Political Notes.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 7881, 25 July 1905, Page 4

Political Notes.

The suggestion has been made by Mr Hanan Ural under the teachers superannuation scheme I lie optional age lot Hie retirement of women leathers should lie lixvtl at liitv years. The Ministvr lor Kiluealioii says the tost of tarrying out the liroposal would he very ' large indeed, inasmuch as the years or contribution would thereby he rt-duti.l by live years, and Hial at the time when the contributions were largest, while the pensions beginning five years earlier would run for an average period of live years longer.

"If I had to say,'' remarked !Vr Hekein his contri-buiiou to the debate on Mr Sidey's Hill for m e uk.ing of a plebiscite on the Bil>k-i,.-schools .question, "if I had lo sav whether the pulpit or lhe press was the ~vsi educative factor 1 should certainly pronounce for the press." "A young,man goes to the theatre. He becomes infatuated with an actress and married her," says the Hon. G. J ones. "Is that marriage made ,in Heaven '.'" The Heaton Park Estate, Rangiiikei, has been offered to the Government under the Land for Settlements Act, and negotiations will, the Premier says, be entered upon as soon as possible. The Colonial .Secretary cannot see his way to grant an extension of privileges at the Government sanatoria to members of friendly societiesj • • • • The Government does not propose to appoint an expert in wool-class-ing at present. • • • • As a striking Instance of misdirected energy Mr Millar commented 01, the clerical agitation for the introduction of Hie Bible into scliouls hv ! saying that if the clergy supporting the measure had expended on the religious instruction of Hie children one-tenth of the energy they had expended on an endeavour to make tin. school teachers impart religious instruction, thousands of those whom they now •designated as "godless would be bevond tlie reach of iha' reproach.

The subject of oversea freights has been brought under Hie notice of the Government by Mi Bedford, who ask ed whether, notwithstanding the Government subsidy to the Federal Steamship Companv, New Zealand exporters of rabbits to (Jreal Britain have to pay forty shillings freight per ton as against a twentvshillings freight payable liv Australian exporters ; and if so, why ? The reply 'given by the Minister for Railways was as follows :—Under the contract for a steam service In air. from the west coast ports of the United Kingdom, for which the New Zealand and African Steamship Company receive no subsidy, the company are entitled to charge freight on in zen rabbits at the rate of £2 ids per ion of 411 cubic feel, which was the current rate between New Ze.i land ports ami London at the tinu the contracts were negotiated. To foster the trade the company voluntarily reduced the rate to £2 pel lon of -111 cubic feet, which is ih current rate from Australia to London. Recently the Orient Companv as a retaliatory measure, reduce life freight on rabbits to £1 per ton of -ttl cubic feet ; but it is not a permanent or a general reduction Rabbits and butter are the only iwill nes of New Zealand produce ex ported to the United Kingdom on which we enjoy the same rale ol freight as our Australian neighbour', and competitors. This equality o! opportunity is due to the voluntary reductions of the New Zealand ami African Steamship Company.