PARLIAMENTARY GOSSIP.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIV, Issue 204, 27 August 1913, Page 6

PARLIAMENTARY GOSSIP.

NOTES FROM THE GALLERY. (By, Telegraph.—Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, Tuesday. MR DAVID JONES. "In the Public Trust Bill the Government proposes to create an Advisory Board of weven members, including two from, outside the, Public Sen-ice, appointed by the Governor-in-Couneil, at a salary of £250 each. Iβ this intended for Mr David Jones when he ceases to be. an organiser?" asked Mr Russell at the end of a critical committee speech thie afternoon. "Up to the present," continued Avon's representative, referring to the Reform organiser for the South Island, "he hns done absolutely nothing for his party. He made a holy mess of the Grey election, everybody knows. He hns put the whole of the West Coast permanently against them by saying tho Otira tunnel nnd State mine would be stopped if Mt Webb got in. No doubt he will shortly be got rid of. If so, is this £250 and expenses meant for Mr David Jones ?" Mr ft. McCallum moved to strike out nil references to the outside Board members. Fie regarded tho proposal ns a waste of £500 and travelling expenses. It was simply nn opportunity of bestowing favours on the Government's supporters. The Hon. A. L. Herdman declined to discuss tlw» references to his party organiser. He declared that the Public Trustee himself was of opinion that it would be valuable for the office to have the advantage of the assistance of men of commercial experience, one of them having n knowledge of agricultural mutters. The amendment was lost on the voices. DAYLIGHT SAVING. As the House is obviously not inclined to commit the country to a prolonged course oi daylight saving, Mr T. X.. Sidey, author of the bill, proposes to auk for a modest minimum. He is willing that the experiment shall ccaso at 2 a.m. on the iiret Sunday in February, 1914. A PENSION CALCULATION. The universal old age pension for New Zeahimlers would cost, according lo the pensions Department's calculations, £1,271,400 per annum. This would give a £20 pension to 48,000 people of the aj«e of t>s and over. PUBLIC SERVICE DISMISSALS. Tht> Hon. Mr Millar desires to obtain some information respecting recent dismissals from the Public Service. With this object he hae mov«d that there be laid before the House a return showing the total number of dismissal* made by the lhjblic Service Commh>sioners, such return to show iv detail: (1) The tobil number of disiniivalx in each department M-panitely; (2) the salaries paid to such officer*; (3) -whether euch officers were temporarily or permanently employed; (4) the reasons for euch dismissals; (5) tho total number of jippointincnts made by the Coznmiseioncr, each department to be shown separately; (6) the salaries (minimum and maximum) pnid to tmch officersi (7) whether permanent appointment* or not; and (8) the reasons for ituc-h appointments. OILS AS MINTSRALS. Mr Manifer wiidws tlu> Minister of Mines to amend the Mining Act of 1911 in the direction of reverting to the position when oils and kerosene were classed as minerals. LOAN KOR STATION BUILDINGS. Tho member for Timaru leadx » forlorn hop*> as the champion of those pioces in urgent need of improved railway stations. He ask.s the Government whether, in view of the grrat urgrncy for new railway stations and extensive alterations to railway stations, euoh a* are required at Auckland, Wellington, Timaru und other centre*, they will consider the advisability of submitting to Parliament this session a proposal for a special loan for that purpose. SUMMONSES FROM WARDEN'S COURT. ' Mr T. W. Rhode* asks the Minister of Mines whether when the Mining Act Amendment BUI is introduced ho will make provision so that the Debt Abolition Act may be applied to tho Warden's Court, so that judgnwnt summonses m*y be issued therefrom. EQUIPMENT QUESTIONS. Tho member for Hutt puts a question to tho Minister of Education. "What," asks Mr Wilford, "has been done with the 10,000 Glengarry caps, the 10,000 waist. beHs, the 10.000 pouches, the 10,000 haversacks, the 10,000 jereeys and the 10,000 model rifles which were recently purchased for the Junior Cadets, whether it is a fact that the jerseys, which cost about 3/10 each,,are being sold for 1/ each, and the model rifles, which cost about. 4/ each, havo in some cases been .burnt, and whether any oflicer in the Education Department has given authority for such rifles to be burnt?" Mr WiKord also wants to know whether authority has been given to any school teachers to sell and dispose of the Junior Cadet jerseys which were recenily purclnteed by the Crown nt a ocet, roughly, of X 1.017, and whether the proceeds of the sales of some of these jerseys have boon paid into the sports funds of certain schools instead of into tho Public Account, and, if so, who gave euch •authority? CONSUMPTION CURE. A imoddenr botanist, named Herbert Ckpham, of Auckland, claims to 'have practised with sticccse «i cuto for consumption, and hoe petitioned Pariisiment Hi rough Air. W. D. S. ATacDonald, asking that an olncial trial of his discovery shoajW be intule, and that 'he be relieved from any prosecution he anight be liable to for practising moddcine as an unregistered .practitioner if the demonstration is a sueeess. Petitioner wishes to 'be recpnppenscd by the State, and to havo the right to dispose of the secret in other countries. Extracts .from letters of .persons trcnU'd according to Glivphaiiu's method arc attached to tho petition, claiming thai benefit resulted, and seven thousand AucKlandors have signed a petition in support of Claipha-m's request. SOUTH MAIN TRUNK EXPENDITURE The Public Works Department 'has sii'hmit t<xl a return to Parliament, on Mr. SlcGaUum's motion, showing that the cost <t! thp Main Trunk line from Picton to Blenhewn was The section thencf in (including £22,216 for Awatere bridge) i % o>i £13(1.7-27. nnd from Sedd-on to Ward £14S.riS0. Additions to thp open lines (including .C 03,096 for new wharves at Pioton) have absorbed £60<."SS. and the cost of the VYaipara-PAWAeeUfI eoititrucUcm is set down at .£347,868.

