PARLIAMENTARY GOSSIP.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXV, Issue 250, 19 October 1904, Page 5

PARLIAMENTARY GOSSIP.

(By Telegraph.—Parliamentary Reporter.' WELLINGTON, this day. STRUCK OFF. The Petroleum Mining State Coal Mines, Coroners, and Evidence Bills ; •were struck off the Order Paper yesterday. ■ THE HIGH COMMISSIONERSHIP. Mr. T. E. Taylor gave notice of an | amendment to the High Commission Bill yesterday with the object of providing that the High. Commissioner shall cease ■ to hold office if he joins the directorate of any bank or the board of any public company or trading concern, whether incorporated or not. He also pro- j poses to reduce the tenure' of office from live years to three. PUBLIC OFFICERS. The Premier will to-day introduce the Public OfSeers Act Amendment Bill, separating the offices of Valuer-General and Commissioner of Taxes. MR, MUELLER'S PENSION. Acting on the recommendation - of the i Petitions Committee, the Government j has introduced a bill enabling Mr. Ger- | bard Mueller, formerly Commissioner of i ! Crown Lands at Auckland, to. receive a j pension for his full period of service, he having been disqualified for receiving a j pension owing to the fact that he was jin the service of the Westland Provin- | cial Council, although he had been in- j formed when accepting office on behalf of the Westland Province that his right i to a pension would not be interfered with. KAURI TIMBER, Mr. Alison is to ask the Minister for I Lands whether his attention has been I drawn to a sub-leader which appeared in the "Auckland Star" of October 11, in which it is stated, "'That the Government gave a block of forest land to a tenderer at 6d per 100 ft less than was offered by another bona fide tenderer carrying on milling operations in the same district. This meant a cash loss to the Treasury of about £ 1000, and an unfair subsidy to that amount to one timber company against another;" and whether in view of such statement he will so alter the system of disposal of standing timber on Crown lands that the present dissatisfaction and grave charges of Ministerial favouritism both in respect of allotment of biiohes and realisation of same may be dispelled, and the public revenue and public rights bs fully and fairly protected by the law being so administered that whilst conserving the public rights and interest, valuable forests shall be made to realise the'full market price and be "allotted in such manner as may secure the maintenance of lair business competition and equitable treatment being extended towards each applicant? THE LIQUOR BILL. If the progress made by the Legislative Council with the Licensing Bill during the afternoon and evening may be taken as a criterion the bill will go through Committee without material amendment During the preliminary stages of the proceedings there was a disposition on the part of. a select few of the Councillors to resent the Attor-ney-General's suggestion that the bill should be tenderly handled on account of the feelings of the Lower Chamber, but it was very soon apparent! that the Government was to get its way practically unchallenged. LOANS. The New Zealand Loans Bill was brought before the House last night and read a first time. The Leader of the Opposition asked the Premier if it referred only to colonial loans, and, if" so, what rate of interest was proposed. The Premier repl'ed that it merely provided the machinery for raising all loans. At present every time the Government brought in a Loan Bill the whole of the machinery had to be reenacted; but if this b'll were passed a Loan Bill would merely consist of one clause settling the* amount and the rate of interest. One feature of the bill is that it specifically authorises the raising of the whole or/part of a loan from any Government fund or account. PUBLIC OFFICERS' SALARIES. In accordance with notice previously given, the Premier last night brought down the Public Officers Appointment and Powers Bill, separating the officers formerly held by Mr John McGowan as Commissioner of Taxes and ValuerGeneral. AMMUNITION SUPPLY. A bill was introduced by Governor's Message last night empowering the Gover.iraent to enter into contracts with any person in New Zealand or elsewhere for the manufacture or supply of ammunition for the defence forces of New Zealand. The 'term of the contract shall not exceed five years; but to ensure continuity of supply the Government may, during tho last year of the contract, enter into a fresh contract with the same or any other contractor for a period of five years for the purposes of the contract. The Govern- . ment may grant the contractor, as a site for h : s works, a lease of any area of Crown lands not exceeding ten acres, at such rental and on such terms as may be thought fit. PREFERENTIAL TRADE. . According to a return laid on the table of the House the total extra duties collected under the Preferential Trade Act up tt> June 30 amounted to £ 13,845 14/, while the duty remitted on tea totalled £29,850 13/4. The principal items of increase were candles, £915; carriages, perambulators, etc., £487 14/; cream of tartar, £478 4/1; fancy goods and toys £1397 17/1; furnture, : £610; hardware, £1268 1/7; glassware, £49.6 10/8; nails, £507 15/7; lamps, £560 15/1; pianos, £1194; gas and oil engines, £235S 4/10; surgieai instruments, £ 5759. JOTTINGS. Mr Alison is to ask the Minister of Public Health what is the reason why the Government decline to grant any subsidy towards the maintenance of a doctor on the Great Barrier Island. Messrs Rosser. Caldwell and F. M. King have arrived' in Wellington for the purpose of giving evidence before the Commerce Committee on the Shoddy Bill. Mr Rosser, representing the Trades Council, will oppose the proposal on behalf of the workers, and Messrs Caldwell and King for the merchants and clothiers. Mr Kirkbride has presented a petition, to the House from C. H. S: McKinney, urging that the fine of £]£0 im- ' posed on him for dummying in connec- | tion with a land ballot was excessive, j and praying that the whole, or a large portion of it, be remitted.