PARLIAMENTARY NEWS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 16, 14 October 1907, Page 8

PARLIAMENTARY NEWS.

With regard totho acquisition of the Parr, haka Block, Hawko's Bay, for closer, settled menttho Petitions Committoo on Friday-re-commended- that the petition relating: thereto bo- forwarded to : the Land Purchase Board for.'thoir'inijuiry.■ :.:';••'. ■ ■ • ■ .

There was presented to. Parliament oii'Fri- > day evidenco taken by.-the' Labour. Bills , Com.mittoo'von the .Agricultural Labourers' Accommodation Bill. Mr. Georgb Sheat; fanner,. , of Durisandel,' in his evidence, said that some-: times tho 'meri'.wont' o\it "to various! parts of ■ a-rnn, andjwould/prefer to .break the'pro* ;, visions of tho Act, yet tho employer wouldbe dragged boforo the Court.. With regard to;; mustering oriihill country, it would! be'imppa-.', sible to.. carry' tents. ■ 'I'he men l ; : would;, not' bother for ono night/ To such cases tho Aofshould not apply.-.' Some.men w6ro;yery'un-\: tidy; and;kept their accommodation; so., ' Mr.'; . David' Joiioßi. farmer, of Weedons, CaYiter- ■ bury ; said there could benO'objectipnVto'tho provisions of'the Act rcgaTdbg air space and general accommodation; for pormanejithanda, /■. but tliero should bo.iribre satisfactory condi-./ tions as to camp work: . Mr. J. N. ,6rigg, ,Long Beach, Canterbury, rqferred to roving , labourers and swaggers that dated, and said they roused a cry thatthby; were "not housed as they should bol; They were a tax on.'the community, and tho 'farmer., should not: be compelled to give them tho' accommodation necessary. In common with ; . the other witnesses,.. Mr.. Grigg'thought , ,it" would be a very good thing if small' settlements'or hamlots were established in- the ■ ■ neighbourhood of largo farms, or estatesj'.for. the labourers.: It.would lead to the'settling.', of the population. Mr.- Edward Kennedy,;' farm labourer, representing-the'Canterbury-A and'P. Labourers' Union, saidthe Bill, wag ,• inadequate. Some of the men's places were, overcrowded. .From-six.to eight 'm6n had; to. sleep sometimes in ; a room l4ft. by 10ft; with; no ventilation.-.: In some wharcs there;:were/, three tiers of beds. In the witness's experi-.. once, he had'once to.'tio:his,fcet'up;m:a:oe4-' tick to protect them from.rats. Oth'er ; similar.,; : instances were given,;,and it was.said : that /': the tent accommodation;provisions.of. the Act; were liot , satisfactory:-'There sliould-.b'e']niore-; definite provision as.to inspection, a150..->On . large stations;tliero should ibepermanentia-;'.' stead of-.travelling whares. ' y'l^'J-'i'r:

A week's work- in Committee on the Land, Bill Has brought the House half-way through:, the measure, and. it seems reasonable to. expect that the Bill will be' fe'p'orte'd before the end of this week. Clause 66 is looked upon ■■ as the most contentious.portion;of-the.Bill, that has yet- to be''dealt •with.,'.. This '.;«,■. the" : clause which/makes-the Governmentyalua-" 'tion ,pf an,estate;the basis'.'of-the.price'to:be; paidUf : it' is.,'cbmpulsorily acquired".by ! the-' 'Government., 7A this'proposal' ■has;;been./p.lainly / hinted' .at'.': , 'it is now. , be-': lioved, ;■ however;.. ;that j.ai'ilitinisterial:; aniend- ; •mentwill-.-be.brought-down ■with.'a.'View to' making,the clause.more/gcnerally/acce'ptabley,., while" still 1 preserving ;.some=.connection .be-', tween;';the '>Government' .valuation and, f 'the f amount of''compensation;:to ithe landowner, who is;dispossessed 1 in ; the interests of .closer« 'settle^nfeht.;;'^■: ';".'•; ■'"' "'■ '•■vU'V-i'-'v'

