PARLIAMENTARY GOSSIP.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIX, Issue 237, 3 October 1908, Page 9

PARLIAMENTARY GOSSIP.

(By Telegraph.—Pai-ia__ten,ta-y Reporter.) W__3_a__3_"_i_rDN, -Friday. KAIPARA CX-ALSTELDS. The Goldfields and Mines Committee has urged for .favourable consideration the petition of Josia. Hudson, and 47 others, that a sum of money be allocated, and that a competent geologist be appointed to report upon the coal outcrops at Kaipara flats, said to contain 96 per cent, of pure carbon. The committee r_eo__LT_<-_ds that a Government officer bo sent to report upon the coalfields as soon as one is available for the purpose. A __AISA_SGA_L_K__ PEEITION. Three hundred and twenty-nine property holders and ratepayers of Karangahake, M-tckaytown, and Raratu are petitioning through Mr Herries that the township be converted into a borongh, with over 2000 inhabitants. As the Prime Minister and the Hons. Jas. McGowan and J. A. Millar have assured the residents that their request is a reasonable one, they urge that a borough be declared at Karangahake, with an area of 2000 acres. A DYING SESSION. The end of the session is now in view, and Friday or Saturday next will See the fourth session of the sixteenth Parliament of New Zealand brought to a conclusion. Much work remains to be put through, but both Upper and Lower Houses intend to sit during the mornings as well as the afternoons and. evenings next week.. Loquacious members are losing no chances of speaking to their constituents through the records of the House, and electioneering speeches are made upon every possible occasion. The burden is beginning to tell, as was evidenced by the state of the House tonight, when upon resuming after the dinner adjournment, there were three m__abers only present, besides the Chairman of Committees. They were the Hons. Hall-Jones, the Hon. Guinness, and Mr C. H. Poole. The ringing of the lobby bell was resorted to before a quorum was obtained. NO MORE "RACE TRUCKS." In the House of Representatives tonight Mr Massey took strong exception to the lack of rolling stock in the North. He referred to the difficulties experienced by the Huntly coal mines, and. complained that on every public holiday the trucks were taken off the Huntly coal mines to convey passengers to EJlerslie races and elsewhere. This, ho said, ! was a grievous wrong, and seriously affected those employed in the Huntly mines. The Minister replied that the same difficulty would not be experienced in future, since the completion of the Main Trunk line meant that there would be no trouble in augmenting the rolling stock in the North whenever the occasion arose. a peculiar posecion. Ratepayers of the Thames borough i desire to have a municipal gas seT- I vice, and have endeavoured to engineer an authorisation bill through the House j of Representatives. 11l success bas foi- | lowed the attempt, however, and the bill has come back in a very mangled condition from the Local Bills Committee. Strong objection was taken to its passage by tlie Thames Gas Company (a private concern), and the Local Bills Committee endeavoured to throw tha measure out upon a technicality. This was circumvented by the Hon. Jas. McGowan, and the bill was recommended for further consideration. The next drawback was the presentation of the bill to the House a second time. With the real object of getting the measure knocked sky high instead of authorising the Thames Council to supply its own borough, it was so amended as to limit the authorisation to the supplying of gas within the limits beyond those vested in the existing private company. Interviewed this evening upon tho course of action be now proposed to follow, the Minister said (that, as tbe bill stood, it was admittedly'crippled, bnt when tbe measure came up for consideration in the House he would do his best to have the committee's recommendations struck out, and the bill put through intact. NORTHERN RAILWAYS. During the discussion upon the Public Works Estimates to-night, some interesting (references were made regarding northern railways. Mr Massey urged in regard to the Stratford-Ongarue line that the question of route at the Auckland end should bo settled as soon as possible, and that work should rapidly be commenced at both ends. The Hon. Hall-Jones interjected that surveys were already in hand. Mr Massey also urged a trial survey of tbe Waiuku line. The Minister said he expected that if surveyors were available the work would be carried out before tho end of the year. Mr Symes said that the route of the line to Ongarue had been laid off yeaTs ago, and many settlers had taken up land on the understanding that the route had been settled. If any deviation was now made, it would be a' great wrong to these people. Mr Henries spoke of the pleasure it afforded him to see that their had been an increased vote for the Gisborne railway as part of the East Coast lino. He was &lso glad to perceive that it had been definitely decided to authorise next year the carrying on of the WaihiTauranga sections. He advocated a speedy settlement of "the two termini, and also urged that the surveyors' report on the Mamaku-Te Puke route be presented. The Hon. Mr Hall-Jones pointed out that more men had recently been put on to the Gisborne construction. Mr Herries jocularly replied that tho elections were approaching. He was glad that the grant had been increased to £00,000, and hoped to see the line speedily pushed on to nrotu. Mr Lang also urged a comprehensive survey of the proposed routes whereby the East Coast line should junction with the Main Trunk. EXC_T_B_ENT AT POINT CHEVALIER. The member for Eden intends asking the Minister in charge of mental hospitals whether the Department has purchased ten acre 3 or thereabouts near Point Chevalier District School for the purpose of erecting buildings in connection with the Auckland mental hospital, Mr Bollard points out that parents whose children attend the school and property owners in the vicinity arc very much dissatisfied and excited over this •matter, seeing that already there are about 250 acres attached to this mental hospital. CHINESE. When the Immigration Restriction Bill was before the Legislative Council the Hon. J. Paul referred to the reported influx of Chinese into Now Zealand. Every boat was bringing in Chinese, and 90 arrived at Sydney the other day. They

