WELLINGTON NOTES.

Taranaki Daily News, 11 September 1915, Page 4

WELLINGTON NOTES.

I "SOMEONE HAD BLUNDEP„"D. ,# i (By Telegraph.—Special to Daily News,) Wellington, Last Night. The House of Representative* managed to get Into a pretty muddle this afternon in connection with a. local Bill. The House went into committee, and the cliairman celled on a Wellington Sanitation Bill, which was in charge of Mr. Wright. /Two clauses were passed, and then the member for Hutt (Mr. Wil. ford), who has a genius for finding trouble, asked for an explanation of clause 3. Mr. Wright read the clauie and looked perplexed. He read it again and offered an extempore explanation, which Mr. Wilford pushed aside. The member for Hutt grew sarcastic,- and then Mr. Wright angrily moved to report progress, a move that estciled sacrificing (he BUI. Mr. Wilford genially poured oil on the flame of his brother member's wrath, and it was »t this stage that the Minister for Railways, who had been studying the Order Pater, asked what Bill was befprc the committee. The Chairman of Committee looked a/fc his Order P&p6r, and sently rose to explain that somebody had blundered, and that the Committee was discussing the wrong Bill, so, as Mr. Wilford announced, ''everything tSat had transpired up t 0 that point hadn't happened!" CASE OP PROFESSOR VON ZEDUT2. The rather angry discussion that baa been proceeding here regarding tbe status of Professor Von Zedlitz, of Victoria College, is likely to be elosed bn the Alien Enemy Teachers Bill, of which the 'Prime Minister gave notice to-day. The ißill has not yet been brought down, hut I am informed it will provide that during the period of war persons o£ an enemy nationality may not hold pmitions as teachers in the schools or colleges of the Dominion. Mr Massey Indicated a week or two ago that he did not approve of the retention of flftrofessor von Zedlitz at Victoria Coll«e, and that if the Board of Governors took no action he would ask Parliament to deal with the matter. The Bill putsiii threat into practice. HRES CAUSED BY RAILWAY SPARKS. An old grievance regarding flics started by sparks from railway engines was discussed for half-an-liour by the House this afternon. The debate arcKe from the petition of ,a North Canterbury old age pensioner, whose little dwelling was destroyed by fire. The outbreak was due to a railway engine, 'bet the pensioner had allowed his to nestle in a mass of dry gorse, Which, extended to the railway boundary, gpnd the authorities took the view that a person who tempted fire in this wayvmuet not ask the Department to foot theSblll, Payment of compensation on 'aceomit of fires caused by sparks is a constant drain on the funds of. the {Railway (Department, and some members contend that it would lie economical to (It the engines with some device for arrestih* sparks. Probably the Department would think so too, if it had to pay all fanners p " sented to U aggrieved