: . A:mpvemJentVisVafddt'■nith' : a' an'"' : ' in,;the k . Representation ''Act.;';' The ; f kstimeetine.bfitlie Representation.'iCbjsinis^,..'. / sibners resulted 'in;a readjustment of bounds t ; laries: whereby, , owing -to. the alteration';.in' / ;populatibh,= 'the:<South.lsland is.tp.lose, and;/ ' ! the , -: North ' Island■ to -gain, three, members.,,V, Some of t the;' South' Island -.members>. are anx- 1:. "t'o.Jret'aW" the , old : constituencies; and >■ = >ithi,that''pbject : in"yiew' they-'prbp'ose'->that|." J. . ithe,'preserit. , iumb'er' of' members' should;. hp']:. retained. for : -thb South .'lsland' and thaty' as »y. quid ■ pro .quoj- the',North Isliin.d 'should; have j.' allotted'to it ithree-more .c6nstitueiicies.. l ,The ■'■* ■proposal; if.agreed:to, wpnld moan; increasing. \ 'the hvimbbr' of''niembers at Parliament, frpnvi "\ eighty''to eighty-three.' .■Uhdor'this |in : ..Wp';'iieit'■Parliament^.the ;North,;lsland:i: ' iTrouid have ;six members mbre'.than at pre--. \ ■sont,'. while 'the, South Island .would "retain , - ■ lits.,.present. qTipta.-.V.Mr. ~ , Mackenzie,'.'•' whose; I'prespntii; c.onstitiiency. disappears falto--, ~ ; gether,'.is..arrangjng';a,,de'putation to tho , ! mier en- the subject. .The(proposal js, how-.', ever, ■ jibely .to' meet .with very-., strong • opposi- -.;, tion; , Decause'tho change isithought by, ; .manj-;-. ' to bo unnecessary," and , 'because.. the. oxp'ensv-. 5 of, the - legislative "machine is already too'great.'. •'.' : .-.r;..; •■;:;. }■;-.•■ ' ' ■-.

' Mr. Poole- lias 1 ' giye'n .-notice' to ask' the :Premiorr-(l). .Whether' his '-' attention lias been 'called''to the.' adjertised^programnie': of the' Wellington" Racing, Club' and;- other, clubs which ; still continue the use of the -" double. v totalisator;" ; ': and I ', which' ;■ will ■' be in ,uso,' : on. both, days' at -.the', clubV, meeting:' at,,Trentham. 6n v October'' .17 and. 19—not-' withstanding.;-the'expressed ■,, r vio.ws .'or,, the , Premier,Viiwho, >when\ replying •; to'. the\anti-.; gambling.; deputation,, m -..the,. "double.'totalisatqrV- should, -i.be...abolished?., i(2) Will, take pronipt.steps ; to' ,1 prevent' tli'e Wellington Racing • Club,. and" 'any :other racing; club,' 'using'. ; a-■ ■■ ! .double,'• totaiisator''', 'from./continuing '. such a'/gambling":practiceS '.',' (3):Can , 'the Premier 'give-' ail idea 'when the . Gambling Bill: to .restrict' gambling .by : , racing .clubs and .others', '■. ' brought down ?,V The question- is accompanied '■'■ \>y the-following-note:4rJhe. Wellington Rac-., ing- other'dubs still.continue.,the* objectionable practice; of .receiving.-"outside, investments;" ■ and' also , pursue, the practice ;.- ■ of : "ringing ; up" tickets after, the ■ race is; run, L and v it is,high-time'that-such question-; able practices wore prohibited: by -law.-'-TheV Podle' 1 read .his':, question, that the '.Govern-, nibut':has">a proposal to abolish "the' double ,' 'totaiisator in its' Anti-Gambling' Bill.'. ' ' ' '

; Messrs'. Byron Bros.; 1 ofiiWellington, have petitioned .Parliament, for remuneration ,in view of. their.. invention'/., of . a;;; steel: frame'., for.,brick'.buildihgs:.havirig beeri f used;;by ! therV Government' in 'tho,; erection of; the .PubliO. Trust office in ■ Lambton Quay. • ..They set': out 'that 'since-itho -.application for.'letters p'ntent the 'contractors Had■;commenced -to' erect the building using' thoir invention: The Under-Secretary for Public Works had refused to' consider the:question;of terms,;and: tlidy ,: wore now"forced :to 'appeal toVParlia-'. ment.'- ■.. ' ' ■..■-..'' '.■'' ..'■■■■ •'..-.