PEARLS AND PARLIAMENT

Free Lance, Volume V, Issue 222, 1 October 1904, Page 16

PEARLS AND PARLIAMENT

SO far as the Hon. Mi. Aikwiight knows, there is no Transvaal, no Chinese question, no mines, no mine-owners.— Hon. Mr Jones. * * * Regarding the State coal mine, the position was this. The coal was deliveied at a much lower late than similai coal had been formerly. The puce m Wellington was, approximately, l»s per ton.— Sir J. G. Waid. . • • The present late of pay— 7s— was too little. A man in the service who was fifty-three or fifty-four years of age had to contribute 16s 7d per month to tire Superannuation Fund and 4s 9d to a Railway Servants' Sick Benefit Fund, and when these deductions were made it wao almost impossible for the labourer to live on the wage.— Mr. Wilfoid. * * * I read the other day in a magazine— for I have been looking up this subject from all sources— that when the war was finished a Rand mine magnate telegraphed to his friend, "Pig-tails certain." There is a volume of meaning iv that laconic message.— Hon. Mr. Jones. . . , There is no necessity in this country, as in older countries, "for peon 1 . 3 to live in the country because of the high rents in the towns, and so avail themselves of the cheap railway fares. That necessity does not exist here, and will not exist for many years to come. — Mr. R McKenzie. * * * Mr. E. M. Smith.— But to say that you are going to hand over the colony's railways to Mr. Vaile, and that he is going "to be manager and regulate his own salary, what sensible man would do that? . , . Mr. Moss. — Place him m charge oi the New Plymouth Breakwater line. Mr. Smith. — Let me tell you that is one of the best-payi"~ railways m New Zealand. Mr. Witty.— They say it is mossgrown. m He thought it was time the members, the people of Wellington, and the colony knew of the combination to keep up prices that existed in Wellington.— Mr. Seddon. # # On one occasion, as he had mentioned in his question, when His Excellency the Governor was in Whakatane, the wire was down for three days, and a mounted constable hadl to ride, about thirty miles with despatches from His Excellency. — Mr. Hetrries. * • • He was not surprised to hear the Premier refer to their health as not being <juite as good this session as last. At the back of this building there was a Noah's Ark collection, of animal in an enclosure These animals were in a most disgraceful condition. They would see- cattle there hardly able to move about, sheep suffering from diseases of all kinds, disreputable-looking poultry and pigs and other animals kent within a few feet of the- building in which members sat. — Mr. Moss. * * • As to the tennis-ground enclosure (adjacent to the House), the honourable gentleman (Mr. Moss) saw a horse there which apparently took fright as soon as it saw the honourable gentleman. It appeared to have been very much alarmed, and he could only express his astonishment that any animal should be alarmed at such a good-looking gentleman as the honourable member for jOhmemuri. — Sir J. G. Ward.