NEWS AND NOTES.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1258, 13 October 1911, Page 7

NEWS AND NOTES.

RATES ON UNIMPROVED VALUE, THE SYSTEM EXTENDED. The Rating Act now- provides that the system of rating on the unimproved value shall not apply to water, gas, electric light, sewage or hospital and charitable aid rates. A Bill has now been introduced by the Minister for Internal Affairs (Hon. D. Buddo) to repeal' this provision and to provide that in any district where rating on the unimproved value is adopted the system shall apply to these rates as well as to these rates leviable under the principal Act. In districts whoTe the system is now in force a poll may bo taken to decide that it shall apply to tho rates specified. WRECK OF THE ELINGAMITE. PROVISION FOR A REHEARING. Legislation ha 9 been introduced by the Minister for Marine (Hon. J. A. Millar) providing for a rehearing regarding the circumstances of the wreck of the steamer Eiingamito on the Three Kings. 'The rehearing has been granted on the ground that new and important evidence, regarding the incorrect chartins of the islands, has been discovered. The Bill provides that application for a rehearing must be made within three months from the commencement of the Act by or on behalf of tho master or any certificated officer of the steamship. Provision is made that the evidence taken at the investigations in 1002 and 1903 may be accepted by tho Court, as it will be impossible to call all the witnesses who were then examined. The magistrate (Mr. Haselden) and one of the assessors (Cap'aan Smith) will be available, but the other assessor, Captain Waddilove, was lost in the Duco. FIELD DIVORCE BILL. It would appear from tho talk of the lobbies that the Field Divorce Bill may shortly enter upon another interesting phase of its history. Tho object of this private Bill is to enable Henry Field, a coal merchant, of Ashburton, to obtain a divorce from his wife, who has been under care as insane for many years, but has not been all the time in a public mental hospital. The Bill was introduced in the Legislative Council early in tho session, but was strongly opposed on grounds of principle, and the second reading was refused. It was afterwards reinstated, and passed its second reading, several members who had at first opposed it reversing their votes. llt was then referred to a Select Committee.. It is understood that this committee has held a number of meetings, and has heard a large amount of evidence, including that of medical men and the keeper of the home in which Mrs. Field was confined for several years. If the Bill/ comes forward for discussion in the Council, there is a prospect of a highly interesting debate. The report of the committee may be presented at to-day's sitting, hut any discussion upon it will doubtless he taken at a later date, according to tho practico of tho Council. A LICENSING PROBLEM. Mr. Jas. Allen has intimated that he will ask tho Prime Minister whether ho intends to introduce legislation this session to.meet the difficulty..which _ arises when, after the alteration of the' electoral boundaries, an area containing a licensed publichouse is placed within a No-License district. He appends a note that the licensed house so placed (under tho law as it stands) loses its license without tho majority-voto required in a licensing district.