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Press, Volume LIII, Issue 9458, 2 July 1896, Page 5

(Bit Ib-EGraph.) (from our special corrbsbosdeni.) WELLINGTON, July 1. LOCAL BOARDS RIfiFORM.

An important and far-reachiug measure to reform the constitution of certain local Boards aud administrative bodies, by providing that all the members shall be elected by the people, has been introduced by the Hon. VV. Hail-Jones. The Bill is entitled the Local Bodies Constitution Reform Bill. The term "Local Board" means (1) Hospital Boards, Aid Boards, Hospital and Charitable Aid Boards aud Trustee- of incorporated institutions constituted under the Hospitals and Charitable Institutions Act, 1885 ; (i_)" River Boards constituted under tho tUver Boards Act, 1884; (3) Harbour Boards constituted under the Harbourß Act, 1873. or auy other general, special, or local Aot. The term also includes any other governing body, whioh.the Governor may ueclare to be subject to tho Act. The Bill provides that in every case where, by auy Act ii ia proved ll) thai, any local authority shall decs a member of a local Board, or (2) that the Chairman or Mayor of local authority shall by virtue of his office be a member of a local body, such member shall henceforth be elected by the persons who are entitled suoii local-authorities. Where any suun local authority elects more than ouo member of auy ioc_l Board the district of (suoii local authority shall be subdivided into as many subdivisions as there are members to be elected, and the electors within each sub-division shall elect oue member. The boundaries of each subdivision shall be gazetted, and the local authority shall compile a separate roll of the electors within each sub-division. Every election pursuant to this Act shall be held iv the same manner as in the case of member, of trie locsl authority. Then follow special provisions as to Eduo-tion Boards, as under— The members of Education Boards shall be elected by those who aie entitled to eleot the School Committees, and for that purpose each Education District shall be sub. divided iuto nine subdivisions, and the el-clors within each subdivision shall elect one member. Every election shall bo held iv the manner prescribed by the School "Committees Election Act, 189 J. In case of an ordinary vacancy the election of a member of the Board shall be held in each subdivision simultaneously with the elections of members of the School Committees, and by the same meetings of electors. In the case of an extraordinary vacancy, the eleotion shall be held at such time aud place as the Board thinks fie. No person shall be eligible for election uuless be. has beeu nominate! in writing at least fourteen days before the date on which the election is to bj held. All existing and futute members of the Board shall continue in office until the 15th day of May, and shall ia ordinary course retire ou tnat day in lieu of the 31so day of March, as provided by section 15 of the Education Act, 1877, aud ou their retirement their successors shall take office. Under the heading " general " the following provisions occur:—At every meeting of any local Board or EducaCiou Board ut whicn the Chairman is to be elected, the Secretary shall preside for the election, aud shall have a'oasting vote in tho event of equality of voting, but Bball not have a deliberative vote. AU Acts .which are in auy way in conflict with this Act are modified or repealed in so far as the confliction exists, but not further. " HANSARD "APPOINTMENTS. It is stated that the Premier interviewed Mr Speaker regarding Hansard the other day, stating that the amanuensis system had broken down, and that he wished to make' three .'more ■ appointments - to the Hansard -U*ff. It is understood that the new men were to be Messrs Jas. Gray (oue of the Premier's Secretaries), F. Hyde (late Secretary to the ex-Colonial Treasurer), and A. M. Kay (at present acting ---as- asswtaut reporter).". The Speakerj" however, refused to meet Mir Seddou in the matter till it had beeu considered and a recommendation mad. by the Reporting and Debates Committee. Tho latter, in accordance with a recommendation; from the Chief Reporter oi Hansard, have recommended that th« system of employing amanuenses should be aboliahed, and that three additional Ha?isa.'d reporters should be appointed on probation. AMENDING THE SHIPPING LAWS. The Government are taking charge of a Bill to further amend the law relating tc shipping aud seamen. The first portion ol the Bill deals with marine engineers, and ii pretty well identical with the measure in tioduced last, session by Mr Pinkerlon. Engineors are to be rated as officers. Provision is made for the appointment of asses sors having engineering skill to act iv the case a casualty in which the engine depattment, or any person employed therein, is affectei. Provision is made foi the adequate ventilation of ttie engineers rooms, engine room and stokehole. Penalties are provided for negligence iv tins and other matters. 