POLITICAL NOTES.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2676, 23 June 1894, Page 3

POLITICAL NOTES.

The Wellington correspondent of the Lyttelton Times says:— IMMIGRATION LAWS. Ministers have in contemplation a legislative measure dealing with the’ exclusion of undesirable immigrants, which is of such an important character that it will probably be mentioned iu the Governor’s speech. It is intended to double the present poll-tax on Chinese entering the colony, and a similar tax may be imposed on Assyrians, Afghans, or other colored aliens. Clauses, based upon the United States law, will be embodied in the Bill forbidding the ' bringing of contract laborers to the colony, and making ship-owners liable to 1 a penalty if they convey to the colony paupers, imbeciles, or cripples. It will 1 be a highly comprehensive Bill, and is ’ certain to give rise to much discussion. LABOB BILLS. These measures are ready for presentation. The first to be introduced will be ! those rejected last year, and these will, it : is expected, pass rapidly through the Lower House, and be sent to the Council J without going through the Labor Bills Committee again. The moat important 1 of the new proposals will be the Masters 1 and Apprentices Bill. It will, among ' other things,' deal with the case of girls i who, under existing conditions, are kept , at certain occupations for a year without wages, and then discharged before being * taught the trade properly. EDUCATIONAL LEGISLATION. ' The Minister informs me that three Bills of some importance will be intro- 1 dnced in connection with the Department i of Education, One will be the Endowed 1 Schools Bill of last year, and another the 1 School Attendance Bill. The third is to * effect an amendment of the Industrial Schools Act, so as to enable the depart- j ment to have more effective control of children between the ages of twelve and 1 fourteen years. Its effect will be to pre- { vent children rescued from evil influences J ' lapsing into the same again, and it will ■ also facilitate a great extension of the : boarding-out system as applied to such children. j