POLITICAL NOTES.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2263, 7 August 1908, Page 2

POLITICAL NOTES.

[Sveciai. to “Times.” 3 WELLINGTON, August 5. ANTI-CHINESE PETITION. Two Hawke’s Bay petitions from the Anti-Asiatic League were presented to-day. They ask that tho poll tax on Chinese ho raised to .£SOO, of which £IOO should bo placed to the credit of the Dominion revenue and the balance spent in deporting Chinese from New Zealand, each Chinaman to be paid £IOO on leaving and four to be sent out for every one that comes in.

NATIVES AND THEIR LANDS. Fourteen petitions were presented to-day, including twelve by Mr Pa rata and two hv Mr Merries from Maoris, p raying that the Maori people he given the entire right to control and administer their surplus lands as in the ease of Europeans. INTERESTING DISCOVERY AT WHITE ISLAND.

The forty-first annual report of the Dominion Laboratory was presented to Parliament to-day. Dr MoLiurin reports that its work lias increased greatly during the past year. One thousand three hundred and tweiityfivc samples for analysis were received. lodine was found in a sample of water from a Tarawera spring and mineral water from White Island contained heavy traces of boric acid, arsenic and copper. The discovery of boric aid in this water is of very groat Interest and may possibly bo of some commercial value. The water is a most unusual one, being specially remarkable for the enormous amount of free hydrochloric acid which it contains. an amount that is more than one sixth of that contained in ordinary commercial hydrochloric acid.