POLITICAL NOTES

Gisborne Times, Volume LXI, Issue 9852, 3 November 1924, Page 3

POLITICAL NOTES

LICENSING LEGISLATION

NO BILL THIS SESSION.

WELLINGTON, Oct. 31. Replying to *a question put in the .House of Representatives this afternoon, the Brime Minister said the Government had decided that it would be very unwise to bring on licensing legislation at this late stage of the session. He could not yet say whether a Bill would be brought down for circulation. That bad not yeti been decided. As a matter of fact, the Bill hucksnut yet been printed. He would make a statement about it within a clay or two. A PREMATURE QUESTION.

Mr J. A. Nash (Palmerston) asked if, in view of the altered situation in the Old Country, the Government would be prepared to urge the new British Government to proceed with the construction of the Singapore base.

Air .Massey rep’ied that it was almost too early to ask such a question. (Laughter.) Mr Armstrong: It may only be a rumor.

Air Massey added that lie did not want to trench on party questions. The lion, gentleman know the opinion held by the Government a year ago in reference, to Singapore. The Government was of the same opinion still. He could draw bis own conclusions from that. JUVENILE OFFENDERS.

Air LI. T. Armstrong (Christchurch East) asked the Minister of Justice a question about the differentiation made by magistrates in the publication of juvenile offenders’ names. He mentioned 2 Christchurch cases. In one case, two boys of 16 were convicted of stealing a bicycle. They were first offenders, but the magistrate refused to suppress the publication of their names. In the other case, another magistrate ordered the suppression of the name of a first offender of 20 years. The Lion. C. J. Farr replied that such matters were entire y within the discretion of the magistrate. His own opinion was that, in the case of a first offence, the names of juvenile offenders should be sup>pressed. He would instruct the Un-der-Secretary to make enquiries into tho two cases referred to. OBOSSUAI TRAPPERS.

A question with regard to the license fee paid by opossum trappers was asked in the House to-day by the Leader of the Opposition, who said that the license fee of £2 10s was fixed when the prices of skins averaged from lUs to 12s, whereas they now averaged 6s Del a skin, and a royalty of Is per skin 'was payable in the Wellington district. The number of .skins taken in 1C23 was 42,('00; this year 4000 had been taken. The Forestry Department got half the revenue received, tnougli a great majority of the skins came from private properties. tie urged that it was a tremendous toll to take onesixth of the price of a skin by way of royalty. Tho Hon. R. F. Bollard sa»d it was the first time lie had heard anything about the royalty being ton great. He had not been approached on the matter. Howeverhe wouM have it looked into.—Special.