PARLIAMENTARY GOSSIP.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 163, 10 July 1907, Page 3

PARLIAMENTARY GOSSIP.

(By Telegraph—Parliamentary Reporter.)

WELLINGTON, Tuesday. NORTH AUOKLANp'S WANTS.

I understand that a small deputation will shortly interview the Premier, to place before him several matters having an important bearing on the North Auckland area. Chief among them are the extension of the railway from Kawakawa northwards towards Hokianga, and an amendment to the Local Governing Act, giving greater borrowing powers to county councils. A HOUSING CONFERENCE. The Government has decided that the High Commissioner shall represent Xew Zealand at the International Housing % be c h6ld in London month The Conference will be attended by delegates from practically all the civilised countries of Europe, and its objec « to study the problems connected with the housing of the working classes. An exhibition of dwellings is to bs held on a plot of land near Sheffield, and about fifty entries have been received. The idea is to determine which are the cheapest and most signtly and efficient methods of construction. An illustrated booklet, dealing with the New Zealand Workers Dwellings 4ct and Advances to porkers' Act, has been prepared by the Department of Labour, and will be circulated at the Conference. MR MANDER'S LITTLE SUM. The member for Marsden (Mr. Mander) produced some startling information as to what would happen to a banking account into which a sovereign was placed year after yea r for the period covered by the per petual lease. He had referred the calculations to a Government actuary, to whom he expressed his obligations. The answery to the query, what will the investment of a sovereign per annum at 5 per cent compound interest produce in 999 years, was reported by the actuary to be toe nice little nest. egg of 30,620 trillions sterling The moral of the calculation, as applied by Mr Mander, is that if the Government sold its land right out, the proceeds invested would produce many millions more to the State than could be secured by the ordinary increase in land values during the period of 999 years. SLOW KAIPARA TRAINS. Representations were madie to the Hon. Geo. Fowlds at Helensville recently, urging the provision of faster trains on the Kaipara line. Mr. J. Stallworthy, member for the district, has been informed by the Hon. R. McNab that the business does not warrant the Tunning of faster. trains, and the Minister therefore cannot see his way to grant the revest. He concludes: When the traffic increases sufficiently to warrant the separation of the goods and passenger services, I shall be glad to give the matter further consideration, but in the meantime it is not possible to accelerate the running of the trainswhich have to stop at all stations and perform shunting and other work en route. "AUCKLAND RAILWAYS. In- the course of the report of the Railways Department, it was stated that the Auckland section showed an increase of £58,252 in the year's revenue, which totalled £392,345, made up as follows: — Passengers £121,033. increase £11,146; season tickets £11,862, increase £19431 parcels £21,377, increase £1587; live and goods. £230,486, increase £42,502; miscellaneous £7588, increase £1074. Timber increased by 15.310 tons, coal by over 20,000. tons, while butter exported from Onehunga totalled 3904 tons, an increase of 723 tons. The report states that the floods in January caused a serious .dislocation of business for some time after the lines were availahle after the interruption. Dealing with the North Auckland sections, it is shown that the revenue on the Whangarei line was £26,927, an increase of £1274, the timber traffic having increased by over 5000 tons, and coal by over 2000 tons, both passenger and goods traffic being ■-> well maintained. On the Kawakawa line the revenue was £1935, an increase of £135, passenger business having declined slightly, but the goods traffic showed a small increase. The exhaustion of the timber supply adjoining the Dargaville-Kaihu rail-way was responsible for the diminution of £'1355 in the revenue, which amounted to £5218. HON. W. HALL-JONES.

The Speaker of the House of Representatives announced the receipt of a telegram from the v.on. W. Hall-Jones, thanking the House for its expression of sympathy, tendered by resolution on the sth inst. He hoped the voyage and rest would result in complete restoration to health. On the motion of Sir j. G. Ward, it was resolved to allow tne telegram to lie on the table, and be included in the records of the House. THE POLICE REPORT. The strength of the police force is shown in the annual report of the Department to be 699, an increase of 32 during the year. The criminal statistics show an aggregate net increase of 911. The number ol offences in the different districts was as follows:—Auckland, 50SS; Napier, 2010; Wanganui, 2339; Wellington, 4872; Greymouth, 533; Christehurch, 3209; Dunedin, 1556; Invercargill, 625. Convictions for drunkenness in the principal centres were as follows: —Auckland and suburbs. 1231; Wellington and suburbs, 1908; Christehurch and suburbs, 572; Dunedin and suburbs, 374. Sunday-trading is stated to more prevalent in Auckland and Wellington districts than in the other centres. There were 145 prosecutions during the year for sly grog-selling, resulting in 113 convictions. The amounts of fines imposed on sly grog-sellers in the various districts were as follows: —Auckland, £615; Napier, £-5; Wanganui, £142; Wellington, £73; Christehurch, £234; Dunedin, £350; Invercargill, £300.

Inspector Cullen, reporting on the Auckland district, mentions the opening of new stations at Epsom, Morrinsville, and Raurimu. A decrease was shown in almost all the serious classes of offences, except sexual ones, in which there had been a very marked increase. The conduct of the senior members of the force had been good, but that of some of the juniors quite the reverse. LAND TAX. During the year ended March 31, 1906, the amount of land tax collected from lands held under lease from the Crown was £ 1702. A return presented by the Premier shows the loss of graduated land tax in the various counties caused by the sub-division of estates among relatives of owners for the twelve years, 1895-1906-7. VALUATION DEPARTMENT. The report of the Government Land Valuation Department for tne past year shows the expenditure to have been '£30,197, of which £13,817 was paid in salaries, £7990 for clerical ass—tanee, and £1124 for fees-to valuers, —iter making

all deductions, the net cost--ofi_ie-De-partment was £7679.. JOTTINGS. The settlers at Matakoke district, being anxious to secure fhe removal oi the Post Office to the main road, offered a site free to the Government. air. John Stallworthy brought the matter before the notice of the PostmasterGeneral, who agrees to make the desired change, if the settlers will provide a site not less than- 40ft. frontace by SOft. deDth. '

The Police, State Fire Insurance Department, Railways and Post and Telegraph reports were laid on the table today.

The Representation Commission report has aroused a good, deal of feeling in the South, states Mr. J as . Allen (Bruce), and he is anxious to have an opportunity of discussing the matter in the House.