PARLIAMENTARY NOTES.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XV, Issue 4758, 27 June 1894, Page 3

PARLIAMENTARY NOTES.

>• . RAILWAY CONTROL. j .rAlargo iinmbor of • tho how mem- j bers express themselves as in favour j of a reversion to Stato control of tho | railways. As is woll-known, Sir j , Bobort ; Stout holds tliis viow, so that j thero is' likoly to bo a strong party in - favour.of a return to the old order of • things, ■ • I TUR TAIKUI SMUfIOUXO CASK, • The" Minister loit Marino has in- ] x formed Messrs Joyce and McNab, who ( Jjtolaihedvto him. tlio circumstances tliatjio would remit the fines iSjjrtTtm the chief steward and officorof the Tainni, for having ; ■ a quantity of cigars on which duty had not been 'paid. ' Ho will also ret™ tho goods seizod. Tlio Ministor was assured that the cigars wcro purchased by the 'officers at Tonoriffe for theirown übo, and wcro never intended for sale. 'They openly informed the Customs officers that they had them in their possession, and no ■ concealment of any kind was attempted. ' Messrs Brown and Dean ■ acted hero for tho officers and others concerned. FRIENDLY SOCIKTIKS. The annual report of tho Registrar of Friendly Societies shows that in 1880-1 thero was a marked rise as compared with the experiences of • former years, in the per centage of members sick and tho average dura- ■ tion of sickness. This was attributed to thoinfluenza epidemic. 111 1892 both averages showed a further increase which is difficult to account . for, as the epidemic had abated un-■-tes the acute sickness was duo to jifcic weakness left by tho influenza, The admission of women to friondlyltoilmes is being gradually extended. A comparison of the aotnal and expected sickness of all societies valned showed a total sickness.less than tho expectation by 3 cent., but whon tlio sickness was analysed, the experience of those lodges established more than 20 years was found to be higher than the expectation by 9 per cent., and, of those establised 30 years 27 per cent, Tho sickness of members under 40 years of age was light, but tho sickness of members above that age was about 20 per cent, greater that expectation, The average sickness per death among New Zealand societies ns compared with the English experience was shown to be very hit*h, the least difference for any quinquennial period being 14 per cent, and the greatest 157 per cent,—tost.