LOBBY GOSSIP

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2211, 25 July 1914, Page 5

LOBBY GOSSIP

; ' ; 1 ; — ; . AND POINTS FROM DEBATES DAILY SUMMARY Bills in Committee engaged the attention of tho House of Representatives during practicaJly. the whole of yesterday's sitting. : Very slow progress was mado with the first Bill upon tho list— the Land-tax and Income-tax Bill—but tho discussion to which it gavo rise was somewhat colourless, and eventually it was sot down for report without amendment. Better- speed was made upon tho Fruit-Preserving Industry Amendment Bill and the Local Elections and Polls Amendment Bill. An important amendment inserted in the latter measure, on the motion-of Mr. Statham, provides that the method of voting at.local elections shall be by striking out names inr stead of by setting a cross opposite to the names- of candidates for whom it is intended to vote. .The Harbours Amendment Bill was amended by the elimination of a clause providing for fhe. payment of members of harbour boards. It was also agreed to strike but a proviso that harbour boards should only be called upon to pay, in addition to printing and advertising charges, ton per cent, of the cost of elections at which, their members were elected, simultaneously .witli those of another local authority. ..'■■'.' ■ ■ The last item dealt with was . the Victoria College Amendment Bill, which was .put throufih with minor , amendments.. ■ ■ ' .'■■■.,'. •■■-,■'■ The .Land-tax and.■■-..'lncome-tax Bill was read a ihird time and the House rose at 0.8 a._m» ■. In, the Legislative Council the Master and. Apprentice Bill was read a 6econd time, and referred to the Labour Bills Committee. The debate raised some, interesting dismission on the question of boy immigration. ■ •' '■■■■'■ OTAKI ELECTORATE. . Active steps to: consbljdat-e the forces of Reform in tho Otaki electorate are being taken by the branches of the lieform league already-established in the district.' At a conference'of representatives of these branches held at Levin recently it was. decided to.proceed with the.' wprk. of organisation, and a: programme, /.of. , eighteen;meetiiige was arranged. ! To these meetings ladies' are 'specially'invited, Following is the pro-' gramme of meetings:—Monday, July : 27, Paraparaumu, 2.30 p.nv; Paekakariki, 8 p.m.; July 28, Waikanae, 8 p.m.; July 21 Tβ Horo 2 p.m., Otaki Bvp.in.;8 v p.in.; July 30, Oliau 2 jjiin., Marakau 8 p.m.; July 31, Koputuroa 2 p.m.,' Levin 8 p.m.; August.l, Shannon, 7.30 p.m.. Other meetings, will be held in the week following, but places and dates for these meetings have not yet .been fixed. The organiser of the Reform Party (Mr. A. A.; Paape) will .be present at all ,iho meetings.' ' ■ .; ,; : ! POSTAL REVENUE. ; Commenting oh the revenue returns of the Post; and Telegraph Departmentfor the June.quarter, which are published,in this week's Gazette, the'uon. R. H.. Rhodes 1 , Postmaster-General, in con-versation-with a reporter,-, said' that tho revenue showed- the Very satisfactory increase of £24,797 over the corresponding quarter of last year: '.'•■'.■;■ ■■■•.. "The main increase," said Mr Rhodes, "is in the' receipts from Telephone Exchange subscriptions, which have gono up £13.881, and from telegrams, in ; which the.increase has fc<een £6638; v The postal revemio has increased by £4154. Savings Bank deposits show 'an excess over withdrawals. for' the iquarter; of £394,982:«THi5; cbmpared-;witli-'ie200,127. forthe ; june quarter of 1913, shows , h very substantial increase. The deposits amounted 'to £3,264,283, and the withdrawals to _ The: money o':der and postal liote business also shows a'; very considerable increase, 'proving that 'the:class wl r o use this .means-of' remitting money are increasing their business rapidly. The .telegrams during the' quarter have | increased by , about 272,000 over, the same quarter : 'of last year, the greatest increase as usual being in , the bureau messages. There is no other item calling for special.remark. The revenue has increased Under every head, and the figures generally indicate a 6teady advance in the business : of the Department, which reflects a similar state of affairs in connection with the •business of -the country." -.-,.: : ■ i . ■ •:•■■.;;'-,CONTROL OF BEACHES. ''w Under the Harbours Amendment Bill now before Parliament, it is proposed that where *a beach; is not vested in any Harbour Board or other local authority, an Order-in-Coiuicil may be made grantr ing control to any local authority, Domain- Board, or persons acting as trus-. tees for the inhabitants of the locality; The , Minister of Marine (tho Hon. F, M. B. Fisher) in referring to tho clause last night .said that Paekakariki was a point'in case. It was prbpbse'd to vest control in the Hutt County Council. The beach was widely used by.'■ children spending: their , holidays there,-and people, were in the habit of galloping, horses upon the beach. ■: It was desired to have somo control over euch persons,,-: and a control of the bathing; etc. . ', v ■' : ■.'■■■

