NEWS AND NOTES.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 247, 11 July 1908, Page 7

NEWS AND NOTES.

WORKERS' COMPENSATION BILL. Tho Workers' Compensation Bill, introduced by Mr. Millar is in all substantial respects similar to tho Bill introduced, but not'proceeded with, last year. The claim .to compensation is extended to all employees in any trade or business, employees earning over £5 a week alone excepted. No employer :is liable.to pay; compensation to any relativo employed, by him. The maximum compensation is raised.to £500. Weekly payments-aro limited.to six years. Full compensation is, paid for tho. loss of both eyes, or both hands,-or-both feet, or a hand and a foot. '-The-loss of; ono .'hand - will spcure 80 per cent; compensation, of. one foot 60 per cent., and of-ono.-e3*e..30 per cent. Additional compensa-tion-is. awarded to workers permanently injured whilo .under 21 .years. Compensation ;is given for- certain diseases incurred- in the course of-, employment, such' as anthrax, lead, mercury, phosphorus, or arsenic poisoning,and pneumoconiosis. The Act applies to soamon. Tho. present law as to tho liability of a principal to the workers employed by a contractor is modified to the extent of requiring that tho work must bo directly a part of tho principal's own business, , or. must bo hazardous work dono under a contract worth at least £20, and, that tho accident s'jall have happened on premises owned or controlled by tho principal. Tho hazardous occupations scheduled-in last year's Bill aro added to by the inclusion of " any occupation in which a worker incurs a risk of falling any distance exceeding 12ft., if the injury or death of tho worker results from' such a fall."

Mr. Arnold wants the .Minister for Railways to-consider tho comfort of tho iarge nrnnbor.-of ladies. who travel, on '• tho rail.ways.with young children by having nursingcars placed on tho express trains. Mr. Massey has. given notico to ask tho Minister for _ Railways whether, in view of the serious risks incurred by railway officials in changing tho tablets 'at the different stations, he will for bringing into genoral use tho mechanical appliance for this purposo P ' i^ r i! ®9 SS w as ' £ Postmaster-General whether ho will arrango to havo a post and telegraph office established in Scarborough. Tho. existing arrangement 'of utilising flio Pahiatua railway offices to servo the peoplo of Scarborough is said to bo inconvenient and unsatisfactory.

Some of the advocates of now capital sito for Parliament, founded on a leasehold basis, expressed great earnestness yesterday in their dosire in this direction. They declare that in the matter was but .onti;,st(jp;iii a big movoment to that end; between the Shearers' Accomiiiodatioii ■ Bill and', the Act 'of . 1898, .'which, it amends, lies in the comprehensive schedule of what constitute "proper and suffipient!'accommodation. Tho • schedule was puWished -iri' f yesterday's, Dominion. "./The. principal Act 'merely insisted that the sleep-.•me-roqm should contain not less than 240 ouuio - feet v of . space for. .'each shearer, '.'and should, not ho used for mdals. ■■'■All .'other matters, such as tho. height of rooms, tiering -up bunks, fireplaces, , light/, ventilation, cooking .utensils,. Lathing' and washing accommodation,; sanitary .conveniences, ' and' mediciiio chost, - as'; provided for., in 'the now schedule, were loft to tho opinion of' the Inspector and tho . judgment of .tho Stipendiary Magistrate in. his.Court. ■, It is .interesting to note that a issued last yoar by the Labour Department states that " during the yoar 1906-7,'730 shearing sheds wore, inspected, and 1 in 44 cases : improvements.were ordored to bo made. Similar, improvements wore ordered in tho previous" years, and the accommodation is now, oil" the whole,, satisfactory."

The Joint Committeo on Standing Orders reported that tho Wellington Harbour Board Reclamation and Empowering Bill was a private Bill, - and recommended that' it bo allowed to proceed. Tho Bill will bo .taken on next pnvato members' day. Gradually little orudities. in tho arrangements of. the Houso aro being smoothed over, and things made pleasanter for members. In this matter tho Speaker has generally given offect to any suggestions. Tlio wall, at tho back of tho Speaker's chair its.eyodazzling brightness hung with regal red, a telephone for privato use was yestorday promised members, and tho jubilation of the House was very evident when the Speaker also announced that orders had been given for desks to bo provided in the House for' the convenience of the members. Tho . Attorney-General's long deferred specch in the Address-in-Reply debate.in tho Council wil " lalmost certainly be delivered on Tuesday, afternoon. Dr. Findlay will deal ■ with the industrial arbitration question at considerable length. The Saturday half-holiday for shops appears to be a popular propostion with Wellington tradesmen. Mr. C. E. Aldridge, the local Inspector for Factories, states, in his annual report, that a very large number of shopkeepers in this city aro strongly in fav'our of closing—and many do closo —their shops on Saturday afternoons in lieu of Wednesday, and the opinion is expressed that, after becoming used to it, littlo inconvenience would bo oxporienced by tho public generally or the' shopkeepers in particular. Friday could.bo' : mado.the.lato.night, and by still .exempting-, bakers, fruiterers, etc.', from -tlio half-day. closing, and also such shops as butchers, -Saturdays would, it is considered by . some, be found to be just, as suitable a day-as -any other. .

\ The :estimated' cost- of the-works to.bo carricd'aut during tho current financial-year in'' tho: drainage and • improvement, of tli'o Piako swamp is £13,530. ' Some particulars of the supply of grass seed to the settlers affected by the bush fires of last summer arc: givon in tho annual report of tho Lands Department, which was presented to Parliament yesterday. "Every settler, who was in need of seed," statos tho report, "and -unable to buy it immediately was either given an order upon a' seed merchant, nominated by himself, or supplied by the local Commissioner of Crown' Lands direct with seed ill such mixture as applied for,, the terms of payment being the' signing of a promissory note for amount owing, payable in two,'three; or four years without interest." Tlibso terms wero availed of by 647 settlors in tho North Island, who wero' supplied with seed valued at £24,082. In tho South Island, 67 cases, representing £2756, worn dealt with. More than half tho amount wont to tho Wellington district—viz., £13,578. The Auckland district's proportion was £7913.