PARLIAMENTARY GOSSIP.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIII, Issue 201, 22 August 1912, Page 7

PARLIAMENTARY GOSSIP.

NOTES FROM THE GAIXERT. (By Telegraph. —Parliamentary Repixter.) TOBIiIINCWON, "Wediaesaßy. THE MORMON GRIP. "Oan the iPrime Mrntoter fonaaiaitc some scheme this session to prevent the Mormons from inducing young pirle to join 'their relitfioin and go too Utah," asked tihe member !for WaiTani to-day. Mi. Massey replied that tlio matter woitld t>e r«fenr«d to the Comiiiussioaier of Polite f<iT repK>rt. and if it were found necessary steps would be 'taken with, iiie object of preventing tiny em>h practice as 'Urait referred t« in the question. in the House t<)-d)nA-. Mr. (MaoGaltam stated 'thai in bi» own district thejre were instances of ymmg pirls having 'been baptised by the Mormons, and ewenail had. gone to Utah. The question was much more sorrous than tie H-cnise otmceived.

TOW'N-PUANTSiING EXPERT. The question by Mr. 'Myers, asking whether iho Government would consider the. desirability of engaging an expert town-planner to assist local Irotlics desirous of adopting ii'inn; schemes, was answered this atturnoon by the Prime Minister, who said .the siifl'jrestion would receive <ureftil conration. If it were dearidod to toko act-ion, Mr. Maesey states that a pre'Hrmn&ry conference of experts a.nd local bodies mi«;ht be desira-rihs so as to wrrive at imitTially satisfa<*-tOTy conclusions 'before legislation Ls iatrovhwed or any expert town-planner cngagad.

OUR SCKNfC RESERVES. "1 am now looking into tin ■whole, i mailer -with a view to swing the pre-■ sent conditions, and -what improvements, lif any, can be made in the eystum under; !'which the. must important problems* of 1 iirrryt ry and weiiery preservation are i dealt with in New Zealand," s.tu,tcs the IVimo Minister in answer to a query | from Mr. <i. >L Thomson, -whether there < n"s any organised supervision of th« scenic ii.nd climatic reserve:* in the Do-' s . minion, whether any steps are taken to y r protect wad preserve the existing areas, Ia; ami -whether it is proposed to add to the j<j present reserves. I o< AX I/. ATTRACTIVE PROFESSION.! a 'The Government fully recognises the « need for t'ho payment of adequate _\ salaries to those -who arc engaged in the ;r important work of education," stales the < dMinister of Ed.wea.taon, in reply to Mr. I Witty. 'it will give consideration to q\ tibe subject in connection ■wilili other t< matters arizing out of Uhe Bduea/tiori ' c: Commission's report. Meantime i , - cl may bt> ius well to point out that dimiwr ci the la*t ten years the average salary of rl | t«M-.hf;ra in public suliools has risen 'by p> ■ M per cent, and the total paid -for public ■» school teachers' salaries ami allowances ■* [has imfrenW from £358.000 in 1S!M»-.'tl 1000 to WOii.OOO in 1010-1911. Of this el incrosj'o *.f £244.000 the. amount of: tl.")li.000 is due to increase in the rntee ? : of salary.' , I>iscusai-nff tliis -answer to-.' <1«-., Mr. Witty contend««d that in spite !re of' the bulk total quoted the average jla individual salary was so pmsUl tlhat the . n sen-iw Imd no" attraction for young st people. NATT\T-) TERKITOEJAIJ?. " ( Tlktp are 522 Maoris at prpsp-nt en- si rolled in the Territorial forces. A rotnxn ■-" to thU shows tihat there are. 40.")! f< Maori territorials in the Aiifkland, mili-, ''■ tan- distrk-l, 81 in WeHinpton (im-lud-l " :n£ Turanaki and HaAvke's Bay). 17 in j M (.'unterbuiry (inclnilinfr West-land, Ne.lson. ! rc iiivd Marlb<»ronj»li), and in in the (H-a-fro *"■ military ilistrki,. _ c - POrUJAKIiSiXC THE TKIiEIiIONK. " The autotnutic t<lcplion«- system is a courpletc BiKVess, so the Postmaster(.Jtmeral assut«l tlio House this afteriK«>n. He hoped at an early <tate to have Ui* system installed at least in. aJI the main centres. Speaking about slot tclcpltone.", i!:e Hon. Mt. Rhodes sta'Uvl t.lui.t at present they we-re limited t<j a comparatively short distance. \Yihen a sixpenny itrachim- was Invented—on<l tin* ' nonrplrtion of t)io same took some- time — ' he. ev|)ectf>d to be able to extend this B service into Oie siilmrba-n areas. He v hoped with the aid of the aaito- ' 1 ma lie tolepihoiie to be able to exteml I T I Hip <'h«ip nite radius, for it was only ( 1 will) the tuitomutk , telephone they could ' l do Unit. ' * ' MEDICATj Br*BPTDTR« FOR the ' BAt'KnUH'KS. The (iovernniont is not in fu.vmiT of i introducing l»>tri-iati.on that would lead i to ret-oit-striK-lion of ho-ijij.tal districts, |1 especiully ill fie direction of making I; thpDi smaller, and 'tlliereby unduly in- j t creajwitp the burden of local bodies in the immediate vfc-mity of the laTirer Hos- ' pitals of the Dominion-, (states the Hon. ■> H. >1. Khodes in -answer to the member, for Otaki. En'larginjr on the Biibj<vt in the House this afternoon, the Minis- " tw e»id that whilst they could not pro- ; j vide for maternity homes m the kickblocks, they were trainrnjf niiTse-s for service there. He amioum'ed that Qicrn would "be <>, sum on the Su'pplcm'en''iiry ' Estimates for subsidising those districts ' tliat -wer<> endeavouring to collect m'on^y; ' •from the settlers, etc., to pay for the; ' npkrep of a nnsrse, and also to er-a-ble j country settlers to obtain the services of '• a medical man. ! RECIPROCITY IN COMPENSATION*. Reciprocity In connection with Hie '. operation of the Workers' Coni-pe.nsation |' Act formed the subject of a question j in the TKvme of Sir Arthur Ouinm-ss in- 1 day. In the course of ■Ills reply, tihe Prime ■ Minister said that when otjier Australian States were prepared to make, pimilnr arrangements, the .'el ■would be Applied accordingly. T!ie .Vet cotLtemTrlnt-1 ed reciprorily with other countries, re-; marked Mr. MasseT. when discussing i various remarks that liad been made j by members on uhe above subject. ■Rμ!- ,- procity at present existed with Britain, Queensland, Western Australia, and South Australia, the latter Twing only recently. To make tneir Act apply to the -whole world was a big question, but he was prepiare<l to put hie Drrpattnwnt into communiiKition with the (rovemments of N>w South Wales ami Vir- ' toria. awl ask if they were willing to 3 consent to a. reciprocal arrii.nprment. He ' b.-lieted tlwur reply would be in the 1 a.ffirmative. If so, that would fret over [ the difficulty. 1 NORTHERN OYSTER BEDS. i As 'the Marine l><pan-tment is now i. working the nonthern oyster beds, it has ■~ been decided that no fuDther Jicensea be i- ; gra-uted ito private persons in the Bay of I Islands, but that ihc Dopa/rtme-nt itself | 'undertake tihe work of re-planting dc-1 ! pieced areas, is the answer given 'by the. t Hon. Mr. Fis-her Ho a question from the I. member for Ray of Islands. Mr. Reed expressed pleased surprise at d i learning that the Govern intended d; to go in for Ibhe cul.tivaiion of oyster c i beds in the Bay of Islands. Ho sail! L- I thougihit, it&wevcr, ithafc areas should be la-lloi-tcd ifor-^iivrte-ientßrpriee.