'Che Bill declares that whenevei the master, owner or agent oi any shif engages ana employs seamen iv the colouy, or having engaged them abroad, employs them in tne .colony, such seamen whilst so employed shall be paid and may recover the current rale of wages for the time being ruling in the colony, and in the former case the engagement (not being a running agreement uuder section 41 of the principal Act) shall be for the voyage, and may be determined in the colouy at any time by twenty-four hours' notice on either side, provided that this section shall uot apply to ahips arriving from abroad with passengers or cargo, but not trading iiu the colony further or otherwise than for the purpose of discharging such original passengers oi cargo iv the colony, and there shipping fresh passengers or cargo to be carried abroad. In every case where a seaman (wherevei engaged) is discharged in the colouy before completing the full term of his engagement, he shall be paid and may recover the full amount of wages due up to the date of such discharge, notwithstanding the fact that he has not completed such full term. The provisions of the principal Act relating to the repoitigg of accident or damage are to be extended.to sailing ships and the owners and masters thereof. . * CANTERBURY COLLEGE.. The Government is introducing a Bill tc make better provision for the government of Canterbury College aud Lincoln Agricultural College. The Bill provides that oe and after the Ist day of January, 1897, the School of Agriculture, situate at Lincoln, and commonly known as the Lincoln Agricultural College, shall be deemed to be separated from tho Canterbury College, and shall be managed bya separate body aa hereinafter proposed. As to Canterbury Collage,' provision is made for a redaction of the number of Governors from 23 to 16, the reduction to be effected by retirement. Oa and after the Ist day of January, 1896 the ordinary term of office of all members of the Board (including those then in office) sh.-ll be four years, subject, however, co t,_. tain special provisions in the Bill. In- r--U goes on to gay bow vacancies are to be filled, and that no Professor or Lecturer of the College shall be a member of the Board. Tne Board may from time to time make by-laws for the purpose of regulating its owu procedure, the conduct of all elections under the Act, and the general administration of tbe affairs of the College; provided that such by-laws shall uot come into operation until they have been ap- £ roved by his " Excellency - the Governor, enefactions for the promotion of any particular branch of science or learning are to be strictly applied. All moneys belonging to tbe Board and available for investment shall ba invested in such modes of investment a* are from time to time authorised by his Excellency the Governor, and not otherwise. The Board shall have fall power to appoint and remove all pjjfffowors, lecturers, examiners, officers and servants of the College, and oi every other educational institution as aforesaid, and to,generally manage the affairs thereof. No professor or lecturer shall be appointed for more than five yeara, but may ba re-appointed on the expiry or that term. The Bill goes on to deal with tlie duties and proceedings of the professorial Board aud the payment of lecture fees. With regard to leases, the

Board may.'-grant., leases, of the lauds, but may not, without the previous "consenti of the Governor, sell, mortgage or otherwise alienate the same or any other part thereof. With respect to every such lease the following provisions .kill apply *•—(1), the term shall not exceed twenty-one years ; (2), the rent shall be the best obtainable, and no due or faregif- shall be taken; (3), the lease shall contain such provisions for reuewai and for compensation for improvemets to be paid by the incoming to the outgoing tenant, and otherwise, as his Excellency from time to time prescribes by regulations or as, subject ta such regulations, the Board thiuks fit. A statemant and report of the accounts and affai-3 of the College is to be laid before Parliament. The Lincoln College Board is to consist of uiue member.. The term of office is to be three years. The Bill deals with the transfer of endowments to Linooln College. It also deals with the liabilities, &0., relating thereto. SIR JOHN HALL'S MEASURES. Mr Saunders, the father of the House, who is always listened to with attention, was rather severe on th - Premier to-night in his speech on the question of au Elective Executive. Nearly all the truly Liberal laws of the colony were, he pointed out, introduced by Sir John Hall. Mr Seddon had stopped where Sit John Hall had left off. The- Premier interjected that the Hall administration had only passod four Liberal measures. •' Yes," repliod Mr Saunders, "but those four measures are worth more than all the subsequent legislation passed by the Soddon Ministry." LEVIN STALE FARM. The original value of the land of the Levin State farm was £3200, and the estimated increase in value by permanent improvements at £4 per aove is £3200. The stock are valued at £671, goods on hand at £841, while the cash receipts have amounted bo £812. Wages are sec down at £2632 for the year ended 15th March, 1896. The rate of wages paid on the farm is from 3s 6J to 5s 6i per day, the lower sum being given to old men. Lads get 2s 6d a day ; contracts are let on a basis of 5s a day. In an explanatory note to a return laid on the table of the House to-day, it is stated that the wages made may appear low, but there are advantages that workers in the cities do not got. For instance, the rents are low, I from Is to 2* per week ; the men get free [ firewood aud enough land to grow vegetables ' and potatoes. Many of the residents keep j ' a pig, also fowls. > NEW BILLS. j ? Notice has be.v given of the following . new Bills—Mr o'Regan, the Weights and [ Measures Aot, 1868, Amendment Bill and ■ the Justioes of the Peace Act, 1894, Amend--1 ment Bill; Mr Pirani, the Contempt of 3 Court Bill. * THE