NEWS AND NOTES.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1589, 5 November 1912, Page 8

NEWS AND NOTES.

PETITIONS. . , LIGHT RAILWAYS. A flotition, was presented to tbo House of Representatives some while ago by Mr. Q, J, Anderson (Matruini), urging that the Government should do something to expedite the construction of a lino from Hedgehope to effect'a junction between the Hedgehops branch and the main line at a point near Gore. The report of v the Petitions Committee, presented to ' the. House yesterday, was sim-, ply that as a question of policy was involved, the Committee had no recommendation to nwliß. Mr.. Anderson, commenting upon the report, suggested that if the Government could not undertake the laying of the-line, facilities should be afforded to the people in the district, who believed in the line, and believed it Would pay, to find the money and build the line.' They ivo.uld then construct, at a low'cost a light-line, which would he quite adequate for require- " meiits. Mir. E. Newman _ (Rangitikei) also commended the proposal to- construct light lines. That these lines were a success was demonstrated, he said, by the Taupo line and also by the FoxtonSandon line,' which was worked very successfully indeed, and was very useful to settlers. Light lines would bo of enormous assistance to; the main lines as feeders. Some .scheme,--on the .lines of the Local Bodies Loans Act, for the construction of light' railways, would- be largely taken ..-advantage of -by settlers. He hoped that the Government, next session; would bring down ii scheme which would enable settlers to help' themselves in this important matter. ' ' A petition was recently made by Robert. Old, of Fitzroy, New Plymouth, for compassionate allowance, to the widow of Alfred Old, on account of the death of her husband While in the employ of the Railway Department.: . Yesterday the Railways Committee reported' recommending the petition to the Government for consideration. . The petition of ■ Simon • Ryan, of Wanganui, for compassionate allowance on account of military services, rendered; has been referred- to the Government for favourable consideration. | Report was .'made by the Railways Committee yesterday on the petition of the Railway Officers' Institute that the recommendation of the Railways Committee last year should be -given' effect to. The Committee recommended that the petition should be referred to the Government for " favourable consideration. A petition by seven residents of Mptu -and surrounding districts praying for the early completion of the GisborneMotu railway, has, oil the recommendation of the Petitions Committee, been referred to the Government for tion. advances to workers. A ciauso in the State Guaranteed Advances Amendment Bill, introduced in the House of Representatives yesterday, prorides that applications by workers for loans not exceeding 4300 shall have priotity . over applications for larger sums. THE EDUCATION BILL. The Education Amendment Bill was reported to the House of Representatives yesterday by the Education Commiteee, without nmondmcnt. Tho chairman of the committee (Mr. G. M. Thomson) said that, tho committee recommended further that the Government should take steps to protect teachers from having-their.superan-nuation reduced on account of loss of salarv consequent on the disestablishment of'schools uuder the Bill. Under Clause 4 of the'Rill,-the-Minister may disestablish any district high school if there are fewer than twelve pupils holding certificates of proficiency, or if he considers that sufficient means of secondary instruction are already provided in the sin'ne distrifcl, by Sotno- other tehool providing free nl&ces- -