TJHiE DREAUNOOGBT PICTURE. In reply to a question by Mr. Bradray, itlhe Premier states that it is the intention of the Government to allow the New Zealand Dreadnought picture to be displayed at those art centres -which have adequate accommodation. PASSIVE RESISTTHRS AND CUSTODY. Replying to a question relating to the pmriabment of lads refusing Territorial Berviee, the Hon. Jas. Allen remarks that, the proposed emending defence legislation •will be Jntrod'U'eed at the earliest opportunity. Till this legiala■tion is passed "fclie laiw as; it. stands nrast be complied with, ,but it is hoped to make provision that anyone convicted, whether committed before or after the

eoramsncpDiMel of the Act (if passed), who makes default in payment of any ifrne, .may he fonrmitted it-o military custody. TONTLN'K POLICIES. In answer to a question from Air. Glover, the Minister of Customs say 3 tlia:t t.he <iovernm«nt does msi see any necessity to set up a (Special Ooimmittee •to take evidence in regard to the tontine policies of tire C'-oloniaJ Mutual 'Life Assurance Society (Limited). The matter was "considered by the Public Accounts <>>DTmitte<« in 1910, after full -inquiry, and ilt does not appear to the CroverirrrMTit 'that furt/her investigation would th4t>vr any mom liirlrt, on the subjftnt. A.s n'paTde the Kiigges-tion *hat the jrrM-vantT.s of ithe«> policy holders should bo remedied, if it is meant tltu. T.he (I-ove.rn-ment should iintrodui'e of it retrospect ive charafte.r dealing with these policy contracts, and giving t'hn iiolders a legal remedy which they do not now possess, tlhe lirwiernment re;*reU fhatit cannot see its way to adopt snvh a conrw.