NEWS AND NOTES.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 2631, 5 August 1908, Page 9

NEWS AND NOTES.

WOOL PRICES. •' An interesting question has been put to the Minister for Trade and Customs' by Mr. T. Mackenzie, viz,:—Whether in view of tho great importance it is to our farmers that reliable information bo supplied,to .thorn: regarding the actual position of wool prices on the London maf'k'et, : and also' by reason of tho fact'that in'certain quarters tV'ore is. an evident desiro to unduly il.count thefuturo prospects of wool prices, ho' has carefully studied tho figures -of prices of merino wools its supplied by.tho High Commissioner, and compared tho same with those appearing in tlib reports of tho same date from such wellknown firms as Dalgoty' and Co., Murray Roberts and Co., and also the Press Association; and, ;if so, do not the prices as supplied by our High Commissioner report the said wool at prices below its market valuo as reported by the wool-houses already referred to?

' Taking the figures supplied by the High Commissioner; values compare, as under':— Merino—May prices: Superior, lid, to 12} d.; medium, to IOJd.; inferior, s}d. to Bd. July prices; Superior, 10-idl to 12d.; medium, Bd. to 10d.; inferior, pd. to_ U&. Dalgety and Co. V report:—The wool sales have closed.' Competition throughout was fairly, animated. Super merino wools: Prices are on a par with* closing rates of May series. Short faulty scouredmerino 'ivools, unchanged. Prices for other, descriptions are, on the average, .higher, as under, as com'pared with closing rates of last series: Good and medium 8 per cent, j greasy inferior merino wools, 5 per cent; scoured good, and medium merino wools, par to 5 per cent.; fino crossbred wools, par to 5 per cent.; good bright greasy medium crossbred •wools (when bought' for America), 10 per cent.; other medium and coarse crossbred wools (greasy), 5 per, cent.; scoured medium and coarse crossbred wools, unchanged.

Press ' Association report.—Closing prices are mostly idontical witli May closing rates, thq only exceptions being for'medium to good merinos—both ' scoured greasy-r—which are 7} per. cent, dearer than in May.

. Yesterday, the Prime.Minister gavo notice to; move that on- Friday next, the .Hofase Bit until 6.30 p.m., and at its rising adjourn until '2.30 p.m. on Tuesday, August 18.

Mr. Fisher , is. to ask', tho Government whether they.can see their way to replace the members of the Royal Now' Zealand Artillery doing duty-at the Government Buildings by men who aro unfit for other employment and are at present unemployed?

Tho committee to which the Ross Goldfields'Electrical Power Transmission Bill was referred reported that it was "a'hybrid Bill, and recommended that it bo-taken up as a. public Bill. In the courso of discussion- on the procedure to bo followed, the Hon. W. Hall-Joiies said that the. Bill which lie would shortly introduce would ■; contain provisions enabling local'bodies to utilise water powers and allowing other parties who already' had such rights to exercise them for generating electricity and otherwise. ' Mr. T. Y. Seddon, tho member in charge of tho Bill, said ho would bo satisfied if this were dono' and the other clauses were passed as a private Bill. The report was referred back to the committee. - • '. • ■

The report of _ the Board of the Government Railways- 'Superannuation • I?und was presented to' ; ai 'Thti' balance-sheet' shows .that .members contributed £45,669 ; * ~d ui r inl*'''-''the. '''year!-' ■'•"■Finds amounted to £239, and interest to £5352. These amounts, togethor, with.' tho sum. of. £110,736 brought .forward from last.Jear,. bring out the' aggregate suni of £161,997 shown on the debit sido of , the.. balancesheet. The superannuation allowances paid during the year amounted to > £26,758, representing grants to 484 Allowances amounting to £3799 were paid in respect to 105 widows and 173 children. Tho total disbursements for the year amounted to £35,354, leaving a balance of £126,642 to the credit of the fund on March 31 last. .

When members of the House of Representatives,, took their seats yesterday • they were confronted with pamphlets on " Vaccination Disestablishment: An Appeal to the Parliament ' and Peoplo of New Zealand." The Prime Minister took advantage of tho first opening to refer to the booklets,'and, in a jocular way,- to suggest that when pamphlets were distributed , round the House in this way postage stamps at least should be claimed froiii those responsible. _ Ho, said, with a smile; that an investigation should bo made to find'out how they, got there. A little while afterwards, the Speaker, with an effort to be grave, said he had learned the circulars had been distributed -:by- Mr. Greenslade (member fpr AVaikato). The members led and cast laughing eyes at tho guilty member. "No documents," said the Speaker, "aro allowed to be circulated in either the House or in; members' letter-boxes, or within tho precincts ■of thoHouso without the sanction of. the Speaker. That rule will be invariably followed, and members should remember it." (Hear, hear.) Tho member fpr AVaikato rose In his place and apologised, saying he was not awarothat in putting the. circulars in the seats lip had infringed any rule. (Hear,, hear.) With a neat adroitness ho then proceeded to advance the arguments contained in the pamphlet. Members interrupted with various, noises. • "The writer of the pamphlet' asked mo: " said Mr. Green(Interruptions.) " Ho asked me (Continued: interruptions and laughter.) Tho member had another try to be heard and tlion sat down smiling, and the incident passed off amidst laughter. v