PARLIAMENTARY GOSSIP.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 166, 13 July 1907, Page 7

PARLIAMENTARY GOSSIP.

' THE CGIjONY'S SHEEP. A SUBSTANTIAL INCREASE. (By Telegraph.—Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, Friday.

The approximate number of sheep in the colony on 30th April last is stated by a Parliamentary return to be 20,816,799, an increase of 843,821 on the figures for the previous year. The sheep were distributed through, the various districts as follows, the rigures for 1906 being given in parentheses: —Auckland, 765,896 (632,017); Napier-Gisborne, 5,013,266 (4,857,640); Wellington—West Coast, 4,933,518 (4,520.074); Marlborough —Nelson, 1,117,866 (1.048,567); Canterbury—Kaikoura, 5,126,400 (5,261,893); Otago, 3,859,763 (3.785/2 SO). WORKERS' DWELLINGS SCHEME. The money expended in acquiring land for workers' dwellings for the financial year 1906-7 was £658. The sum of £26,894 was expended in preparing the land and erecting dwellings out of Land for Settlements Fund, and £3,733 upon ordinary Cro-wn lands. Seventyone dwellings were erected, and fiftytwo were leased. The figures for the chief centres are Otahuhu and Ellerslie erected 20, leased 19; Petone, Wellington, erected 25. leased 17; Sydenham, Christchurch, erected 12,, leased 12; Windle, Dunedin, erected 14, leased 4. Reporting to the Minister for Labour Mr. J. Mackay, chief advisory officer •to the Board, reports that the style of the houses has been generally approved, and considerable astonishment has been expressed that such comfortable and pretentious houses could be erected for the-money and let at such low rentals. The scheme would, he was sure, .prove an unqualified success, provided the land selected be either in close proximiiy to the workers' employment, or the cost of transit was low from the .dwellings to .the centre of the city. la order that smaller houses, at a very low rental might ! he av&iiaihL- it was intended that some of the houses now to be erected should have three or four rooms, but be fitted with all modern conveniences, including the hot water system. They would, however, be less ornamental outside. Great difficulty, lie added, was experienced in getting suitable land close to Wellington city. Mr. J. E. March, inspector and supervisor, reports: "The class of tenants throughout the colony is very good, and many express gratitude for what the Government has done for them in this direction." There were no arrears of rent on 31st March. SOUTH AFRICAN PREFERENCE. AUCKLAND INDUSTRY PREJUDICED The ostrich feather indastry, in which Auckland holds a monopoly so far as New Zealand is concerned, came under notice f when the South African Reciprocal Treaty was ratified by Parliament today. The treaty permits South. African feathers to be imported at a duty of 15 per cent, as compared with, the ordinary tariff of 25 per cent, but the Leader of the Opposition took exception to this favourable treatment, because it prejudiced the Auckland ostrich farmers, who estatilished their industry when ostriches were subject to an export duty of £100 per head. The industry had scarcely got on its feet when some of the protection, was withdrawn. This was one of the curses of a protecth=e tariff, that as soon as people were induced to put money into an industry down, came the tariff. Mr Hemes (Bay of Plenty) said that the feathers had to be sent Home to be dressed, and had to bear a duty when they returned. He hoped to see this anomaly removed when the tariff was amended. The Premier said ha endeavoured to leave out feathers from the treaty, but this would not be accepted by the South African Government. He had made inquiries into the position of the local industry, and had found that it did not produce sufficient feathers for the trade, and they had to be imported. COMPETITION TN THE BUTTER TRADE. - A very significant statement regarding the butter industry was made by the Hon. J. A. Millar, Minister for Labour, when speaking- last night on the South African Reciprocal Treaty, under which New Zealand butter will receive preferential treatment. He said that, accordins , to what the butter experts had told him, it would only be, a short time before the Argentine butter would hold its own in the English market. Siberia was also rapidly coming to the front as a butter producer. The colony should therefore endeavour to find its alternative markets before the contingencies happened. It was quite possible that arrangements could be made by which New Zealand would hold a fair amount of the trade with South Africa. KAIPAEA MATTERS. The Minister, for. Telegraphs (Dr. Findlay) has informed Mr Stallworthy that instructions have been given for a .portable sound proof telephone box to be built and fixed in the Kaipara flats office as soon as possible. Replying to a complaint from Aranga, beyond Kaihu, the, Minister of Lands has informed Mr Stallworchy that eleven sections of 2795 acres have* been passed for opening, and will be scheduled this week. The balance of the area is covered with heavy milling timber, including over one million feet of;.kauri, and this' area cannot be opened the milling timber, has been disposed of." This_area is outside the 2795 acres which is being scheduled -t.hi> week .for Gazette notice.