Political Notes.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 7872, 14 July 1905, Page 4

Political Notes.

llii' (iovtmiiHyl is considering reducing the hours of labour oi enginedrivers, lirwucn mid guards from lif-ly-lour hours to forty-eight hours * .week. The reduction ivuukl mean aiirn'reused expenditure of rai,<X>o. ....

Tin' i'remier ban given notice to in truduuc the AuKlrulian unU New Z'.-n. laad Naval Detcnoo Hill.

"lii the Old Country," said Sir Joseph Ward on Tuesday nig-ht 'it is a deplorable fact that one out of every twenty-eight of tho population—this is in England—arc paupers dependent upon the dole of private, or public charity. Further than that. one out of three avtisans on ietching the agv ■'■>! sixt.v-livo years is del en den; upon charity." This legrettaolc. state uf aftaits. added the lliuistir, was largely attributable to the small wages paid.

Mr Wood wants the .Minister of Education to say whether he does not consider that J'aliiierston North won'ti be a pToi«er plate for the establishment of a training school for teachers, on account of its central position.

Mr l-'islicr is asking Lite Government to establish some tilling memorial to the memory of the late Hon. W. Holleston. as has liecn done in respect to tile late .lohn llalluncn and the late John JlcKenzie.

The <;»vernment is being questioned hy Mr Arnold if it is aware that, in addition to the millers' combine, u number of American and other trusts arc now doing business in the colony, and that the existence of soiih of'our local industries is threatened, and. <i" so. will il introduce legislation to deal with this matter ?

By Mr Jennings : The Minister foi Public Works has been asked if he will authorise the engineer in charge oi Uie North Island Main Trunk rail way works, from Piriaka end, to supply such co-operative workers as mav make application with discarded 'timber a»;l bark for flooring lot their tents, etc. Mr Jennings points out that the Public Works Department Iras its own sawmill at Kakalii. The workers, with their wive; ami children, mostly live in tents, and as the altitude where the majority are now working (Pukerimu) is close on 15(1(1(1, the cold and wet must have a disastrous effect on them.

A deputation [torn the Stratford branch of the Farmers' Union, consisting of Messrs R. Dingle, W. Monkhoiise and Rawles, waited upon I Mr" Walter Symes, M.H.R., on Saturday evening, to ask for his co-op-eration in urging the Government to |erect bone sterilising works in the colony, and to station a veterinary surgeon in Stratford. Mr Symes expressed strong sympathy with the views of the deputation, and promised to do all in his power to assist him. Mr Dingle mentioned the necessity of a daily milk service to Oruru, and Mr Symes promised to give this matter his attention also.

The Government has been and still is doing all in its power to cheek infant mortality among the natives (says the Native Minister, in n-plj io Mr Field). In addition to the medical attendance already provided, and the sanitary work being performed by the Health Department, it will be necessary to establish a .system tor -.raining suitable Maori [girls as nurses, in order that thc\ may take up work among their own people. This is under consideration.

The Minister of Mines states that coal from the State coal mines will be supplied to the centres as soon at there is coal suitable for household use available beyond the requirements of the railways and other Government departments. He said that coal can be delivered free on board ship at Greymouth from the Stall coal mine at fc> 3jd per ion, and at West port, from the Seildouville mine, at 10s 6£d. The Government does not intend to set up a Select .Committee to inquire into the question of the future utilisation of tin coal measures of the colony by tin Slate.

How lo meet the difference oi vlmse voters who will not exercise the franchise was one of the interesting., features of the debate on Mi McNab's Absolute Majority Bill There are thousands every election who will not go to the poll. The Colonial Secretary came forward with a proposal to make the regis--1 ration of every voter at twentyone years of age mandatory, and legislation in this direction w r ill form tile subject of future debute. He was not altogether satisfied witli the present system of representation, and 'whilst not convinced that (he remedy lay in the scheme fathered by the member for Mat aura, threw in his lot with him by way of sympathy with the desire lor reform. The others followed the lead. The bill may be amongst the "slaughtered" at the end of the session, but the constant reiteration of the necessity for reform in Parliamentary represent at ion will doubtless have its effect.

Friday night's work developed into a lengihly debate on old-age pensions. The eolonv intends lo spend another £loo,ooo' on pensions, £31111,(100 in all per annum. The keynote of the Opposition's line of argument was a universal system, and in their eritieism they brought in a familiar cry of "Bribes to the electors"—a cry, by the way, that too often does duty. They argued, too, that there was the "taint of eharitv" abou. the present syslem. This Was met with the claim from Ihc Cio-v-crnment benches that no one who was entitled to a pension has ever been refused it—that, indeed, the deserving aged were only too ready to take advantage of a beneficent piece of legislation which had done much to bring the Government into favour. There were numerous members with notes anxious fo keep the debale going, hut lhe House was tired .of pension* (alk by one in (lie morning, and further debate on the second leading was cheerfully postponed, ll promises fo last a while yet, .though, for the Progressives have 'Hi! so far taken much part in the debate.