PARLIAMENTARY NOTES.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 28, 28 October 1907, Page 6

PARLIAMENTARY NOTES.

Some discussion arose, on Wednesday in the House of Representatives in regard to Old Ago Pensions! Mr. Massey sad .that a (law existed ih tlio Act, inasmuch as persons over sixty-fivo who, by thrift, were possessed of a small piece of, property, were debarred from the pension, whereas 'those- who had not been VoocT and profitable colonists received tho full benefit. Mr. Poland also contended it was not fair that a pensioner who, perhaps, had once given way to drink should,lose his pension, whereas a deeper-dyed so long as ho-did not come beforo the courts, nould continue to receive his money. Jno ■Premier, in replying, said the pension system was introduce dto help tho aged who had no means. However, tho whole matter would rocoivo attention, and. ho hoped during tho recess to see whether some of the. difficulties could riot,be overcome.

Thero was considerable speculation in tho lobbies yesterday as to the probable fato of tno ; Endowment Bill. The general opinion was that tho Bill would bo pushed on with, in spito of the hostile threats of a number of Government momb6rs during, the second ■•iroading debate. - The statoment of tho Premier ...that each item on tho schedulo can bo discussed seriatim to a . certain extont appeased those who otherwise would havo had nono of the pill had it involved tho accoptanco of tho schedule en bloc. , lho position now, howover, will bo that .members will help'ono another in having tho accrago reduced, or removed altogether, from their district.- This will involve a ■ considorablo number of alliances, and as fow of tho endowments are accoptablo the fato of the Bill in Committee is problematical.

Mr Ell has given notice to ask tho Premier whether his attention had boon drawn to the fact,that a number of cancolled banknotes were''recently in circulation, and.that some business pcoplo suffered loss thereby; if so," would ! tho Government, with a vieiv t-o securing more perfect control ovor the Circulation of paper money within "tho Doiiiii , .- ion, provido for one bank of issue only, the riotos to be'■convertible only at tho font, chief centres -r namely, Wellington, Auckland, and Dunedin—m with tho requirements of the existing law r , .

.No fewer than 5080 applications for loans under the Government.Advances to Sottlers Act have been refused. The amount of application fees received by the Department 'from applicants for loans sinco the Act came into operation is £29,960. Tho amount paid to solicitors for preparing mortgage.deedsi by tho Department has been no less than £34,544) distributed as follows:— Auckland ... .... ■•.. - f™ Taranak. ... ... : £5691 Hawke's Bay ... ... ... £1320 ■Wellington... ... >W. 168 , Marlborough ' ... .... ... illlb Nelson,,, ... ..... -. — £693 AVestland w - g™ Cnntorbury ... £2436 Oto"o .... •■• •••• ••• i.2'46 Southland .;. ... -• ■ ■■■ ™ These figures are from/a return asked for by Mr. Flat-man, and presented to Parliament on Friday: