POLITICAL NOTES.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 100, 13 September 1912, Page 5

POLITICAL NOTES.

COUNCIL REFORM. (By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent). Wellington, Last Night. The Legislative Council Bill, introduced by the Prime Minister in. the House of Representatives this afternoon, provides that future appointments to the Council shall be for a period of three years, instead of seven years as at present. It is understood that the measure is merely a temporary expedient to enable the Government to fill any vacancies that may occur, without "being under the necessity of making appointments for the full term. There is, it is said, no intention on the part of the Government to "stuff' the Council with appointees, as it is considered that there will be no difficulty in carrying through the reform proposals of the Government without resorting to any such course. ROOT KNOT. The disease known as "root knot" in fruit trees was the subject of a brief debate in the House this aftcroon. The Prime Minister informed the House that every attempt was being made by the Department of Agriculture to prevent the spread of the disease. Mr. Davey remarked that he voiced the complaint of a Hastings grower that his .trees had been wrongly condemned; they did not really suffer from the disease. Mr. Buchanan said he had information from a settler in the Wairarapa that consequent on a visit of the inspector he had been ordered to uproot ISO trees. The, trees were inspected the previous year, and it was difficult to imagine that the trees could have got into such a bad condition in the interval. It was also stated during the ' progress of the debate that on account of the disease a million trees, worth. £20,000, had been condemned. Mr. Atmore said that many growers in the Nelson district contended that the Department had, made a mistake—that the disease had been wrongly described. The Prime Minister gave a promise (hat the Department of Agriculture would make full enquiry.