PARLIAMENTARY NOTES.

Kaipara and Waitemata Echo, 25 September 1912, Page 3

PARLIAMENTARY NOTES.

..In the House of Representatives, on the 11th inst,, The Speaker read the following letter from Mr N. J. Monk-.—" Q-ueen St,, Auckland, 7th September, 1912, Sir,—On behalf of the relatives of our late father I beg to thank the members of the House of Representatives for their kind ex* pressions of sympathy. Trusting you will convey to the members the appreciation of their great kindness, —I remain, etc., N, J. Monk. The Hon. the Speaker, House of Representatives Wellingten." The Hon. Mr Massey (Prime Minister).—Sir I beg to move, That the letter be recorded in the Journals of the House.

BICKERSTAFEE. Mr Coates (Kaipara) asked the Minister of Lands, Will, the Government cut up and offer for selection as fruit farms the Government expert mental farm at Bickarstaffe ? [Note. —The State farm at Bickerstaffo consists of 1,500 acres, and if 300 acres of this wfire offered for selection; and the balance of 1,200 acres cut up into sections of from 50 acres to 60 acres, and from. 10 acres to 20 acres planted in orchard, the whole "will bo quitted at a profit to the State. The whole alealends itself particularly to settlement of this description, being- suitable in every way, having the best of cli* mates and. communication by water right to the farm, and shortly it will be within two miles of a railway.]

The Hon, Mr Massev (Minister for Lands) replied, The Minister of Lands aud Agriculture will inspect BickesstafPe during the recess and decide as to the best method for profitably using the land there, and on the occasion of his visit will be glad to have the assistance and advice of the member for tiio district.

BICKEE3TAFFE ESTATE.

Mr Coales (Kaipara) asked the Minister of Lands, Whether he will cause a revaluation of certain sections on Bickerstaffo Estate to be made, and tho sections referred to offered for selection? [Note. — These sections have not been selected, owing to the values being too high, in the first place. Some years have gone by since the estate was first offered, buildings and fencing have deteriorated, pasture gone back, scrub grown up, and yet no deduction has been made. If reasonable" valuations woro made and satisfactory tenures iixed these sections would readily go off.]

The Ron, Mr Massey (Minister of Lands)replied As the honourable member if? aware, a large part of tho Bickerstailo Settlement has been used by the Agricultural Department. If there is no objection thereto some of tho lands will be rendered available for public selection, and the matter is now being inquired into.

During the week the House of Pe* preservatives has been chiefly occupied with the Public Service Bill, in which a number of amendments have been made to meet objections raised by officers of the Post and Telegraph Depavtinont. According to the Estimate <>f the Prime Minister, the session has now five weeks to go. Boyond the second reading of tho Graduated Tax Bill, and of the subsidiary measure, the Valuation Amendment, and of the Public Service Iteform Bill, the legislation to which the Massey Government commited itself in the Budget this session is still unpresented in the shape of measures.

TELEPHONE ADVICE Country settlers who are enterprising enough in piwide themselves with private tel< phones will appreciate the action of Mr, Gr. W. Kussell, in asking the Pd>(master (icaeeal if the Post and Telegraph Department wculd approve of its telegraph linosmen advising settlors upon tho erection of lines. Thi, Hon. H. Rhodes has replied that the department lias no objection to lvii sinen giving advice to those desirir.g it, but it cnniiot, of course, he held, be responsible for the advice given, '■ Officers of the engineering branch generally," added the Minister. '; are at all times ready to advise setlh-is on matters connected with telephone lines provided their duties are not. intci'ferved with.