POLITICAL NOTES

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 17294, 4 November 1921, Page 8

POLITICAL NOTES

—* (si'KCiAL to "the rnnss. WELLINGTON. Noveitm-. . A Divided Liberal Party. The dilficulty in v. i:i h ;he io;na ■ . the Liberal I'ar'.v limls u-e'.i a-i. ,■ was very Lonil>l\ *]u>.ii, it. the i! ,t-;. oi' Representatives to-iiny Uii!:::g » Ui.» tussion on a report trr.m th.- I-nui-Committee, on n petition iij-kuij,; for legislation to enable tenant - to acquire tho freehold of nation*, endowments land in ltetniua and I'ati rnnga districts. As a question e( polie* was involved, the con.mittoo lunl no recommendation to make, but e\pii'SM\: its sympathy with the prayer of the petitioners. .Mr Hoekly, the member for Retornn a new recruit to tiie ranks of the Reform Party, who by his ability an ! per sonnlity seems already to lo marked on! fur office, started a discussion on wlin*. was a burning ipiestion in the House in days gone by. Ho favoured the sale of endowment lands, and showed very clearly that tho plan would benefit the State and the endowed services a- well ■Mr Witty, one of tho old Liberal stni warts, who now ploughs a lonely fin row, revived the old arguments in favour of continuing to lease endowmen lands. The Hon. J. A. Hanan also spoke <>i; the old lines, whereas Mr Wilford, the present Loader of tho Liberal Party, stated that ho was and always had been a freeholder, and had no objectiou to the sale of endowment lands, his onb stipulation being that tho proceeds f sales should bo earmarked for the pui poses for which tho endowments were set aside. Mr Hockly and others said there wnno objection to this. -A. Christ church Petition. The Petitions Committee has no rej commendation to make in regard to the petition of BergtCaroline Anderson, « St. Albans, who asked for a compassionate allowance on account of service, by her late husband in the Post an t telegraph Department. Sural Malls. In the House to-day Mr Bitchenei stated that, owing to the flooded state of the Canterbury rivers, somo disti?cl< had not had their rural mails delivered for eight days. The mails had been carried as far as small post offices, bti. when settlers called for their lottery they could not get them. The Postmaster-General replied that he would look into , the matter and set' if anything; could be done. The difficulty no doubt was that tho mails hnd been mado up for rural delivery anil would have to be re-sorted. (PRESS ASSOCIATION TELEGRAM.) Progress of Bills. The Hunter Gift for the Settlement of Discharged Soldiers Bill was put through aU its stages in the Legislntivo Council to-day. In the House to-day tho following Bills were introduced and read a first time: —Invercargill Borough JEspeoiui Rate Empowering Act 1918 Amendment. Hill (tho Hon. J. A. Hanan); Napier Harbour Board and Napier High 6chool Empowering Bill (Mr Vigor Brown). . Tee made by the Legislative Council in the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act Amendment Bill wwe received by the House. The Hon G. J. Andeibon explained that the amendments jrero intended to max© more definite the authority of the Court during the time Mr M. J. Reardon occupied a seat on the Court. The amendments were agreed to. Mr V. H. lleed moved the second reading of' the Land Act Amendment Bill, which he said was intended .to ensure tuat receipts from Grown timber, (<nd flex royalties should be paid to local authorities. MrWilfoidaskcd the Speaker to rule whether the BU was not an appropriation Bio, and therefore out or order. The Speaker said the Bill appeared to arrange for the disposal of tfrowu revenuo and was an appropriation Bill, and therefore out ox oraer. rait Bests BilL

In reply to Dr. Newman, Mr Blaseor said the Government was considering the question of Introducing a Fair Rent:; Bill. He hoped to make a statement on the subject in the course of a few days.