POLITICAL NOTES.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1530, 28 August 1912, Page 7

POLITICAL NOTES.

o TAUPO-TOTARA TIMBER COMPANY. Tho Special Committee of the House of Representatives set up to inquire into the petition of tho Taupo-Totara Timber Company held its first meeting yesterday. Only preliminary business was done. Mr. G. J. Anderson was elected chairman, and it was arranged that the committee should meet for tho opening of the inquiry on Wednesday, September 4, at 10 a.m. Permission was given to the petitioners, and also to the objectors, the Rotorua Chamber of Commerce, to be represented before- the committee by counsel. OTIRA TUNNEL CONTRACT. The first meeting of the Special Parliamentary Committee set up to inquire into the petition of Murdoch and Neil M'Lean praying for release from the Otira tunnel contract, was held yesterday. Mr. E. P. Lee was elected chairman. It was arranged that the committee should meet again this morning, and that tho inquiry should not bo open to the press. The contractors, Messrs. Murdoch and Neil M'Lean, carrying on business as John M'Lean and Sons, have, asked tho Government to take over the contract for the construction of the tunnel. Tho amount of tho contract was £599,794, and the tunnel was to be completed in fivo years, ending August 1, 1912. The penalty for noncompletiion was fixed at £280 per week. A deposit of £5000 was made- with the tender, and tho contractors entered into a bond of £25,000, tho sureties being Messrs. Oliver Nicholson, solicitor, of Auckland, and John M'Lean, gentleman, of Auckland. "TATTERSALL'S." In' tho Houso of Representatives yesterday Mr. G. M. Thomson, member for Dune'din North, gave notice to ask tho Minister for Justice "Whether ho will cause further inquiry to be made as to the betting which still goes on. in connection with Tattorsall's and other agencies outside of New Zealand, with the object of arresting this evil as far as possible?" Mr. Thomson added tho following explanatory note: "Tho Post Office Department publishes regularly a list of prohibited individuals and associations to whom letters aro not forwarded, but the evil still exists and leads to the sending out of considerable sums of money from the Dominion each year." IN BRIEF. "Whether ho will causo .trial surveys to bo niaflc of the several suggested routes of deviation of the Wellington to Palinersion North railway?"—was a question to the Minister for Public Works, of which Mr. W.' If. D. Bell, member for Wellington Suburb?, gave notice yesterday. Dr. A. K. Newman, M.P., has given notice to ask the Pr.-imc Minister whether the Government will, during iho recess, have the Rules of Procedure of this House revised and brought more up-to-date, eo as to expedite business? Mr. A. M. Myers gave notice yesterday to move for a return showing the revenue and expenditure for the last financial year of tho South Island Main Trunk.' line between Christehurch and Dunedin, specifying separately the returns from April to September' and from October to March.