Political Points.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 7922, 11 September 1905, Page 3

Political Points.

"The balance-sheet of the State Coal mines," said the Minister of Mines, "will show a result that will astonish members." lie told the House there was a profit of £ll .immi

A bill to give effect to the recommendations of tho lioyal Commission appointed under tho Maori Lam] Claims adjustment and Laws Amendment Act is being prepared. • * • *

In committee on paragraph C oi clause 1 of the Premier's land pro posals, Mr Ell will move an a-mend-nient to the following effect :—"Pro \idcd that no more Crown land*, shall lie alienated by way of suli for cash or occupation with right ol purchase until after the electors ol New /joaland have Ixvn directly coll suited and have given their sanction thereto by a lvft'ivndum vote,"

In reply to the Hon. Air Rigg.who asked what steps wore heintj taken to identify Chinese returning' to the colony so as to prevent personation 111 order to evade payment of the poll-tax. the Hon. Colonel I'itt said in tho ive Council, tile step; 1 , taken were fairly effectual. The fin-ger-prints of Chinese leaving, the colony ami intending to return were taken. Chinese ulio left the colony without their finger-prints being registered, were required to pay the poll to* on their return, and the money was not refunded until the Collector of Customs received satisfactory evidence from Europeans that -the unregistered yellow men had been previous residents of the colony.

In the House Mr Moss asked the Commissioner of Customs whether tho Government had decided to increase the poll tax on Chinamen,the advisability of increasing which, the Commissioner stated on August 11, 1,904, w'tiuld be considered. T3w Hon. C. H. Mills said this matter had not been lost sight of, but. it is not considered necessary to increase the poll tax at present, the total number ol departures'of Chinese from the colony for the first half of this year having exceeded the total number of arrivals by fifteen. During the last six years there was an exevss of departures over arrivals of 287. • • t t

The Native Affairs Committee,dealing with the petition of Kaea Howe (Willison) and another, of rrenui, Taranaki, who uski-u for a rehearing in connection with succession .to the late Harawira Mokena, as to native lands in the Waitara 'district, reports that the committee is of opinion that the petition should he re ferret! to the Government, with the recommendation to introduce legislation declaring that the appeal upon the appointment of successors to the late Harawira Mokena, alleged to havo beei\ disposed of in the unavoidable absence of the parties thereto, or some of them, is still subsisting and undisposed of, and that the l!hiet' Judge of the Native Land Court bu authorised to dispose of the same. » * it

Mr Field has given notice to nsk the Minister of Education, whether in view of the urgent tieeds of the native, children on the West Coast of the North Island, and also oil the southern side of Cook Straits, the Government will as soon as possible this season bring down a bill to give legislative effect to the recommendations contained in the report of the Native School Reserves Commission so far as it affects the I'orirua and Otaki School Trusts ; and whether the Government will include in the scheme of such bill the Mot. ueka school reserve, so that there shall lie ample endowments to ostalilish a school or college which will supply the educational needs of native children on both sides Of the Straits 7.