POLITICAL JOTTINGS.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 9622, 15 October 1909, Page 7

POLITICAL JOTTINGS.

Mr H. G. Ell (Christchurch) has introduced a Bill to abolish the totalisator.

Through the Hon. Wi Pere, M.L.C., Parliament js being petitioned by Winiata te Whaaro and others for consideration of their claim to the Ruataniwha-Ruahine of land in the Hawke's Bay district.

"Benevolent legislation gone mad," wa<> the way in which Mr E. Newman referred in the House on Wednesday night to the laws dealing with the native lands. They had, he, said, resulted in the creation of a Maori aristocracy, a very bad thing.

Condemned cattle slaughtered and paid tor by the Agricultural Department last yesr were 2,941 in number, while six'lpigs also came under the ban. Full value of the destroyed animals was paid 'in the extent of £l4 10s, and £5,-027 in half value payments.

Mr Herdman will ask the Government whether they will introduce legislation which will give to boarding house keepers rights over lodgers' goods and chattels, similar to those possessed by innkjepersover the goods and chattels of their guests under the Licensing Act, 1908.

"The prosecutions in regard to moisture of butter in the Taranaki district are anything but a credit to the Department," said Mr OKey (Taranaki), in the course of his speech in the House on Wednesday. Mr Okey said that people whosebutter had .been graded first-class were afterwards prosecuted on- a charge that it contained over 16 per cent, of moisture. They had no chance to dispute the natter, for when the samples weve taken the Department did not send on a samplt to the persons concerned. After five months had elapsed, they were brought before the court, and by that time they were not able to oring evi dence to disprove the charge, and, therefore, had to plead guilty, by the advice of their solicitor. Mr | Okey referred to another case in which he claimed that there had been injustice, and urged that something should be done by the House so *hat the purchase of butter should not have to run the ridk of the butter being shipped Home with over 16 per cent, of moisture.

A number of local contributory authorities in the Wairarapa Hos pital District have petitioned the House to the effect tnat they viewed ■ with extreme disfavour the provision • under which the Wellington and Wairarapa hospital districts were , united for the purpose of charitable aid. They stated that, in addition to the usual claims for charitable aid., purposes, the Victoria Home for Incurables,an institution hitherto main- I tained by the Wellington Hospital Trust, was now included in the demand of the United District Board, thus seriously increasuu the financial burden they had to bear. It was believed by petitioners thac the home was worked as an adjunct to | the Wellington Hospital, with a view of relieving it from the care of cbrorvic cases, and that with regard to the payments made by the United District Board to kindred institutions situated in other parts of the Dominion, it would be found that an extremely small percentage of patients treated in either case could be traced as coming from, or having any connection with, the Wairarapa hospital district. The total payments to the, United District Charitable Aid Board from Wairarapa hospital district for ten years, ended March 31st, 1909, was £IB.OBB, which; together with subsidy, gave an aggregate of £36,176, whilst the amount received from the board during the same period for distribution in the Wairarapa hospital district was only £11,214. The petitioners added that they were fully prepared to undertake the charge of all their own sick and poor, and to pay for the treatment of those of them who might be received into institutions outside the district.