POLITICAL NOTES.

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 10759, 12 September 1900, Page 5

POLITICAL NOTES.

(SrEO-..- TO "the pkess.") WELLINGTON, September 11. STOKE ORPHANAGE. A return laid upon the table to-day shows that tho following amounts have been paid by the Government to the manager of St. Mary's Industrial School:—From August, 1898, to August, 1899, £1447 7s; from August, 1899, to August, 1900, £1163 10s. It is stated in a note that St. Mary's Industrial School consists oi three parts, namely: ,(l) For girls at Nelson, (2) for young boys at Nelson, (3) for remaining boys at Stoke. The above figures are in respect of all boys paid for by the Government at St. Mary's Industrial School. Separate records are not kspt of the number of boys paid for by the Government at Stoke and Nelson respectively, the two institutions being parts of one industrial school, under the same manager. A rough estimate would give about £260 as paid on account of young boys at Nelson from August, 1898, to August, 1900. The amount paid by Government on account of boys in residence at Stoke would accordingly be about £2350. THI. PREMIER'S AMERICAN TRIP. There are persistent rumours in the air that the Premier will visit America after the close ot the session. It is possible he may go to Sun Francisco on the return voyage of Mr Spreckels's new steamer. If Mr Seddon goss to Washington, he will no dtmbt interest himself in endeavouring to get an amendment of the American shipping laws, by which place Honolulu is placed in the category of an American coastal port, and Britishers prevented from taking passage from there in British-owned ships. HOSPITALS AND CHARITABLE INSTITUTIONS. Dr. MacGregor's annual report, is this year probably the briefest en record. He states: —"From my point of view some time must elapse before any satisfactory judgment can b. formed on the far-reaching Social effects of the Old Age Pensions Act. The question of making provision for incurables is becoming of pressing importance. In tha new Local Government Bill provision should be mad© for a special auxiliary building connected with the hospitals in each of the four large centres for cases of this description. This would, I think, be the cheapest and most satisfactory way of solving this for there seems to be no tendency "among the existing local bodies to combine to deal with, this difficulty in any comprehensive way. As a measure of temporary relief, Mother Mary Joseph Aubert, under the auspices of the Catholic Church, lias provided a suitable house, with ten beds, near Sussex square in this city."