Mr. Parata is, of course, quite within his rights , in . speaking in Maori,' and, doubtless he, has his; reasons. He may desire to tickle" the ears of Maoris who stray,into the public gallery (they don't often do so), or he may have sentimental; grounds for making the Chamber resound with the sonorous periods of-the language of the race . he-, represents. '\\. ' OLD SOLDIERS'.CLAIMS. , Mr. Glover,' M.P:' for" Auckland Central, has received "advice from the Minister for Justice (the Hon. Dr. Findlay) that; up to datelso claims have/been received at Auckland. Of these two have been' recommended,' sixty-nine and ' seventy-nine/ are in course,/of, investigation. Inquiries are-being, conducted with,as much .dispatch-as, possible, Dr. Findlay explains, ...but in some cases the hearing has to be delayed for. the production of evidence - from . Wellington or elsewhere./:'..'..":;•''./'.:,/,, , ■-, : '>■; '■';"" // WAIROA'S WANTS;/ .-! Several..'. matters •- affecting .the Wairoa district were brought.under;the notice of, the Hon. Dr.; Findlay, Minister for, Justice/, on, Saturday. It; was first of.' all .urged that the town should be. afforded greater police protection. The constable who did town duty, was engaged generally on Court work./ Dr. said.that ■ he would; discuss the matter; with the. ;Com 7 ; missionei'.pf Police.. The.next request was' 'for increased accommodation at: the Court-, house. When witnesses were ordered/but of Court, they had,;'.it. : .was'.stated, to go' owtside. Dr. vFmdlay■ promised u look : into the matter: •/ There, was :■ a further, request for :the appointment, of. ah ad-'-ditional magistrate to help, ; Mr. /.Barton, S.M., who, it was stated, was dverwwked, and could not cope, vyith all. the .business owing to tho lack of railway communication in his large district.. The Hon J. Car,(•6ll, who..was also -present, remarked that ; .it might be possible for/the Native./ Band ICqu'rt'-'.jhdge ,to/ assist- Mr.-, Barton: at 'times.. Dr/'FindJay said'he would discuss the,matter/with, the'Under-Secretary ;'for, 'Justice and the inon Mr.- Carroll. / ■■

, TE kUITI RAILWAY STATION. ; ■:';-Recently..a.; deputation .from, T0... Euiti . [ waited.'upbii : the,-' Minister: for -Railways, .' 'and; urged that.. Certain; -improvements 'should- be 'undertaken!' at,- the ' railway, \ '• '.station.. The -member for -, the - .district (Jlr. Jennings) v has'now. been;, informed- ■ that the sum of .either, . -'; or,'-. . ..will be spent on the: work this, year,'.the s amount .depending,on., the /expenditure" •. /which is. found: to be.'necessary on' other, [ stations on the.North Island Main Trunk ' . iline,;..particularly.; : in Vthe/ King : rCbiintry.v I .If'the larger.''sum.; js'v.Vote'dj- the full ,-im-, , iprovements asked for.by the deputation: . | ; can be carried out.'.// :: HQRSe-TR'AINERS' PETITION.; ; . * Among the''petitions .received in•' tHe' ■ ; House on Friday; in regard .to the Gara- [ .ing Bill was tho following :r-"The under- - :-'signed petitioners;humbly pray that;you ' ; would, in dealing w-ith the, sport: of: rae.ing, ■ and'.'with 'the '.tot'alisat'or 'in/connec-; , ' ;tibn.'.therewith, -'take into /consideration.' ■ -their p'6's'ifaon"as?t'r'airiers' of' racehbrse's'.foi,:';' ■ >' galloping "and' trotting -races'.'-;'(1) A..large\ . I'sa'mfof money' is/in the"''aggregate':-in--:vestedJi(in rthe''Dominion/ih.vprbvisioh •'to--accommodate horses, in "training. ,(2) ; We, : I -the licensed, trainers, of-such .horses/'have' ; : Jspent-bur youth-' in acquiring' the:ne'ces- ' fsary' kiibwledge.'.and" have-invested 'our : capital in'the/requisiterstabling and ap- : purtenances.' '.(3)-: For the'r.most 'part;we should' be- completely .ruined;-if ,the;-an r :,' ; ■ 'cient sport'of racing were, seriously/..curtailed,'' and -in. any-case our: '.continued- . : means of earning ; a' livelihood would /be .withdrawn- from i-us. :'-jW) ,;Opposite:.::our:. ; -names''-Vre record■ the humber-of,our em-: . ,ployees;.-and those who; arei .dependent- ' . upon us and them."/'!;/.;/:' V . '. ; ' : /BRIDGE FOR-MOKAU • RIVER.//" A. deputation, waited on the : Minister,: for Public Works ;'oh Saturday, and urged : 'that.-.a bridgevshould be: built : oyer, the, MbkaulS-iver',/which' is/the boundary- be-, 'tween Auckland and Taraiiaki'.provinces,;. .' ' ..where,.the present.ferry,is.'.VThe Minister' . ,said the' undertaking .-would', be a -big, one,: involving .'ten':or' /twelve:/ thousand 1 ; pounds,, but:he, wb.uld ' obtain .'a/ further: ! - Report: on it."- -/ : :f/'::///;- ■;.:-!:'.'''/-' 'CLASSIFICATIONI OF PRISONERS; ■;*■• ./Under the Hon.' Dr.: Findlay's prison: reform Scheme.there will-be olassification: not, only .of /convicted .prisoners, :but. also - 'of: persons: awaiting trial./.Enlarging on this •; point' in, the course' of'. conversation with a ..Dominion representative i' before. , leaving .'for. .Auckland.' Dr;' Findlay said. his :reform'., scheme, ..when brought .into, full.' operation, was "calculated .'to .begin', with the'arrest and ejid'with.the final reformation of'the offender.... One" of; the ; , features, of the: classification 'of p'efsohs; awaiting trial .will be, the provision of, : suitable accommodation, apart from ordinary, drunkards and habitual: criminals, for special cases.,/ This, matter has/been, , under; the- consideration, of, the' Under-- - Seoretary for/Justice (Mr.' Waldegrave) for some time, but'the structural and financial considerations,involved ai'e : moro serious than one unfamiliar with the facts might.assume. ,'Th'e::speciali'accommodation -will be designed for those suspected to be lunatics, certain'classes of female ' offenders, and: other ; persons, whose offences, require classification .or ■ special : treatment. //..;,:■//.:,, :/;;•' '