NEWS AND NOTES.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2186, 26 June 1914, Page 8

NEWS AND NOTES.

INTERESTING PROPOSALS. TARIFF REVISION, A surprise packet- in tho Speech fromthe Throne is the statement that the Govettinieut propose to submit to Parliament "certain proposals" relating to the east of living. Strict official.l-uiiccnto is being maintained as to the meaning of.- this cryptic phrase, but it may be reasonable to infer that tho Government has Customs tariff concessions in mind. It is generally agreed that the time at disposal this session is not sufficient to enable tariff revision to be- handled in any comprehensive way, and if the question is raised, at all it trill bo.opeil to aiiy member of tte Hawse to propose practically-as many amendments and alterations as he may think fit. On tha other hand, assuming that the Governroeiit brought down proposals to aoii-cod-c reductions upon ft few main heads nf Customs revenue, any attempt to complicate matters by introduo-iiig o ■mass of detail proposals would 5m tantamount to making concessions impossible ■so far as this session,'is concerned. It is .more than possible that the- Opposition may. shrink from shouldering this, heavy reSpoasibi)ity, BIBLE-jN-SDHOOLS, There Was a stir of interest in the House of Representatives, yesterday afternoon when the Hoa. Ja-s. iVHen intimated that he would move next sitting day for leave to introduce a Religious' liistrttstkm in Schools Keforeftd-nm Bill, A passage, in tlie Governor's Speech had made it plnin that a.Bill would be introdticed this ■session) but. tho rjew-ark-prble .promptitude shown, in the matter tarn* rather ai> a s.tirprise-. J:t is thought aot iH-ilikely tltat the Biil may lie circulated- to-day. I'ke Prune Mi-nistor informed a reporter lost evening that the Biblo-in-Sehools fiisfen«n&m was not going to be made a party question. "Wo have pledged ourselVes.,''' ho said, "to give members of PiarKameirt an ftpporttiiiity of vetixtg u.pcai it, awl the Hon. Jas. Allen will l iav.o cha-rge of the Bill for that par-

pose." More than this Sir. Massey declined to say, but it is understood that tho Bill as drafted.provides &>* a compound issue being snimiitwd to tho fclectsre, at- a.referondmii pall, covering the int«rduct.t<» .of' Bible lessons- from an approved text'hQ.qk in the State school!., tw right- of entry for eWgyiiien ami tho right of parents to determine whether their children should receive religiftus instruction or not. . _ ;. Wlijl©' some are.niaiiifettmsig 6. cautious -silcao* as to- tWir attitude uijou . .tl« Bibk-te-Schools . quostian, there a*o a nuitthWj and these of diterge.nt view's, vrho m.ake no secret ©f their bslief that- tho Referendum Bill has ostremfelx' gooS prospects of heing pass* vcl by tli© fiousci RAGINIG PERMITS. A matter of great uii.portoiice to country racing ctubs and to tiws-e which conduct bunt'and trottiflg meetings, is ■ i.he- -all&cation ot totttHsn'tor pcrkits. Evcj- sines tho ied.uc.tion and rcdisiriImtion of tottiisator pentlits carried out ,by the Itneing Conwaissioii anointed tendcr the Uawmg Ahiciidmeirt let r.f. lyiO came into aountry clufes have tieea vigorously trro'testiiig. against the disaWHtie& iufcct-od aiion thc« by the Comnussion.. Aiwutbcr af .pri- . vate Bills intenM t6 Venre% flic nioro ■serious grievances of tile country clubs have been introduced in Fa,rtJamo*ht, bin 6o fa*, the end' in view has .not been fcohieved. 0f the Bills intTodwed lastyear that Trfcieh obtained imisfc. support' Vvjs the- Gadifflg Amendment tirll Irouglit down by Mr. Q. Hd-iitcr, member tor Waipstwa. It prDpoSDcl tiutt the' iminher of Malisator pe-mnts to itu issued in Any one year s'tioyld 'm increased from 250 (the present legal maximum) to '-'SO, and that theso rhrrty jidxlitional pftfteitis should he. dtorfrntci! in the ptopcrtion of II to cowntry rac'ibs clv-ibs, tcit t<r hunt- clnbs., r.nd three to trotting clubs, liiat- the Bill si as regarded as a horieful Boiution m tko lifo-blea Mt in its wa : ko by tl» liwing Gi.nirniss'ioii • is. inilicated in the foci that it jiasspd its second reading ia the House of Rep»s<sntative,s by 43 votes to IK ' By tho time this ted oct-n . »i----compl.vslffid, lio vcv«*, the session vas far- advanced, and the Bill made m fr.rthet pfflgress. With a.vfew to iU-ojdin.g any re-petition of this kind of t-ning in the present Session. Jlr. 'Sustor gDT-o notice yesterday (the first day 'if thesession) to reintroduce Iris Ml. ■ H« infti»isd ii reporter stibsegtiently that tht;. Bill w<jnld be identical witn that fif last, year, a;iid that its c-onsidewd v.. |ja4wsolli3Ht pros{sec-ts of being passed. I.u fact, he is ceE opinion that only the coi.'ftestion. of W-ofk at the end >.t lust tc-s-'ipn prevented the Bill being pusssd is X 913-. Other members fim wc-ro si-wker tp take an equally optiiristio view <if the prospects »f tfe Bili