FIRE BRICADES AMENDMENT.

; The Fire! Brigades Amendment Bill, read ; a second time, pro forma, in tho Legislative Council, provides that a fire board.may ontor into an agreement with the local authority of any contiguous district for tho protection of the whole or part of tho district. It is laid down that any damage done by a fire brigade in the oxerciso of its duty shall bo deemed damage by fire.' Any person wilfully covering up or conclealing a fire-plug or hydrant is made liable to a fine of ,£SO. A similar penalty is provided, for in the case of any person damaging! at destroying property of tho beard,, with the alternative that a. term of two years' imprisonment may : , be imposed.United fire districts may, on tlio application of two or three local authorities, bo constituted after polls of tho-ratepayers havo been taken. Tlie fire board of aunited district shall consist of'. five membeiys, where two districts are uniting, and seven members whero these are concerned. One, member shall bo appointed by the Governor, and ono member by each of the uniting local authorities; and an equal number shall bo elected by the: insuranco companies for the time being carrying on business in tho united fire district. The estimated annual expenditure of. tho board in a anited district, after deducting tho amount nayablo by tho Minister 'of Flnar-ce, eliall be paid: One-half- by the uniting local authorities, and onehalf by thp insurance companies in the manner.provided.by the principal Act.

MISREPRESENTED LABOUR

In the Legislative Council yesterday • afternoon the Hon. W. Earnshaw, during tho second reading of the Master and Apprentice Amendment Bill, referred to the attempts'made to induce the boys-who cbmo out to New Zealand last jear as farm lahourers, to break thoif agreements. The unfortunate tiling about it, said Mr. Earnshaw, was that the men -who made tho attempt did represent Labour. ' The Hon. J. T. Paul: In this caso they! misrepresented Labour.

THE REFERENDUM INQUIRY

If tho experience of tho Education Committee of the House nf Representatives yesterday in opening its inquiry into the petitions upon the Referendum Bill is to be taken as indicative of tho progress likely to bo mado in continuing tho inquiry, the Bill mav be regarded as. already dead, bo far as this session is concerned. Two'hours, practically the \vholo of a morning; fiilting, were spent in hearing tho evidence of

ono. witness (Bishop Cleary), and he has still to bo cross-examined by the. members of the Committee and by other witnosscs through the Chairman.- Eight witnesses in all arc to be heard and examined, and tho Education Committee is dovoting ono day a week- to thu Referendum Bill. It cannot well ,do more, for tho Education Bill awaits a groat deal of time. Assuming thereis continued, the inquiry upon the foro that yesterday's rato of progress attention, and will necessarily take up Referendum Bill may very well last until the end of tho cession. Some hopes' are- expressed that tho. rate of progress will bo expedited, but it is easier to express such a hope than to curry it into effect.

• I am not making any promises as to what I shall do," said tho Leader of the Opposition yesterday, when ho was suggesting that the Government ought to repeal the mortgage tax. "Those promises come -homo to roost," he said "When did you find that out?" asked Mr. Fisher.