POLITICAL NOTES.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1247, 2 October 1911, Page 8

POLITICAL NOTES.

THE DOMINION'S ACCOUNTS. There was little satisfaction in the replies which were given by the Minister for Internal Affairs to inquiries as to the return regarding the auditing of the public-accounts. In Committee of Supply on Saturday morning, the Leader of-the. Opposition (Air. W. F. Massey), remarking that last eession Parliament decided to adopt the post audit system, asked the Mjnistor ivhcther there was any probability that tho promised return would be tabled before tno end of tho session. Mr.' Buddo's reply ivas that the new system had not been applied to the past financial year, and as it had been commenced only with the present year tho work could not bo finished until March 31. Mr. Massey expressed dissatisfaction with this statement, and ho then suggested that nerhaps tho return might bo ready for next cession. Mr. Buddo said that tho work was going on satisfactorily, and there was no reason why the return should not ho completed during nest session. PROGRESS ON THE ESTIMATES. Eleven hours were devoted to the Estimates on Friday afternoon and evening, and up to 1 a.m. on Saturday, and tho aggregate expenditure authorised was X 580.127. There now remain for consideration four sections in tho Department of Internal Affairs, representing ,£148,957; tho Estimates for the Defence Department, .£381,574; tho Marino Department, .£123,832; tho Department of Labour, <£22,316; Lands and Survey Department, .£251,888; Department o'f Agriculture, Commerce, and Tourists, ,£215,202; and the Education Department, ,£1,017,927. BANKRUPTCY LAW. During many years no amendment has been made in the bankrupicy laws of tlie Dominion. Representations have been made to the Government proposing various amendments, and during the consideration ol' the Estimates on Saturday Mr. Herries (Tauranga) asked whether a Bankruptcy, Bill would be introduced this session. Tho Hon. J. A. Millar replied that tho matter was under consideration, but thero would not bo time to deal with It this session. < IN BRIEF. , Tho Mines Committee reported on Saturday on the petition of Arthur D'Oyley Bayfield, who sought to obtain for himself and shareholders of the late 'West-port-Cardiff Coal Company a further grant of ,£llß2. The shareholders have already received a grant of ,£IOOO in satisfaction of their claims. Tho committee had no recommendation to make. An anomaly in the scale of duties on imported wines has been noted by Sir Arthur Guinness, who says that the duty on Australian wines is 3s. per gallon higher than that on the wines of South Africa. He suggests, by means of a question on the Order Paper of the House, that tho duties should bo equalised by reducing that on tho Australian article. Tho name of Mr. Geo. Harford, of Feilding, was inadvertently omitted from tho list of those who attended the Foxton Harbour Bill Conference on Wednesday.