POLITICAL NOTES.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 9886, 17 November 1897, Page 6

POLITICAL NOTES.

(By Tblegraph.)

(FROM OUR SPECIAL CORRB*POXD****"T.) WELLINGTON, November 16. YOUNG PERSONS' PROTECTION BILL,

Sir R. Stout to-day brought up the report of the Committee on the Young Persons' Protection Bill. The Committee, having taken evidence, find that juvenile depravity exists to a considerable extent; that restrictive legislation is necessary; and that the Bill as amended should be allowed to proceed. They also recommend the Government to take up the Criminal Code Act Amendment Bill No. 2. There was some discussion as to whether the evidence should be laid on the table of the House. The Committee did not wish it and the House, on a division, decided that it should not be made public.

The Commutes appointed by the House to consider the provisions of the proposed Young Persons' Protection Act, have reosinentled that " young person" shall mean either a boy or a girl in every case, instead of a girl only, as originally provided, so that the police will be empowered to arrest young persons of either sex loitering in the streets at unreasonable hours, and take them either to their homes or to a place to be prescribed. The fine (or in default imprisonment), to be inflicted upon neglectful parents or guardians, is to be in respect of boys As well as girls, but the Committee has suggested that the clause proTiding for the flogging of boye shall be struck out. It is recommended also that the provision for allowing Justices of the Peace to administer the Act shall be deleted. POMAHAKA~~SETTLERS. Settlers on the Pomahaka estate have petitioned the House, through Mr J. W. Thompson, to take their position into serious consideration, and they state—" (1) After our experience of the land, in most canes extending over three a half years, we find that its capabilities are not sufficient to enable us to pay the present rent and live. (2) We came here with a fair amount of capital and have expended it in improving our holdings; from the returns we have received we are forced to the conclusion that rents are *.oo high. (3) We are now threatened with forfeiture of our holdings and consequent loss of our hard-gained earnings." The petition is signed by thirteen settlers. TUBKRCULOUS CATTLE. When the agricultural estimates wore under consideration Mr Symes, member for Egmont, complained that there #aa not a sufficient number of Inspectors appointed in his district, (Taranaki). He said there was a great deal of tuberculosis, and on one farm twenty, five head of cattle had to be destroyed, and on another one nine head, but in spite of the action taken, numbers of diseased cattle were being aold at as low as 10s a head Mr Massey, in reply to this, said if the disease was only half as bad as the lion, member represented it to be, there was a grave danger to Auckland cattle, and even to human life, seeing that a number of cattle were regularly exported from Taranaki to Auckland, and in the general interest, according to what the member for the district said, the sooner Taranaki was declared an infected district the better. A PECULIAR BANKING INCIDENT. There has been some little friction between the local officers in the Bank of New Zealand and a prominent member of the Board of Directors. The story goee that the Government Auditor found that the said Director had an overdraft at the Bank, and reported the same, which was corroborated by the local manager. The ' amount of the overdraft was only some £2, I and the Director in question was so ! annoyed at the proceeding that he decided to transfer fonr r or five different accounts which he controls, one of them with a rerv large credit, to the Bank of New South Wales. The initter leaked out to-day, and is causing considerable comment irt business circles. THE CASE OF MEIKLE. The Public Petitions Committee, M to 2, recommended to-day that, as Meikle had received £290 and as there was a further sum ot £500 on the estimates as final compensation to him, no farther action be taken. Mr Kelly moved that the report be referred back to the Petitions Committee. It was ridiculous to think that £500 was sufficient compensation. The man had had hie character taken away and had been financially ruined through being imprisoned for seven years on a charge of which he was entirely innocent. Mr Seddon stated that it "had been agreed between Mr McNab and Ministers that if a further sum of £500 were voted it would be sufficient, and he would be satisfied with that. Mr Rolleeton pointed out that if any compensation were paid at all it ahonld be more than £500. He suggested referring the matter to a judicial tribunal to say what compensation Meikle should 'get. Mc Buchanan said it wan rather an extraordinary thing that the Premier, at the dictum of the member for the district, should agree to a etfm as final compensation when that "was at variance ' with the decision of a Committee of the House that had had the whole of the evidence before it. It was coo often the practice of Government to pooh-pooh and ignore the recommendations of the Committee and petitioners were often not at all fairly treated. Mr Pi rani made an attack on Jndf* Ward who had tried the oaw. If **!W tooktt at t*t MMrti Mat ia to J«4ja

Ward they wonld see what the man's bias was. Some of the documentary evidence had been burned by the Government sooner than lit it be on record. Fragments had, however, been recovered. Mr Morrison said that a certain document referred to was a forgery. This was corrolwrated by Messrs Meredith and Fraser. It appeared that two prisoners in gaol with Meikle got- hold of an old wooden stamp, with Judge Ward's name on it, and forged his and the Visiting Justices' signature with a view to playing a joke on Meikle. The report was referred back to the Committee. JOTTINGS. John Colvin, of Danediu, who Ims designed a hopper for the bntte carriage of frozen meat, petitions the House to get the Agricultural and Pastoral Committee to investigate and report upon his invention, with a view to having it adopted on the railways. '