NEWS AND NOTES.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1793, 4 July 1913, Page 8

NEWS AND NOTES.

UPPER HOUSE REFORM. The Legislative Council Koform Bill will provide for two electorates for each island. Members will be elected on a population bnsis. It has been suggested that tho honorarium to be paid to tho elccted councillors will be £250 a year, but the Bill will not deal with that question. Any alteration in the rale of remuneration would necessitate an amendment of the Act which fixes the honorarium of members. ARBITRATION ACT AMENDMENT. The special Amending Act introduced by the Prime Minister to deal with the Haw in tho Arbitration Act of 1911, which was pointed out recently, was circulated yesterday afternoon. It alters the word "award" in sub-section two of Section of the 1911 Aot, and substitutes therefor "industrial agreements." It is further provided that this section shall be deemed to have been in operation as from the coming into force of the Industrial Act of 1911. , WESTPORT HARBOUR. . Mr. J. Colvin (Buller) has given notice to ask tho Prime Minister what explanation the Government lias to oifer for its action in creating vacancies on tho Westport Harbour Board by removing John Poster and Alfred Craig Hansen from their positions as members of the said board, and appointing in their place two other, persons. To his question Mr. Colvin appends tli<v following explanatory note:—The "Gazette" notice states that the Governor-in-Council, in exercise of the powers conferred by Section 4 of tho Westport Harbour Board Act, 18S4, removed the above-named John Foster and Alfred Craig Hansen from the board, despite tho fact that this section was repealed by Section 2 of the Westport Harbour Amendment Act, 1912. TAUPO RAILWAY. . The Government is being asked by Mr. A. M. Myers whether they propose 'to proceed farther this session with, tho Taupo railway. FIRE INSURANCE. "Whether it is the intention of the Government to introduce legislation this session to extend the Mutual Fire Insurance Act so as to enable theso associations to undertake accident insurance as desired by the Farmers' Union?" was a question to the Prime Minister of which, Mr. E. Newman (Kangitikei) gave notico yesterday. .

ADVANCES ON NATIVE LEASES. ' Mr. C. K. Wilson (Tauinarumii) yesterday gave.notice to ask tile Minister for Finance whether he will bring Native leases under the operation of the Advances to Settlers Act. BIBLE-IN-SCHOOLS. Mr. R. M'Callum (Wairnu) tabled the following question yesterday addressed to the Minister for Education: "Whether he will during the present session introduce ah amendment to the Education Act empowering school committees to adopt the Nelson system of Bible-reading in schools." ADVANCES TO SETTLERS. A return supplied to the House at the request of Mr. G. Witty (Riccarton) shows —(1) That the number-of applicants for loans under the Government Advances to Settlers Act, whose applications were refused, were, in 1909, 233, for .£80,000; in 1910, 397, for ,£115,000; in 1911, 1438, for in 1912, 898, for ,£420,000. (2) The amounts of fees received from such applicants was .£3218 9s. (3) The amount or fees returned to unsuccessful applicants was .£1573 19s. (4) The amount paid to solicitors for preparing deeds, etc., ior applicants, etc., was: 1911, ,£1902; 1912, .24207. AN AMENDING BILL. The Laud Transfer Amendment Bill (Hon. A. L- Herdmnn) has been circulated. It is composed of 21 clauses largely dealing with necessary machinery amendments and improvements in the existing Act. WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN, The member for Dunedin Central (Mr. C. E. Statham) made a very effectivo rejoinder to some Opposition interjcctors in tho House on Wednesday. Mr. Statham mentioned with approval the Act passed last session with a view to providing poor prisoners with counsel. Mr. G, W, Russell i Tho man who originated that is here (indicating Mr. J. Hanan). Mr. Statham said that he would gladly give Mr. Hanan the credit if he deserved it. The late Government would no doubt have done a lot of things if ife had had time. In this connection ho would like to tell a little story. On one occasion, in Dunedin, he undertook the selection of. a crew of oarsmen. Afterwards an indignant oarsman whom he had not selected met him in the street and asked why he had not been given a look ill.' "I told him," said Mr. Statham, "that he had not done anything toi justify his inclusion." He replied: "Well, wo ought to have won that race only wo fell out of the boat as soon as we started." (Laughter.) There was an analogy, Mr. Statham remarked, between the oarsman's case and that of the lion, member for Avon.