were simply tumbling over each other to tranship to New Zealand, and he hoped the authorities "would exercise all the care possible to check any illegal traffic. The Attorney-General 6aid the spirit of this country was too well known to atlow of any_ other course than that referred to hy Mr Paul. He had not the figures by him, but he was under the impression that the number of Chinese in New Zealand had decreased in late years. LIGHTS ON THE COAST. The necessity for erecting a light at Whangarei Heads was advocated by Mr Mander whilst the lighthouse vote was under consideration in the House to- , night, mentiou also being made of the necessity for lighting the Hen and Chickens, whi-h, it was suggested, would have saved shipping fatalities of the past. The Minister for Marine explained that excavations in preparation for the erection of a lighthouse at Cape Brett were in progress, and he hoped to have the light ready in six or seven months. There was no need he said, for lights on the Hen and Chickens and Whangarei Head at the same time, for with a light on the latter point if a mariner could not clear the Hen and Chickens, then he was not fit to be in charge of a ship. With Mokohino and the new Cape Brett light, this portion of the coast was becoming very well illuminated. It was only a matter of time when Whangarei Heads would be provided for. Lights were being erected at Cape Brett and Tuahirere Point, Gisborne, this year, and he hoped that the policy of a new lighthouse every two years would be sanctioned by the Government until their coasts were fully illuminated. THE ETERNAL CHUT. Member after member demanded the expenditure of public money in his district during the debate to-night, and finally the Hon. T. Y. Duncan rose in protest against the reckless, constant claims for extravagance in connection with puhlic works, and particularly in connection with railway expenditure. : Mr. J. C. Thomson also objected to extravagant demands for luxuries. "The, railways are paying a profit of £800,000 a year," he said, "but that will not pay the interest on a capital cost of, £25,000,000, and the sooner the country ! understands the better." The Hon. W. Hall-Jones said that the i last speech had been a refreshing oneJ Every member seemed to be demanding expenditure, but the responsible Minister had to control the expenditure, and keep it" within the country's means. A sum of £50 for a verandah might not seem to be large, but such items amounted up. Tho object of the Government was to serve the parts of the country that most needed development. JOTTINGS. The opening of the Urewera Country for prospecting or mining is the subject of an inquiry to the Minister for Mines by Mr Herries. The placing of a second-class dining-car on the Auckland-Wellington express is being advocated by Mr Jennings.