POLITICAL v GOSSIP.

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 11008, 4 July 1901, Page 5

POLITICAL v GOSSIP.

(SrECIAI. .TO "T3l. rRES...") WELLINGTON, July 3. CYCLE ROADS BILL. Mr George Fowlds had an interview but could not obtain from the Government any definite answer as to whether they were i disposed to adopt the Cycle Roads Bill as one of their measures, so in order that no time ahr-.H be lost he has given notice to ; intro-iue- tte Oil _ which was ttfv_n into ! h-_? charge by the Cycle P. cads L_..g...-. So far as <'-ne can there sr.m. fo 1b? among mem tars a pretty general impression favourable to the proposal. The I Bf.i was introduced this aftcrmion, road j a first- time, and ordered to be read a i s-.vond time a fortnight hwice.

! _..\FEKEXCK ON THE COUNTIES j RILL. i Th- 1 Prerr>r, in answer to Mr G. IW. Rnost.l. in th-B i louse, this aft ..noon, said as to i->' l«rtbcotniTi_: conft'.cnce in connection ivitli the Counties. -Vet Amendment Bill (lato Local Gov-rranoi-.t Bill) was of interest to Road Boards-as well as County Councils, the lormer bodies should also be repW-ented. T)f / course. it wa.s not necessary,-that each Board should send a delegate. DISTRICT HEALTH OFFICER. Mr G. W. Russell asked why no District Health Officer had been appointed under the. Public Health Act, .1800. Sir Joseph i Ward said there had been tWo appoint--1 m_nt« made —Dr*_>. v aien-tine and Pomare. It was, how-ever, very important not to hurry in this matter, so that thoroughly conVpetent men might, be appointed. The matter was not in any way being lostsight of. HOW FREEHOLD LAND IS HELD. A return called for by Mr J. M. Miliar. showing the value of all freehold lands in the colony at March 31st. 1900. and the total amount of mortgages,on freehold registered at that date, showed that at the date mentioned there -were 110,805 owners, representing a capital value of £109,708,003. In 1892 there were 91.501, with a capital value of £92,371,166, while in 1889 there were 84,547, with a capital value of £84,208,230. The total amount of-mort-gages (Mi freehoM registered at March olst, _&_■_. was £35,032,110. SETTLERS' FIRE INSURANCE. Tho Settlei.:' Fire Insurance Bill (in charge of Mr Hogg) proposes to give tho superintendent of the Adva.r_.:_s to" Settlers Office powers to insure all -properties mortgaged by him. It also requires that after a certain time all risks under the office shall bo so insured. Mr Hogg has. brought this Bill forward in consequence of n return obtained some time ago. showing the premiums paid by or on behalf of borrowers under the Advances to Settlers Act for the four years ending 31st March, 1839. These amounted to £8921 7s 9d. Tho total amount piid by the underwriters on account of the destruction of properties was £6522 2s 6t_. leaving a. balance of £2399 5s 3d, which Mr Hogg considers might have been saved for the settlers. LICENSING LAWS. Petitions numbering more than fifty, from all over the colony, wero .presented"this afternoon, protesting against the legalising of the."ale of liquor in the King Country, and urging Parliament to reject the following proposals in the Licensing Bill* brought down last session:—(l) To deprive the electors o{_ the power they now possess to determine for themselves in each electorate whether licenses shall or shall not be continued (2) to empower the Colonial Secretary to grant licenses for the convenience of tourist*, regardless of the option vote; (3) to take a special vote by which a bare majority of the electors of the colony can determine on an extension of six years of the term between the submission of local' option issues to the voters; (4) to take from the people the reduction yotp without again conferring on licensing committess the discretionary power "to reduce. FOSTERING CADET CORPS. In ths course of his speech, when moving the Address-in-Reply to-night, Mr W. W. Collins, one of the members for Christchurch, spoke eulogistically of the bearing and conduct of tho cadets at the review before the. Duke and Duchess of Cornwall, and made a plea for the fostering of the cadet corps movement. He did so in no jingoistic spirit; he was not a lover of militarism, but we had to learn that the security for permanent peace was effective defence.. The stronger we were the greater would be our guarantee for peace, but there was something more than that: be felt sure that the effect upon the youth of the colony would be of a, far-reaching character, as not only endowing them with the tr;ie spirit of patriotism, but cultivating a spirit of self-control, teaching them obedience to those in authority over them ,and making them what they ought to become— citizens who thr.rougi._y appreciated the duties of citizenship, and all that they entailed. He was convinced that the system should become part of the education of the youth of tlie colony. JOTTINGS. I In the Legislative! Council this afternoon, the Hon. Mr Shrimski gave notice of his intention to ask the Government whether i they have, or wiil give, a reward and free pardon to any person who will give such informa-ion as would lead to the conviction of the petnaon who set fir© or assisted to set I fire to the Grand Hotel in Auckland. i

Mb Flatman asked whether it is intended to provide free beds at Hanmer Springs for the use of invalids who through impecuniosity are unable to take advantage of tho baths? He said there were free beds at Rotorua, and if there were free beds at Hanmer he felt sure they would be frequently occupied. (Laughter.) Sir Joseph Ward said he fully recognised the importance of the question, and it w.aa ■the intention of, the Department to make provision for who were really impecunious or who had no friends who could pay for them. Government sanatoriums are \in great demand. Mr Symes wants one at Mount Egmont, and Air Mackenzie wante one at Na-sebv.

The Hon. H. Feldwick gave notice in the Council yesterday to a_sk if the Government would so extend the railway check system as to enahte. passengers' luggage to ba checked right through from the Bluff to Wellington. \ Messrs Gilfedder, Collin's, Mc_vab, and Hanan will leave for the south on Saturday night in order to be present at the reception of tho returning Fourth and Fifth Contingent), at Ihvercargill. Mr McNab naked if it was correct, as reported in the public Press, that the Government had purchased the Glenham. estate in Southland. The reply was that the estate of 11,500 acrea had been purchased for £37,000.

The term "abnormal" was used by the Premier yesterday in describing tlie circumstances which caused the session to begin at a later date than usual. Someone objected to the term, and Mr Seddon vehemently remarked "So it was abnormal. You never had a visit from the Duke of Cornwall before." "And we don't want another yet," interjected Mt Tanner. Tlie Government is being urged by Mr T. Maokenzie to prohibit tlie exportation of Maori works of art from the colony.

"There was only one regrettable" element in the review of troops," remarked the mover of the Address-in-Reply,.when touching upon the Royal visit, "and that was that the troops were almost exclusively armed with weapons of an obsolete character. I do hope the Defence Department will see the wisdom of at once taking steps to supply the troops with the most modern weapons."