POLITICAL NOTES.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1205, 14 August 1911, Page 8

POLITICAL NOTES.

TOWN-PLANNING BILL. : ; TROUBLE NOT. OVER. .. It is regarded by members as a certainty that the ■.troubles of Mr. Fowlds with his Town-Planning Bill havo not ended- with" tho elimination'' of the controlling, power of the Governor-in-C«uncil which was effected against his will by the Houso on Friday, night. A Rattle is expected over-the closing words ot Uause 10-"In raising ,any loan for tho purpo.so of the scheme"-i.e., any duly approved town-planning scheme-"it shall not be necessary to take any poll of the ratepayers." The feelin-s against this, provision appears :tobe as strong./and general as that against the Cabinet control which has been eliminated. It is'., anticipated that tho Minister will move for an alteration of the constitution of the proposed 1 ownPlanning Board. The clause as it stands provides-for' <i' body Comprising'the Sur-veyor-General els chafrman, and lour other members to be appointed by the Governor. These four, according to Mr. Fowlds's expressed intention,' would be experts selected from 'different branches of the , public'service.'- In'view of the chango that has been made in the Bill, ho may propose to havo .a ■ Minister as chairman. RAILWAY MEN'S DEMANDS. A deputation of about forty members of tho Executive Council of the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants waited upon members of Parliament iat tho House on Saturday, and explained the principal grievances of the second division of the service. The interview, which was a private one, lasted over two and a half hours.. RIFLE SHOOTING. Mr. Wright will .ask the Acting-Minister for Defence whether lie is prepared in-any way to assist' members, of rifle clubs' from New' Zealand ' who .-desiro to attend tho Now South Wales championship meeting. Tho member for Wellington -South..-ex-plains that.it was originally intended to send a team from New. Zealand to, take part in the Empire .Match. This match will not how, however, be fired in Sydney, therefore tho team proposition collapses. No doubt had a .team been dispatched from' Now Zealand tho Government would have assisted. If marksmen are to be encouraged the same assistance should bo granted to individuals as w'uuld have been granted to the team. . ■ STATE FACTORIES. Mr. M'Laren has given notice to ask tho Acting-Primo Minister: "Whether, seeing that it is continually asserted by tho. Government's supporters in New Zealand that the Commonwealth Labour party of Australia is similar in character to the Liberal party here,.-he will take steps to initiate reforms'onthe lines' being taken by the said Commonwealth Labour party in respect of the following'matters: (1) The establishment of a State note issuo and a State Bank (rhe Australian- Labour Government has issued soriio .£7,000,000 in Commonwealth notes as a commencement); (2) the establishment of a State factory for the production of harness and saddlery -required '- in, connection ■ with our military-defence, system: (the Commonwealth Government opens such a-factory for Australia- this month); (3) the establishment of a State-clothing'factory to provide clothing and uniforms for those employed or engaged in tho defence' and other public ' services of the Dominion, and,which clothing the Dominion has to provide, and pay for (the labour bodies of New Zealand havo urged the necessity of, establishing such factories for many years, and ithe Commonwealth Government is now preparing to establish a factory in which some three hundred persons shall be employed); (4) tho establishment of Stato cordito and small-anus factories necessary.in connection with our Defence system; and (5) the establishment of lime-burning and brick-making establishments under tho ownership and. control of the State." CIVIL SERVICE CONDITIONS. Mr.. Luke will, ask the Actinff-Prime Minister whether the Government will, when dealing' with the claims of branches of the public service for improved financial conditions that have, been advocated by way of petition to tho House and supported by' organisation, consider at the same time the claims of the clerical side (permanent and temporary) of the public service for better conditions. ■:• SUNDAY LABOUR.' The Sunday Labour Bill, introduced by Mr. Fisher, is identical with his Weekly Day of Rest'Bill of last year. It is to make it unlawful for any employer to require an employee to do on Sunday the usual work of his calling unless during the next six days he allows him 21 hours consecutively without labour. • "Sunday" for most of {he purposes of the B,ill is the period from noon on Saturday to upon the following day. Tho penalty is five pounds in the caso of .an individual employer and .£25 in the case of a corporation. There are exemptions for "works of necessity or mercy,' , including divine worship, relief of sickness, work connected with .trains a/d vessels! in transit, milk-delivery, care of animals, and. perishable products, newspaper production, and works' of emergency.