HOROWHENHA COMMISSION, j 1 Sir Walter Buller is petitioning the House E to sst up a Select Committee to adopt some s other means of ascertaining whether the t report of the Horawhenua Commission is in r accordance with the evidence now on the * table of the House before giving effect to its V recommendations. Sir Walter say 3he finds I that the Commission arrived at conclusions f unfavourable to him regarding certain land c transactions with Major Kemp, amounting, ' in faot, to a suggestion of teohuioal or cone structive fraud. He protests against the a conclusion as not justified by the evidence, '" and states that the Commission appears to fc have gone outside for its facts. AMENDING THE JURIES AOT. Mr Buick is introducing the Juries Act d Amendment BUI, to relieve jurymen who jr have been summoned onoe from serving 14 again for a period of three or five years, to ° be fixed by the House. The manner by Le which this is to be effsctod is to place in a 18 separate box the names of parsous who ie have served. These. names will remain "! there for the period fixed and will be struck l< * off the roll. The next jury will be drawn a | from the remaiuiug names on the list, and , they in turn will ,be put aside. This ob- , viates the chance of oue man serving of tener than every five years, .and so will tend -to c * give everyone a turn. If the jury Use beX comes exhausted then the firao parcel of , names ia returned to the main box. lie v ! THE PREMIER AND THE « IKDE- g rd PENDENTS." a * The Premier sesms determined to pursue with the bitterest hostility Messrs G. W. a Russell and Piraui, for their recent assertion to of independence. The former has already 0 f been excluded from the Government i, oaucusas aud held up to scorn by Ministers, who have now gone. a step further. The ;n * Promier appeared at the meeting of the '"' Railways Committee this morning, and by °" his iufiuence caused a resolution to be 58 ' carried removing Mr Russell from the , 1U Chairmanship of the Cqmmittee, a posl- ~! tion which he (Mr Rusaell) has filled . for. the last two years. A similar °. pitiful exhibition look place at the ™ meeting of the Labour Bills Committee, ieß A Bill, in the bands of Mr Pirani, to amend ier the Truck Act was under consideration, r ? r when the Premier took the unusual course up of moving that the Bill be not proceeded ,y ' with. As upon the other Committee Mr V* Seddon was able to command the votes of a s0 sufficient number of followers to give effect ror to hts will. Those are facts which give au mc unanswerable reply to the oft-repeated ,ec assertions of Mioidters that party spirit ; B 8 finds no place iv the deliberations ot these '•?■ Committees. be , j b / THE BANK OP NEW ZEALAND, to Mr G. J. Smith has given notice to ask eta the Government whether the amount of ny £52,576 2. ' Id, balance of .profit and loss 380 account on the Bauk of New Zealand e eh balance sheet, includes the profit earned by id. the Bank.of Ne.w Zealand Estates Company, ver and if so, what was the amount earned by the ore Bauk of New Zealand on the ordinary bankut, ing account during the year. full ich the ELECTIVE EXECUTIVE BILL. , ro * The usual discussion took place this the evening on Major Steward's Elective Exeoube tivo Bill, relieved by one or two. good crs speeches. The voting was even, 23 for and 23 against. The Spsakor said it, appeared to him that the RouaS did not know how to deal with the B:ll. He thought it better, *to therefore,'to give his vote to get the Bill ient committed. He would vote with the ayes. BU I. (Loud applause.) " Major Steward asked that the Bill be committed that day t j£ month. __ ,lB .' JOTTINGS. fna". The Premier is reported to be muoh hali aunoyed with Mr Pirani, iv consequence of iter his ironical proposal to add to the Banking P ro * Committee the names of the Government ! bor whips, aad of some Ministerial followers [ ter who are not exactly regarded as financial lary lights. The member for Palmerston North, iard by his happy shot, did much to pot the four farcical proceedings in connection with the :cial setting up of the Banking Committee in nto their true light. and Mr G. W. Russell is to ask the Premier of whether,-seeing the Government attach, the the greatest importance to the control of Clnba ime iv connection with their projected licensing ,i,.g legislation, lie will explain why no appointall mants have beon made of Inspectors of ad- Clubs under section 27 of the Alcoholic ;ge; Liquor Sale Control Act, 1893, as such inome spectors if appointed would by law have, ap- regarding clubs, all the power of inspectors nor. of licensed premises, any The employees at the Colonial Sugar are Company's Chelsea works, at Auckland, are ong- petitioning.against the introduction of the able Bill to abolish private benefit societies, such which they state will do them an injustice eto and deprive them of benefits.to which they Go- look forward. oard Sir R. Stout referred in forcible terms to- . re- night to the iniquitous system of "spoils to .era, the victors.". Money had been given for roads d of thatw ereuot needed, and certain newspapers ! ore- were openly aubaidi-ed, but if the Premier fairs thought that'the Liberal party could exist II be with the motto of " spoils to. the victors " but written on their banner, the time would that come when the moral sense of the people the would rise against tho system, and the party jrial now in power would ba driven from office, store as the Republican party in America for » the similar reason.