POLITICAL NOTES.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIII, Issue 1869, 26 September 1906, Page 2

POLITICAL NOTES.

CHILDLIKE AND BLAND,

[(Special to Gisborne Times.) Wellington, last night. The rosidenti oi the gold dredging districts of Otago are petitioning Parliament for statutory preference to unionists. They point out “ that it is not in human nature to continue to be tied to an Aot lacking statutory preference to unionists, under whioh so muoh is taken from us and so very, very little given in return.” The petition, whioh the simple Otago people have gone to the expense of printing, winds up with the following prefervid appeal : " Trusting with the simple confidence of childhood our humble petition will meet with the full, uogtudged favor of your honorable House, and in sincerity, grati tude, and duty your memory will be cherished while there is a glistening peak of 1 old New Zealand above the billows of the blue Paoific.’ ” MEDICAL AID TO MAORIS.

A return presented to Parliament to-day gives particulars of subsidies paid by Government to medical men for attendance on Maoris, The numbor of pationts attended was 1283 in the South Island and 3125 in tho North Island. The amounts paid were : South Island, £766 ; North Island, £1149 ; total, £1951. Additional feos amounted to £lls. COLONIAL BANK.

The A to L Petitions Committee haß no recommendation to make in regard to the petition of Wm. Barron and two others, of DuDedin, prayiDg for an enquiry into matters relating to the Colonial Bank liquidation.

COMPASSIONATE ALLOWANCE. The widow of the late Geo. Fisher, M.H.R., is petitioning Parliament for a compassionate allowance of £750 on account of her late husband’s services to the State. She points that the widow of the late John MoKenzia received £IOOO (her husband had oeased to be a member of the I House), and the widow of the late J. 0. Brown £250. NORTH V. SOUTH. An instance of what the Premier termed 11 tho silly practice of attempting to set one place against another ” ooourred this afternoon. The member who introduced the question was Mr Buddo, member for Kaiapoi, the subject of his complaint being that a Sileot Committee set up to consider the Local Authorities Subsidies Bill

contained two more members from the North than from the South Island, Mr LsureneoD, another Canterbury member, promptly took his colleague to task for introducing such potty provincial questions. He (Mr Laureneon) was quite prepared to entrust any portion of tho business of the House to either a North Island or South Island Committee. Mr Alison said that this was tho first time for a long period that the North Island has contained a majority on a Com-

| mittee, and he was surprised at the objection taken. Mr Greenslade also tock exception to Mr Buddo’s protest. The Premier referred to tbeso provincial compatisona as a ‘- silly ” habit, and said that " the sooner we drop it the beitor will it be for the oountry.” This rebuke bad the effect of silencing Mr Buddo, who did not press his point.