PARLIAMENTARY GOSSIP.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIII, Issue 214, 6 September 1912, Page 7

PARLIAMENTARY GOSSIP.

NOTES FROM THE GALLERY. (By Telegraph.—Parßamentarj Beportw.) WELLINGTON. Thursday. HIGH COMMISSIONER'S OFFICE. A -refcnrn was tabled to-day, to the order of Mr. Okcy. showing the number of persons attached to the High Commissioner's office in London, the duties of each officer, and the total cost to I the Dominrpjn for the year ended March ! 31, 1912. The return shows that 48 office© are employ in the office, the total cost of maintaining which was £9,241 for the year. CONSOUDATED FUND. A statement of the receipts and expenditure of the Consolidated Fund for I the five months ended August 81, 1912, shows that the ordinary revenue for the period was £3,729,583 3/3j Territorial revenue, £82,870 5/; National En- | dowments revenue, £69,413 19/7; and I other receipts, £82 4/; a total of £3.871,959 11/10, which, with a balance of £807,255 11/8 brought forward from April 1, 1912, reaches £4,679,235 3/6. The expenditure during the same period totalled £3,844,949 8/1, of which £1,603,37-3 16/9 were permanent appropriations, and £££41,575 11/4 annual appropriations, leaving a balance of £S34JJBS 15/5. The receipts for August totalled £783,394 12/11, and expenditure. £898,13S 6/3. "HANSARD." A ifew days ago members of the Houae urged the Government to place extra free copies of ''Hansard" at their disposal for circulation amongst their constituents. This afternoon the Minister in charge of the printing office informed the House tlta-t, 1,775 additional copies would cewt £18 per i*sue, or £540 for the thirty issues covering the whole session. No action was taken in the matter. NO iIECOMMENDATIOX. The Public Petitions Committee has no .recommendation to make on the petition of the Tarauaki Oil Wells, Ltd., for a refund of a portion of £1,200 stamp duty paid for transferring llv company. MINOR GOVERNMENT IiIUJH. Owing to the unexpected and lengthy discussion upon the subject of franchise as affecting local bodies, which lasted till 9.30, tlio Iloune did not reach the .Public Service Bill this evening. In deference to the wishes of members, the second reading of this measure was held over until next week. •Several minor Government bills were advanced, tin: second reading stage ineluding the Gold Duty Amendment I Bill (Hon. Mr. Fisher), a small technics! (amendment, relating to the Sweepings in manufacturing jeweller-; the Wnnganui Bridge Amendment (lion. Mr. Fraser); and the Waihou »nd Ohinvmuri Rivers Improvement Amendment (Hon. Mr. Fnaser). After putting the State Fire Insurance Amendment (Hon. Mr. Fisher) through its second reading, (he House rose at 11 p.m. TO EXTEND POWERS OF WARDENS. Mr. T. W. Rhodes (Thames) is anxious to know from the 'Minister of Mines whether provision .•will be made ill the Mining Act Amendment Bill, to be introduced this session, to allow judgment summonses to be issued and dealt with iby the Warden's Courts, so that wardens may be invested with similar powers i:i the direction indicated to the powers .held by stipendiary magistrates. TAILING SILTAGE. Mr. -il'oland (Ohinemurii m≤ given notice to ask the Minister of Public Works whether he will obUun a report from Mt. Young, engineer iv charge of the 'Waihou and Ohiiiemuri Kivers improvements works, of the alleged serious silting up of those rivers through the deposit of tailings from the Waibi-PaeToa Gold Extraction Works? ■DEEBNOE ATipokxts. Can the of Defence explain why only about throe sergeant-majors out of about twenty-eight were appointed under the new defence scheme to a higher commission, tlw* others being appointed from civilian* without ton? previous experience.? is a question which Mr. Wander ilias on tb<> order paper. THE SHCSRET BAUjOT. The member i or ,'Waikato wants to know from the M-mistor of l/abour whether he will this season introduce legislation which will provide for a secret ballot for the decision of import ant questions by •industrial unions of workers or by employers' association.-. "TO (EXTEND." Mr. Bradney wishes to know from the "Minister of Education whether he will see that in future scholarships won at Sacred Heart College and similar institutions reserve the same recognition as if they -were received at Grammar Schools V The member for Auckland West also asks the (Minister of Befe-nrn whether he is aware that territorials are «till in ■the various gaols of tlw Dominion, anil will lie give the House the assurance of their immediate release* JOTTINGS. A petition was presented -through the. Prime Minister on behalf of the, Otahuha ■branch of the Sports Protection League, asking that legislation be passed to extend the -number of racing days, and Co remove the prohibition against the publication of dividends. A lengthy petition was presented to the House this afternoon by the Prime Minister on behalf of Mr. Samuel Vailc, of Auckland, in which that gentleman once again asked the House to order. without farther delay, a. trial of the stage system ou.'our railway. lines. Mr. Voile asks that a trja-1 be made on that portion of the Auckland lines extending from Rotorua to Te Buna, comprising 247 miles, , "No recommendation," is the report of the M. to Z. Committee on the petition, of Ed ward Walter Ptickey, of Auckland, for fiirthec compensation for loss of office as a juisre of the Native Court. In the opinion. of the Ptibliu Petitions Committee, the prayer of John Wilks, of Auckland, for a grant of land for military services rendered, should be referred to the Government for inquiry.