PUBLIC TRUST REPORT. Before the Public Trust Office Amendment Bill ©merged from Committee tonight, Mr. Russctll 'brought forward once •more the question of aun'annual report to Parliament from the Public Trustee regarding "bho affaire of the office. The matter has been hamitoered at on several occasions in the course of the last few weeks, and to-night the member for Avon sought, t>y means of a clause in the bill, to make it a statutory obligation that ftuoh a report should be brought down in firfcure years. " I want this raport produced in evidence of the square deal," declared Mr. Russell, who proceeded to intimate hie knowledge of such a report .being in existence this year, but whdeh -was, he declared, being withhold for some reason by the Minister. Why should not a. re.port on tihis im- | portnnt office be presented eqiially with ! a railways Tc-port, a lands report, and other departmental reports. The Prime Minister said he thought the .inclusion of such n. clause was perfectly right. Tie perfectly agreed with the principle and spirit of the claAise. The proposal 'was adopter] on the voices. fJius practically settling a question which has exercised many members and ailroady occasioned a good deal of talk. TAKAPUXA POST OFFICE. A petition in favour of the location of the new Tak.apuna post office in Hurstinere Road, on a site somewhere between Halen Corner <iud the old post office at the corner of Katrine Street ami llur*timero Koad, has 'been signed by fiSO residents of the district, and pre.-ented to Parliament by Mr. Mac Donald. It is pointed out that t-lie site in Earnock Road, ii-pproved by the Department, ie a considerable distance from the business centre of the borough, and that as development proceeds it will become more and more lifeless for its purpose. DOMTxiox Miasms \xd RCIBKTIFTC WORKS.? The suggestions of n. Parliamentary lommittee i n regard to the control of the Dominion Museum and publication of scientific information are embodied in the Science mid Art Bill introduc»d by the Hon. F. M. B. Fisher. Tt provide? for the establishment of a Dominion Museum and a Dominion Art <sa.]]prj- in Wellington, undnr the control of a board consisting of the Minister of Internal Affairs, the Director of Oeological Surveys, the President of the Board of fiovcrnora of the New Zealand Institute, nn officer of the Department of Agriculture to he appointed by the Minister of Agriculture, the Government Printer, and two persona to be appointed by the Governor-in-Owncil, 1 each to hold office for three yearn from the date of his appointment. " The duty of the board will be to manage and control and direct the Museum and Art Gallery and the staff, to acquire (out of funds to -bo appropriated by Parliament for the purpose or through donations) articles, books, and doeumente of scientific, artistir, or historical interest, and works of art, and to control the publication of the Transactions of the New Zealand -Institutr." IRRIGATION AND WATER SI'PPLY. The Government to-day introduced a measure entitled the Irrigation and Water Supply Bill, under which the Minietof for Finance •is empowered to borrow- at n.rate of up to 4* per cent the mini of £100,000, which Sβ to be paid into a special account in the Public Works Fund for the purpose of promoting wnter supply and land settlement in arid districts. Tho bill will ,*pply particularly to OntroJ Otago.