POLITICAL NOTES.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 12965, 19 November 1907, Page 9

POLITICAL NOTES.

c_F«aLio-n»»«0 AVELLINGTON, November 18. The House m-* «* 10 *' m ' t<w J a r to deal with local Bills, and proceeded to put them through with great rapidity, till Mr Donald Reid rose and called for the reports of tho Local Bills Committee. Unfortunately, he said the chairman of the Local Bills Committee (Mr Graham) waa absent from the House. After seven Bills had been advanced a stage in about twenty roiuuw*. objection was taken to passing the Murchison County Bill, seeing that it was an oppoiid Bill, ami t* ol "* members objected to increasing tlie mjniqer 0 f local bodies. Tho second reading, though opposed, waa carried by 25 votes to ID, but afterwards progress was reported on ! this and other contentions local Bilh. j All the non-contentious Bills wero "put 1 through their final stages. GUARDS AND THE CLASSIFICA 'nON BILL. Members of Parliament aro still receiving telegrams from mon in the Railway Service, protesting against tho Railway Classification Bill. Tbe Leader of the Opposition has received so many that ho is unable to reply to all. Tho latest is from a meeting ot guards, protesting that tlya incroaees propestd in the Bill ar© much -too small. The guards consider that thoy should be classed by themselves, and not oounted with shunters, storemen, etc. The telegram states that the feeling of the meeting was that it is an insult to offer guards £40 per annum less than letter carriers. PAYMENT OF MEAIBERS. Mr Wilford has givon notico to move that tho Government be requested to bring in a Bill to amend Tho Payment of Members Aot, 190-, on the following I'nea 1 -Xl) To provide that tho maximum honorarium payable to members of tihe Houi?o of Representatives be fixed at £350. (2) To provide that such sum of £350 bo reduced by £1 per day for ©very day of sitting. Air Wilford wishes to prevent stonewalling. He got his idea from tho system adopted by tho Chinese in regard to their doctors. TJioy pay thena for the day- they are not ill. A STAMP QUESTION. Mr Rutherford hAS given notice to ask the Government (1) Whether the pictorial stamp issued somo years ago, on which tho word "Wakatipu" was wrongly spellad, is still being supplied to stamp dealers in. London by the High Commieaioner, and if so, aro tho stamps so supplied part oi the original issue, or aro thoy printed off from timo to timo to meet the demand! Ho says tho question is asked on behalf of a oon.tituont, who alleges that tho/'AVakitlpu" stamp can be procured in practically unlimited quantities in London at tha High Commissioner's office, notwithstanding a promise mad© by .the Government that none but tho original issue would bo put on the market.