THE SPEECH, Qpinimi amongst Goveiiimeiit niomfeers eaaeerning the Sjpeeeh socnis to ho Uniforpily favourable-. X prominent member of tho party stated last evening that the Spt'Cfiii did iiat, of course, cant-am tko definite proposals of the Government policy, but was a . gai-priil iife.ni of what bwsiftess, the Government prop&sed to put before- Parliament this session. 'Sonic of the 'members seamed to be sbmewlsat. alarmed at the lßagttitiido of the programme, out otherwise they tvoro ivell oiimign. pleased with it, egpf'Siall}' with regard to the jroliey proposals, and those'regarding tire setting Up of somebody to control the adminis* trailon tt'f -Public Works money, and tins improvement of the lot of teachers in primary schools. Hie two. other important ■ Bills foreshadowed; were, of course,. tlio Weeftsing Bill ami the Bill to p-rbrido far tlio taking of a referendum' on religions- instruction in schools, Oa tiiesa there did »ot a-paeur te be un-awimi-tyj but mewberj wouH vote according to their ojjtnioßs or according to pledges, given.

WATERFRONT LABOUR. The, Prime Minister stated, fast evening that it w»§ quito passible- that a ; Btfl might be bfo-iight down this ses» ma to enable- hartour boards at tho principal ■ports 'to establish permanent staffs of w&aff labourers. The Go-ffcm- ■ liieiit. Mr. Massey remarked,, wanted to sea tho question satisfactorily sottied, and personally lie would like jo go the length .of seeiite sttpsritfuruation provided if they cfln-ld possibly 4o it, The : Government has not yet- ft'iinfly d.cler- : feiriued. jifiwever, csaetly w'lrat form the projected legislation shall take. Ut. ■Mnsser added that lie was Tory chut to ■.mote that- the shipowners had aH-iub? taken sortie steps in the diteetioit of ■orac-ndinß ■• the- .present wmdif.ions of Wat£T:f«.ftt labour. • ! SOADINU THE BACK'BiOOKS. An interesting passage in tUe Gor» f ernor'a Speech, is that whrA indicates that a progressive seh-Mite of rond-eon* I struction will he- sffib-fflitted to Parlia- ■ matt, which maltos provision for the ; creation x.'i' satisfactory menus of cora- ! tMunieatioii in isolated ij«d badly .wa*Jecl districts. It is stated mi eswlkrot (minority that the (rorerarnftnt will pics- : pose fa tiiiso. a Joan of a nutlioii wtei'mti '■for those }inr|»Sf7«, tUo expoiw'tiiwe. of I thiit sum ta be spread over a term of ! three seats.