POLITICAL GOSSIP. Wellington, June 27.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 381, 29 June 1889, Page 5

POLITICAL GOSSIP. Wellington, June 27.

BAUjbK*' J ,TIM'JBBB! «EX.v6tiTP \ place an exporfc'lduty on baulk? timber. jThel'remier.says jthe roturn >ho;wsi6llefexuort; has' fathefe decreased* than ''increased

LABOUR-? . SCHEME. Ibwill be'rendfeinbered bh'^b las b session' Wiuni"^! £10;000"'was''pUb upon' the' Eati-:' 'mates 7 for- a t labour sebbje I me'nb ! scheme.l mketing 'was* lield $e¥fefdas, l » wh'en'alao.ut;' 'twdnty/m^&lbeys; pHndiJp&ll^ frohl iAlucV- ' la'nd , » Ca h fcbr b ury ,- arid'O fcago', 4 ; were prefeerijf,*', and Dr. Hodgkinson presided. A'r'e'solu-", 'bion' Hvas f passed^bhab.bh'e members • present), and-'thbee' favdurable" bo jbhe'scheme; should, waib^oil tho Govern'ra'en't, and ask tbe'm to rerievrbh'e prppos'aljbf lasbsessiofj, and t'hab Dr. f Hodgkinson should see tihe Premier and, arrange vvh'eh', ib /r would be convenient' for him to nieeb such depubation. ! '"' : V

' SWEATING--; SYSTEM. -\ £* THe (government 1 are prepared to appoint a "royal commission ' to inquire into < the. sweating system,' ! and £ also to 'extend \ the scope of the inquiry into , the workin'^of the Factory Ac'.s, and the necessity or otherwise of'/grantihg, further !J prbtecti on to 'females ahayoung persons' emplpyed'in factories. ( They decline', however, to.bring'in^aßillt'o,' amend the 1 Em ? plojmen& of Females [ and. Others !Abt in 'the direction >l of 'fixing the' minimum' wages under the J Act , at | six, shillings. The House has passed a'resolution, on the motion of Mr Taylor, /to tlip ( effect that a sweating > conlmission is'abso-r lately necessary. , ' / " ! .' '

NORTH -',' AUCKLAND TRUNK "< • ' RAILWAY.' '"' i " 1 lam given to understand 'that the proposals of the^Government ,with respect to, the North Auckland trunk. railway', and the utilisation of the Pjihipuhi forests, which will'be disclosed in the Public Works Statement, will ]be 6u a liberal scale. -„ , , \t

FINANCIAL ■ . STATEMENT. The Statement has.been most favourably received <in both Houses.^ Some dissatisfaction is expressed at the railway returns, it being felti that ihe Department might have been more economically managed. , v

PROPERTY, TAX.,* The opponents' of the property tax consider they have a clear 'majority in the House, but are doubtful of ;eretting members to vote for it, as they do riot' care to, accept the responsibility ' of changing the incidence of taxation. "

THE COUNTRY QUOTA. At ,a meeting ' of town members yes- s terday, ,18 being present, ,' including Sir', George Grey,, Mr Blocs, and Mr T. Thompson, the latter in the chair, it was resolved to wait upon the Premier; and ascertain the, views of ( the Government with respect to< the agitation of the country .members re the quota increase wanted. They also resolved to resist any increased q\iota., • • ,

INTERESTING RETURN.' 1 Mr Barron ,(of (Javersham) has given npbice.thafc ho will move for what promises to be a very useful suggestion, as well as an inexpensive return. -' During the last' Session the Controller and' Auditor-General-laid before Parliament a statement of:ac-_ counts, from which it could^be gathered^ 1 what was already well l^nown, , that large amounts of loan money "had^been expended; year by year to enable the .colony to pay* its way. Mr Barrons return has for its ob,ject a comparison of one year with another in this respect, so as to show in each year whether and how^ far we are perpetuating or receding from . this pernicious system of finance. , , , ' > .>*

MINING WARDENS.Mr' Cadman has withdrawn- his" motion for a return of the allowances for salaries to wardens on the goldfields, as he finds that the estimates remove the anomaly which he' sought to expose.

,NEW BILLS. The three Bills into which the proposed Electoral Bill has been brokep! up were, in-,; troduced by ,the Colonial Secretary yester- » day afternoon. .They are: The Corrupt Practices, Bill, Registration of Electors "Bill, and Representation* Bill. --, i 1 Several local Bills' have been introduced.

