POLITICAL NOTES.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 144, 5 November 1912, Page 8

POLITICAL NOTES.

RAILWAY OFFICERS' PETITION.

A FAVORAIILE REPORT.

By Telegraph—Own Correspondent Wellington, Last Night. A report was made by the Railway Committee to-day on the petition of -tot Railway Officers' Institute that the recommendation of the Railway Committer last year should be given effect to. The committee recommended {hat the petition should be referred to the (Sovornment for favorable consideration.

IRON AND STEEL INDUSTRY.

PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEE'S

REPORT,

The petition of F. W. Haybittle and others for legislation to encourage tat production of iron and steel in Jfew

Zealand was reported upon to-day b*. the special committee appointed by the House of Representatives. The commit-.

tee reported:—(l) That it if desirable,, in the interests of this Dominion, to tat-' courage the production of iron and ated from the ores of this country; (2) that. : the proposals of the Ethelburga Syndicate, as laid down in the Draft Bill now ', before the committee,..jippear to be im- '"'■' satisfactory, and the committee does not recommend the acceptance of these pre- 7 ■ posals in their present form; (3) thai. ■ :' v the Government be recommended ta> .'i make full enquiry into the question, at, -''* i as early a date as possible, with the liew. ■-.; of ascertaining the terms on which in- '■'■- tvestors are prepared to provide th*,! ~■< necessary capital to develop the indw- '■. ' try on an adequate scale; (4) further, ay' ■". an alternative, the Government shotdt .. fully enquire into the advisablenetw •£ developing the industry as a State enterprise; (5) that the Government should ■.'& insist on the terms of the Parapara a.B(t '',-■' : Onekaka leases being complied with. "•, 4 Without discussion, the House referred V' the report to the Government f»r eoa- ' ' sideration. ' ' ; NEW PLYMOUTH ITEMS. ■ .* The Native Affairs Committee reported Ito the House to-day that it had no w- V I commendation to make on the petition ,j; of Wm. Humphries, of New Plymouth, ) t ) praying ior relief re a transaotion with ";'.. regard to certain land in the Taranaki ~■• district. ' '-■ The Public Petitions, M to Z. €•*- •.. mittee, at its final meeting of the b«sion, stated that it desired to reeord its hearty appreciation of the great eaak '■' and' attention devoted by the chairman, Mr. Okey, to the business of the commit- *< tec, and of the able and courteous manner in whicb his duties have beam carried out this' session. -.

The Railways Committee of the Hovm , eportcd to-day that it had n« recon- '- \ mendation to mafce. on the petition «f ' ■ Thomas Walsh, of New Plymouth, praying for a companionate allowance in r*> cognition of his past services in ifct , '■- Railway Department:/ The Railways Committee has referrei ". to the Government for consideration th« '■ ' petition of Robert Old, of New Plymouth, "•"., praying for compassionate allowance to • the widow of Alfred Old, on account 41' '1 the death of her husband while in tbt' V' employ of the Railway Department, • ."/£

STATE GUARANTEED ADVANCES. IMPORTANT AMENDMENTS TO ACT.! '..*; Some important machinery ameid* ments to the existing Act are proposed " ; in the State Guaranteed AdvUMM •,''■ .' Amendment Bill, introduced in tM" "'if House this evening. One provision it •■'>',} that where a local authority is jMithotS .'!'-'' ised by the ratepayers to borrow money, '' ' : and the Board has provisionally or flMlijr approved an application for a loan at a - specified rate of interest, the loan or any. part thereofsmay be raised at "a higher rate of interest without further congest of the ratepayers, providing the local an- • thority passes a special rate t« provute for the increased interest. If the whota of the loan raised is not required, iha ■■expended" balance must be repaid **• : the Department, but if the loan was «A- ■ tained for more than one public weric the surplus from one work may be applied to the completion, if necessary, of any other of the"" works for which th« loan was raised.

The purposes for which a loan undst the Act may hereafter be granted ai» defined as follows: (a) The construction of a road- (b) the construction of a bridge; (s) the construction of waterworks; (d) the construction of drainage works; (e) the construction of sanitarj works. '■

Preference will in'certain eases s*/ given to loans to local bodies ior ins construction of roads or bridges in outlying districts. It is -M-ther provided that in future, the Board shall not groat ' to any local body any loan which, together with all other loans granted bj the Board to that local body within tfe*> preceding three years,.exceeds £«0,00l. It is also set out that for {he next te« years a quarter of a million of 4ie ' amount raised for the purposes of the Act shall be set aside to be advaoesi' to local authorities for loans for wtrk* in outlying districts.