STATE ADVANCES. An interesting return, moved for by Mr. G. Witty (Biccarton), showing the number of applicants for loans under the Advances to Settlers Act, whose applications were refused, the amount of the application fees received by the Department from unsuccessful applicants, anil the amount of fees that have been returned to unsuccessful applicants in the j years 1908-9, 1909-10, 1910-11,. and 1911-12, was laid upon the table of the House yesterday. I Following were the numbersi of applii cants, the amount of their loans, and the fees received :— Loans. Fees. No. £ £ 1908-9—Settlers 203 74,036 .252 1908-9—Workers 30 (5,200 11 1909-10—Settlers 273 91/375 321 1909-10—Workers 124 23,985 46 1910-11—Settlers 1,100 358,800 1,321 1910-11—Workers 338 77,135 120 1911-12—Settlers 772 394,810 1,091 1911-12—Workers 12G 31,985 47 The fees returned to unsuccessful applicants were as follow:—1908-9, settlers .£37 165., workers .£3; 1909-10, settlors <£42, workers M 155.; 1910-11, settlers..£772 ss. 6d., workers .£9l 17s. 6d.; 1911-12, settlers, .£603 155., workers .£l3 10s. WANGANUI RIVER. Mr. W. A. Veitch (Wanganui) asked the Minister for Marine on Wednesday, whether, in view of the great potentialities of Wanganui as conv mercial centre and of the Wanganui River ns a public highway, he will have a report made as to the practicability of increasing the capacity of the river ior navigation by means of a series of locks. The Hon. F. M- B. Fisher (Minister for Marine) replied: It will bo impossible to prepare the report, asked for until fin exhaustive examination of the river has been made. The problem is an extremely difficult one to solve, owing to tho extreme height to which floods rise throughout the greater part of the course of the river. The matter will be considered.

JOTTINGS.

The fact was elicited ill discussion in the House of Representatives yesterday that the Government intends this session ■ to'bring down a Bill fixing (ho salaries of Magistrates as is now done in the ease of Jiuiges. Mr. A. E. Glover (Auckland Central) gave notice yesterday of his intention to ask the Government whether they would introduce legislation giving a worker the right to acquire n homo in any part of a city on payment of a deposit t of -£10. At present a worker has to combine with five others instead of being permitted to acquire an individual home in any locality lie may select. Mr. T. K. Sidey intends to ask the Government whether it has a schemo for rendering financial aid to friendly societies, and if so, on what conditions such contributions will be made. The question of the appointment of a Chairman of Committees was considered at a westing <if (lie Government party yesterday. No official report was supplied, bill, the result was evidsnt in the afternoon, when the Frimo Minister gave notin Id mova that M". Vjilmlm be ai> ,

pointed to the position. It 19 understood .mil .ur. Jianucr declined to Ix 3 nominated. Notico of the introduction of the Commercial Trusts Amendment Bill was given in the House yesterday by Mr. I'ayno (Grey Lynn). The Bill proposes to brine butter, milk, eggs, and bacon within the scope 'of the Commercial Trusts Act, which was passed in 1910 with the object of repressing monopolies in trade and commerce. Tho principle to bo followed by tho Government in regard to tho construction of roads and bridges—with special reforenco to tho backbiocks—was discussed at some length at a meeting of the Government party yesterday. It is stated that a general understanding was arrived at ill regard to the matter. The Prime Minister, in reply to ,1 question last evening, said that lie was not prepared at tho present stago to indicate ivlint steps tho Government proposed to adopt in regard to the proposal of tho directors of the Bank of New Zealand in regard to that institution. It has already been stated that a banking: Bill will ho introduced this session.