'ESTIMATES.' *The debate on the Estimates concluded yesterday afternoon. The Premier intimated that he was prepared 'to have 'the Estimates debated last evening. t Considering that they had only been in the hands of members since noon, and the House had been sitting since 2. 4 30, tliis was^ very short notice, but' it was on the suggestion of. the Hon. Mr. 1 Ballance, who intimated* that it was not' desirable to' debate the Financial Statement just yet, that the Premier statedhe had no desire to force the House* but would adjourn , the.^consideiation of any i disputed items,, arid, only i' lake' items Jt of least interest. ( This was agreed 'to. Legislative Department; esti;* mate, £14,330, .against £14,210 last >y ear.. This was the first 'class taken. * Last year ,£14,899 had been expended. , The' first c item taken was ' £1,550 "fqr salaries and other charges', I ' against, £1,430 last year. Tho details of, this 'sum were notsliown, and this inembers'objected to. ,Sir .George , Grey" and Messrs Saunders -ana Monk' ab- ( , tacked , the government, ! fin'd George Grey moved for the adjournment of, the consideration of the item until, the details were added. On an adjourn men t for details being taken, the noes mustered 36, and ayes 14, so there, was nonnecessity /for, detailing the^ items, of the £1,440. It'was^henproposed;toreduce th'itfsum by £50, but again the noes ■ had it, ahd,negatived the motipnpbyiS^.to . 11. Theitem 'was^then passed as it' stbodij The next item 'was 4£44 £4, 087 for 30 officers, for the House of .'Representatives, the sameas last year, y wh'ich ' met, with' no, opposition. For the expenses .of , the general Assembly, ,£8,693, same r aa s last I 'year.', This, was also, r passed without opposition; ColonialSecretafyia' - pc ( partment" : By , request the Coloniar Secretary's office' estimate ' \v*as t reduced from £2095' t0 £2030, which was> .passed! 1 Mini's^er^ 1 residences Kacl£7S0 t dqwh lor them, x^eorge .pf ey point'ed^pu^ ;tfiat^ the^ ; AttorneyVGeneral resided' ohly^ three montfrstin '-Wellington^ and moved,a { ( ' '/ ' "V,',,' 4 vYA L f i thajb, th'6 4 House allq,wan'ce coulo^not^bel affgqt&cl^by^a' votg jblje'' House" comlngVur|djerN^h9;'Civil .List, Act^but^an, abuse j : such l jaSf tliia^snbuldjnpt, cb v e allowed, to pa^sV^and.a^redS^ubn^pf £183 off tins itera^inetthis^ Wj^ichTnfe^^approived l iiou 5 qh tfctlt fc tIf it i (lad be'tier^d •taken off, the general contingencies, ±8,000. "Mr Taylor said the carrying pf.th^motion,. would be, an indication JjcthelGoverhment that the Hou^e^disapprpved 4 qf the v At-i hngbon) being wed house rent. 4 } .'V^ lf ; S I Sii'Gedrge'ffreystifon'glyJcondb^nedithe; the ' Premier a. promise-to hayeit taicen.off.^

Z\hirjp.&rry^Atkinson was/prepared ' tbfde?,,,"?/ r Sir/George .Grey, saidTtKe motion' would .;■> - never - bV^alloweaWto^ come before i% the '■•&- n Marchanb J( pointed out^thafcvtheyiv ; needed a rep^aiinsr ? sfca : fcute r t6*stop'fch'isrp Y ay- \,l ;r^rMr Turnbull poihteidioufc.bhab bHe;Btab*ufce ,T" mentioned, provided -"for^'/a^ residence'-' in , Wellington for Ministers. < t - "*> '%, A,' ' 'P,n the /suggesbipn' jJ of "kf Turiibull Sir « r ;GeorgeV Grey'.agreeJ.; *io 'take , bhe* Matter ' ' wnen'-jbhe 'contingencies came , up; 1 and on , the7.vpic^ |he, moliq^waV lost*.' \; , : r ,' ,!£750- I ]pa'BS(§d,\forV .messengers 'aiid 'office keepers.* ,H £4, f O/2l passed "without opipo^tion;.:„" ; s< ! -"-', "r - -;- : f -: X ' , J Electorai;\ Department"^ dEpDO,;; ' against - ,'£l.loo last year, /vvas'not bppßs'edl I 1I 1 \' "Audit" Office j: 'Tlie 1 amount tor this year, "16,215^,^6^/^l^^'disapproval from Mr SaundprsV E '^Ko 'wanted „tli*e;;]Deparbmenfc swepb^away/as it'ne'ver did aViy^gopHr '<■' : , Further '^discussion r .was^aved'^b^ the • COjldniar Secretary moving,, to "report pro- . * ,gre'ss, and thVHouee',then adjourned, j