PARLIAMENTARY GOSSIP.

Auckland Star, Volume LI, Issue 241, 8 October 1920, Page 6

PARLIAMENTARY GOSSIP.

• .—: I NOTES FROM THE GAUbEBY. (By Telegraph.—Parliamentary Itenorter.) WELLINGTON, Thursday. RAILWAY CLASSIFICATION. "When will D 3 list be circulated?" is a familiar question in the House. Mr. G. Witty (Riccarton) was informed by Mr. Massey to-day that the Classification Bill, which must be first passed, will be in the hands of the law draughtsman within a few days. SHIPOWNERS INDICTED. "Has the Labour Department yet decided to act on the advice of .the Crown , Law Officers and prosecuted tho ship- , owners who were responsible for the lockout on the Wellington wharves in , connection with the unloading of the superphosphate boat?" asked Mr. P. • Fraser to-day. "The member is a bit too previous," replied Sir Wm. Herries. "The Law Officers have not advised jet that they are responsible." DENTAL BURSARIES. The fact that the State offers £50 bursaries to students ,of dentistry ought to be better advertised, declared the Minister of Health in the House today. The system was evolved so that students outside Otago would not be handicapped by the fact that the only dental school in' New Zealand is situated in Dunedin. At present twelve bursaries are held by South Islanders and eight, in the North. He. thought the system of selection should be re- , vised, so as to give a better geographical distribution of bursaries and more I selective power by the Health Department, which provided the money. Holders of bursaries were required to serve one year under the St;ite at a salary of £300. They would t>e mainly employed in the school of the Dental Department. MINING AMENDMENT i?ILL. Practically all the provisions .in the Mining Amendment Bill are of a technical, nature. It provides tha , , no water race licenses shall be surrender*-1 without precedent consent of the Minister of Mines, and confers upon the Crown the option of taking over a mining privilege , at the expiration of the term originally granted, subject to compensation being paid. A court Constituted for inquiring into accidents is given the risrht to order payment of costs by a mine manager, as an alternative to cancelling or suspending his certificate in the event of the accident being dun to his negligence. Clause 0 amends the loan provisions of the Mining Act so as to assist ' financially mining companies. The powers of the Minister of Mines -to STant gold dealers' licenses are. enlarged, it Jiavinj? been found that the existing law is defective. ' BILLS PASSED. Tn the Legislative Council the Tβ Aroha Crown Leases Bill and the Treaties of Peace Amendment Bill were put through their final stages and passed, as was also the Companies Amendment Bill. This measure gives dairy companies power to invest in allied industries, and provides a technical amendment regarding the reorganisation of the capital of companies in general. The Whakatanc Harbour Amendmput Bill was put through ite final staces and passed. In the House of Representatives the Westport Harbour Bill and Offenders Protection Bill were passed. THAMES HARBOUR LOAN. To-day the Local ißillg Committee reported to the Legislative Council that it had considered the Thames Harbour Board Loan and Empowering Bill, and had found that the Standing Orders had not been strictly complied with, inasmuch as the bill had not been open to public inspection at the Magistrate's Court at Thames for 21 days, but only for 18 days. The Hon. G. J. Garland moved: "That notwithstanding the failure to strictly comply with the Standing Orders the hill should be allowed to proceed." This was agreed to.