Parliamentary.

Greymouth Evening Star, Volume XXXI, 14 August 1901, Page 3

Parliamentary.

(Cub Own,Correspondent)

Financial Statement. Wellington, August 13,

Friday is definitely fixed for the d£ livery of the Financial Statement. Thong there have been heavy clearances of te and other merchandise during the pas week the impression in generally well ic formed political circles is that the Ous toms Tariff will not be interfered with but that the additional revenue requirei will be raised from increased graduatioi of the land tax, as hinted by the Premie on more than one occasion during thi present session. Rating on Unimproved Values Bill. The debate will be continued this evening. The Premier will he satisfied to gel a second reading and will then abandor the measure. Landless Maoris. Wellington, This Day. To date 1,102 landless Maoris in the South Island have been awarded 38,321 acres. There remain about 700 persons, including those at Kaikoura and Marlborough, to be provided for, and the lands available for them are 7,600 acres in Stewart Island and 7,000 acres at Wairauratiri. “ find so they ought to be.” Herries intends to move in the direction of having departments of the State brought within the provisions of the Industrial, Conciliation and Arbitration Act. Local Government Bill. The committee on the Local Government Bill decided to postpone all clauses relating to Road Boards and Town Boards, and refer them to those bodies for consideration and suggestions. Road Boards and Town Boards will be permitted to telegraph suggestions and recommendations free. The committee expect to be deliberating for three weeks longer. Martin, solicitor to the Municipal Association, is to he asked to assist the committee as in the case of the Municipal Corporations’ Amendment Bill. Pensions. The Postmaster-General yesterday laid before the House notification of proposals to grant pensions to the following civil servants E. T. Morslxead, Post and Telegraph Department, £lB5 a year, from January Ist, 1902. T. Palmer, Post and Telegraph Department, £lO7 18s 4d, from April 3rd, 1902. R. A. Campbell, Post and Telegraph Department, £155, from July 31st, 1901. Timaru Harbor. The Timaru Harbor District and Harbor Board Bill is being introduced by the Minister of Marine. Registration of Births. Mr Guinness is inquiring whether the Government will bring in a Bill to amend the law so that parents may register the births of those children whose registration has not been registered within the statutory period through neglect or inadvertence.

Uniformity in School Books. A uniformity set of school books is being asked for by Mr Monk. Further Labor Tinkering. With a view to the further diminishing of “sweating," Mr Arnold is asking the Government to make such provision as will compel all tradesmen taking orders for tailoring and employing tailors or tailoresses to .have such word done in workshops belonging to the firms taking such orders. Rifle Team for England. Mr. Hogg wants to know whether it is proposed to send a rifle team from the colony to compete at the next Bisley meeting in England. Tree Planting. The total area in the colony of forest trees planted to the 31st March, 1900, is 18,337 acres, which cost £56,717, The area destroyed by fire or otherwise was 623 acres, of which 423 were in Canterbury and 180 in Southland. Their present estimated value is £66,262, and the sum of £3,813 is proposed to be expended during the present year. Junior Civil Service. The Minister of Education, replying to Mr. Guinness, said that there was no ground for the complaint that many of the examiners in the Junior Civii Service examinations marked the work of their own pupils. Clearing at the Customs. Over two thousand pounds were received by the Customs’ Department, Wellington, yesterday, for duty on tea cleared from the local bonds. Five of the principal wholesale firms cleared every package they were holding, and practically only one firm has left any tea in bond. Prom Auckland also comes the advice of wholesale clearances of tea and candles from bond in anticipation of increased duties.