PARLIAMENTARY

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XVI, Issue 5136, 21 September 1895, Page 3

PARLIAMENTARY

JOTTINGS, Mr Ward says many of the patent medicines brought into Now Zealand are rubbish and they are bolstered up by stereo-advertisements which certain papers in want of matter, put in •j! at excessively low rates. lj|| Mr Button ouco conducted a law- '• suit respecting certain much-adver-tised American pills, when it transpired that the pills cost is a pound in London and wore sold at Is Gd per box of 50 here. Inspiteof their much-vaunted qualities, tlioy wero common aperient pills.-Mr It. Thompsou says the price was £4 a ton! A eertain mnch-adverliscd quack medicine consists of sulphuric acid and water. One medical journal once said it did not know what ft humanity had done that theinyentor should have left his tomato patch to make" medicine" for it. MrTanner considers that to remove the anomalies which have been causing friction between the soft goods trade and the Customs for years, all cotton goods should either have a uniform duty or be exempt The Treasurer says tho imposition of a license fee on Customs agents is meant to protect honest importers, Mr G. ,1. Smith thinks presently a fflicenso fee will be imposed on every ™,in for leavo to carry on his business. Mr Dutliie says as Customs agents havo already to find bonds to -tho Customs, the Customs has all the; control it should require. Mr Shannon, the Customs soft goods expert, supplied the Colonial Treasurer with object-lessons as to anomalies in the tariff by producing a number of samples of highly ornate cotton goods, variously described, which wero hauded round the House. Mr Hall thinks tho licensing of Customs agents will be hailed with pleasure, as a guarantee to country dealers. Mr G. W. Russell .says Mr Hall persists in talking of what he does not understand, as Customs agents already enter into a bond of £2OO and sureties for integrity. Mr Hogg, defending Mr Hall, accuses the member for Riccarton of resembling " a barrel organ."

Mr Scobio Mackenzie revisited his old haunts during the Customs discussion as 'a-distinguished stranger,' f( is to be in Wellington a week. A member—" Government should have left the Tariff alone." The Ministerfor Lands,fervently—"Hear, bear." Capt, Russell, Messrs G. J. Smith, Montgomery and others, strongly objected on Thursday to the inclusion of amendments of the Customs Consolidated Act in an Excise Bill. "The panjandrum of the now Liboral Party,"--Mr Hogg on Mr Earnshaw, Mr Hogg is under the impression that carraway seeds, gelatine, and chilies aro not produced in the colony. Mr Pirani enlightens him as to the first item, and anyone acquainted with the by-products of tho frozen meat trade could enlighten him as to the second. " That's a raw product," said Mv Earnshaw on Thursday night, interrupting Mr Crowther," If I were to express my own opinion I would say that the lion, member is a very raw product," was the Aucklander's reHall's stonewalling attempts the other night have madehisoratory decidedly unpopular, especially us he lias shown a tendency to loquacity of late. On Friday morning on attempting a speech to a weary House he was met by cries of desist, " I'm in favour of this," said he at one stage. " Then dry up, or you'll lose it," cried one member, with more emphasis than politeness, and the House applauded the interruption warmly. MrT. Mackenzie says there aro jam-makers in New Zealand who will give twice as much for New Zealand raspberries as for Australian, yet cannot get them. Mr Graham says this is not so in Nelson, but Mr Pirani says Mr Graham's statement isn't borneout by the Nelson evidence before the Tariff Commission. The chief items of revenue under the Customs duties were Bpirits(£2ll,l2s)andtea (£lo3,ltilj. The now duties propose an increase of £II,OOO on the first and a decrease of £31,000 on the last, and of £l,lOO on raw coffee, which now brings in further revenue of £B,OOO from cotton piece goods (which already brings in £14,406) is estimated under the now proposals, and an additional impost of £2,500 on boots and shoes is contemplated —they already return £27,000. Tho new match duties aro estimated to result in £4OOO of decrease. The total increases aro estimated at £64,500, and decreases at £41,000.

The Colonial Treasurer had introduced an amendment to the Rating Act which brings under the definition of "rateable property" all native lands vested in tho Public Trustee under tho West Coast Settlement Rcseryes Act, So much of them as are occupied by others than natives are to bo rated for all rates at full value, but those of the lands occupied by natives or unoccupied (not being situated within a borough) will be liable to rating only one-half any rate struck, and will not be liable to any special rate. The Public Trustee is only to be liable for rates on these lands up to the amount of funds in his hands. Other amendments proposed make native lands over which Iwpeans have timber rights liable to rating. Where a building has been vacant for not less than six mouths in the rating year, whether continuously or not, it is to be only liable for half rates—EnnimjPost.