PARLIAMENTARY GOSSIP.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVII, Issue 225, 20 September 1906, Page 3

PARLIAMENTARY GOSSIP.

(By Telegraph.—Parliamentary Reporter.) W_-_L_N<3TON, this day. MAORI LANDS. •An interesting return relating to unproductive native land in tbe North Island has been laid on the table of the Legislative Council. The total area of native land in the North occupied or unoccupied, is 7,479,602 acres, and the area unproductive is 2,870,718 acres, distributed as follows: Auckland (total area 4,006,670, including 225,300 acres of barren useless land), unproductive 1,115,087 acres; Hawke's Bay, 1,----420,295, unproductive 472,592; Taranaki, 087,549. unproductive 482,710; Wellington. 1,365,088, unproductive 800,329 acres. There are 58,028 owners interested in tlie native lands of Auckland Province, and it is estimated that the area includes 1.571,974 acres of forest. There are 443 blocks of over a thousand acres, and the area returned as quite unfit for settlement is over 1,242,580 aores. Much of the remainder is described as suitable only for grazing runs. REFORM OF THE DRUNKARD. A legislative attempt to reform habitual drunkards is to be made if the Habitual Drunkards Bill, introduced by the Hon. Jas. McOowan, becomes law. Habitual drunkards, upon conviction, may be committed for a period of not less than a year to an institution authorised to detain habitual inebriates. An habitual drunkard is described in the bill as a person who has been convicted three times of drunkenness within six months, or of the breach of a prohibition order. Any person who escapes from the institution during his period of detention is liable to be retaken and dealt with as provided in the case of escapes from lawful custody. ESCAPES FROM WAIOTAPU. "I am aware that prisoners hare occasionally escaped from Wniotapu pri son," replied the Minister for Justice to a question by Mr Herries, but 1 cannot agree with the lion, gentleman in classing them as dangerous, for the reason that no prisoners who arc classified by the prison authorities as "dangerous" ore drafted to tbe tree planting camps. 1 may also point out that the es-rapces have invariably been recaptured almost immediately, and in no instance has any serious crime- been committed while they were, at large. In order, however, to reduce any risk there may be with regard to these prisons to. a minimum 1 have reiterated my instructions to the Inspector of Prisons to see that only those prisoners who are first offenders, or who have proved by their behaviour that they are unlikely to cause trouble arc transferred to Waiotapu and other treeplanting camps. CADET CAMP AT CTTRTSTCHURCH. In explaining why the Government had declined to sanction the proposal to form a cadet camp at Christchurch Exhibition, the Minister for Education (Hon. George Fowlds) stated that the net cost would be at least £6565, and as to the advantage to be gained from such a large expenditure it was not clear what advantage the cadets, as cadets, would derive from the trip, although it was possible that their presence in the camp might form an'additional attraction to the Exhibition.

TE AROHA RAILWAY STATION. The Minister for Railways, questioned by Mr Poland, states that tbe existing railway station at Te Aroha provides reasonable accommodation for the business that ha-s to be dealt with 4 and in view oi the fact that a new station will have to be erected within a comparatively short period, it is not considered that the circumstances are such as to warrant the expenditure of a considerable sum of money in making improvement to a structure that must sooner or later be demolished and replaced by an up-to-date building. CONTROL OF THE FORCES. The question whether a Commandant for the New Zealand Defence Forces or whether a Military Council should be appointed is at present engaging the serious attention of the Government. In either case, states the Minister for Defence, the policy of the Government will be to see that the services of highlytrained military experts are secured'for particular branches of servnce. WORKERS' DWELLINGS. The. Minister for Labour has introduced an amending bill to the Workers Dwellings Act. It proposes to enlarge the scope of that measure by providing that the definition of workers shall be one in receipt of not more than £200 a year, instead of £156, as at present. It was read a first time in the House yesterday. A PENSIONER'S TROUBLE. The member for Ohinemuri (Mr Poland) read a paragraph from the "Auckland Star" to-day. It described the disappointment of an old man whose pension had been stopped because of hia inebriety, and had evidently been instrumental in causing the member to ask the Minister in charge of old age pensions whether he will amend the Old Age Pensions Act so that a pensioner who has had the misfortune to give way to insobriety d_ not so severely punished as to be deprived of his pension for five years. JOTTINGS. inquiries are being made to see if a more frequent mail service between Auckland and Northern Wairoa than thrice weekly can be carried out at a reasonable cost. Mr Hemes has been informed that a trial survey of the Mainaku-Te Puke railway route will be made as soon as an officer is available. The Minister for Public Works informed Mr Ell that it is not proposed to construct the North Island-East Coast railway at present. Mr Baume has withdrawn his Juvenile Offenders Bill in consequence of the progress of the Government measure dealing with the same matter. Mr Kidd gave notice to-day to introduce the Auckland Girls' ' Gram-mar School Bin to pro-ride for the transfer from the Education Board to the Grammar School Board of the proposed site of tbe Girls' High School, in HoweI street.