POLITICAL MATTERS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVI, Issue 154, 4 July 1904, Page 2

POLITICAL MATTERS.

- ♦- NOTES FROM TDK TIMES. in the Industrial Conciliation and Anbitrat/ion Act Amendment It is provided that proceedings for enforcing' any award, where the maximum penalty for the breach complained of does not exceed £SO, shall bo hoard and determined by a magistrate, whose -diciuion is to be linul. Any party to the proceeding may appeal from the decision of the magistrate on any point of law.

The Public Works Amendment Act, introduced .by Mr Millar, provides that lands shown as a road in or by any plan of subdivision al any time heretofore deposited in any Deoils Register Ollice or Lands Registry Office are to he deemed to be existing roads or streets within the meaning of subsection 1 of section 11 of the Public Works Act, !90vl. The Referendum Bill of last session has Ixhmi reintroduced, It provides for referring to the people for their opinion any measuiv which has been twice rejected either by the legislative Council or the House of Representatives. The Wine Adulteration Prevention Hill, which met with an adverse fuito last session, has again made its upIM*arance. Provision is made in the University Degrees Act for carrying out the resolution,4 passed recently by the New Zealaiul University Senate for conferring degiws in literature, laws, surgery, science, and applied science. The Fire Krigndes Bill is practically the same measure slaughtered last session, it sets up iii-e boards in districts having a population of 1000 or upwards for the protection- of life and property from fire. The contributions for tile maintenance of the boards are to be borne oue-lialf by tiio insurance companies insuring property within the fire districts, und the other half by the local authority having jurisdiction within the fire district. Every brigade existing in any tire district Is to be sulbjoct to the control of the hoard. A new clause makes provision for declaring any two or more fire districts foriui-ug a continuous area one united fire district. This bill during the recess has been considered ami approved by the various tire Brigades throughout the colony. The (iovernment's legal exjienses for tiie financial year 1900-11 amounted to £9OBB Gs. Of this sum Crown Solicitors received £7078 18s li)d, and other than Crown Solicitors, etc., £2014 12s 2d. In the Wellington judicial districts tho amount of £2783 was distributed as follows H. r>. Hell £974 18s 2d, 11. Gully £9ll 16s Od, S. T. Fitzhenbert £lO3 0s Id, A. J. Cotteril: £137 17s, 11. A. Cornfoiti £B2 3s (id, E. L. Barton £oo (Is lOd, M. Chapman £-10 4s Gd, A. R. Bunnv £37 4s.

A petition has been presented b,\ Mr I owlds from Auckland pointing out that there aro throughout tile colony many weak-minded or imbeoile aiMl idiotic children, for whoiii no 'appropriate provision is made ; and tlie only shelter for whom, ii they lK>Come umimnageaible in their homes, is the lunatic asylum, whore they are invariably associated with patients wjvo are under treatment tor insanity, and where also no ottempt is made toward clarification or improvement ly means of traiinini;. an'd education. The petitioners ask . , t weparate provision be made for nulwcile patients i„ Ul e various asy-