NEWS AND NOTES.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 310, 24 September 1908, Page 9

NEWS AND NOTES.

THE DAIRY SCHOOL. Some time ago Mr. Field (Otaki) asked for a return of various particulars of offers of sites, etc., for dairy schools. Yesterday' Mr. Field wanted to know, if there was any reason for . the refusal of tho Minister to grant tho return. The Minister's renly was that before the' return was granted tlio" hon. member should show como reason for his request. The Minister also said that Mr. Field's object was no doubt to obtain the~ details with a view of showing that Levin was a more suitable site than Palmerston North for the dairy school. f ("Oh! oh!") He (the Minister) believed there was a feeling throughout the House and country that the best site had been selected. (Mr. Wood and others: "Hear, • hear.") Ho had inspected all the sites, and discussion with settlers had led him to believe Palmerston was tho best spot.. Mr. Field would do well to refrain from stirring up petty jealousies between tho two places. Mr. Field: ''That is all done with." Mr. M'Nab said tho lion, gentleman had not acted in this case as if it was all in tho limbo of the past. Mr. Field: "It is all over long ago." The Minister hoped the House and tho country would work together to make the school a credit to the Dominion. (Hear, hear.) — \ AN INTERESTING FEATU3E. An interesting feature oi tho debate in Committee on the Arbitration Bill, on Tuesday night-was , tho emphatic rejection of tho Conciliation Boards. Mr. A. 11. Barclay proposed an: amendment to reinstate tho boards and substitute them for the Conciliation -Councils in the neiv Arbitration Bill. Mr. Barclay said he desired to got a voto on this point, since almost all the labourorganisations -in the country had pleaded for tho. retention of tho boards. The boards had not had a fair chance, since the institution of the Willis clause. If the boards were conducted differently, and more in accordance with the original intentions of tho framers of tho Arbitration Act, many of the causes of the failures would bo absent. He endeavoured to show why a reformed Conciliation Board would be superior to the now proposals. Tho House heard Mr. Barclay patiently, but when'it came to tho vote he could find no fellow-teller. This placed Mr. Barclay in tho position of being tho only advocate in tho House for tho old Conciliation Board. Tho point is worthy •of note as showing tho unanimity on the subject, It is very rare that a teller cannot be found on an amendment. A USEFUL WORK. There was presented to Parliament on Tuesday a very valuable historical table of tho legislation of New Zealand, by tho Legislative Council of New Zealand, tho Legislative Council of New Munster, and tho General Assembly of Now Zealand, showing the disposition of every public Act, whether previa ously repealed or . not repealed, or repealed and re-enacted bj' the Consolidating Statutes. An enormous _ amount' of careful work must liavo been involved in the preparation of this table, which will enable those administering or studying the law of the.Dominion to find out in what part of tho consolidation amendments out of former Acts are embodied. For instanco, the Financial Arrangements Act of 1876 is now spread over tho Gold Duty Act, tho Pawnbrokers Act, the Dog Registration Act, tho Explosive and Dangerous Goods Act, tho Municipal Corporations Act, etc. The compilation is tho work of Mr. Jolilfo, law draughtsman.

RAILWAY CLASSIFICATION—"D 3." Thoro was applause in tho ITouso last evening when tho Minister for Railways (Hon. W. Hall-Jones) laid the classification list "D 3".upon the tabic. A member asked if the members would be supplied with sufficient copies to send.to those interested. The Minister: I see it is marked "Price two shillings." (Laughter.) Members will receive a fair allowance. "D 3" is a bulky document of 11.2 pages, and contains tho name and classification of every member of the Ha.ilway service, and the salary payable to him. according to the .recent revision. No wonder it has been eagerly looked for!

"No ono would say," remarked tho Hon. J. M'Gowaa yesterday, in tho course of a

debate, "that the oil industry iu New Zealand is not speculative. The lion, gentleman must know," lie added, "that tho people who promoted the companies arc not tho ones who suffered, but those who bought the highpriced shares."

Mr. J. Allen has given notice to ask the Prime Minister whether ho lias read an article in the "Lyttelton Times" of September 16, 1908, headed "The Gag," and, if so, does he, in view of the threat therein contained, intend to talio steps to have tho clause deleted from tho Bill (Second Ballot), and thus avoid tho threatened struggle; if rot, will ho have inserted sufficient, deterrents to prevent tho lav/ being disobeyed, since it. is already publicly declared that the paltry iino proposed will-not do so?

Tho Hon. C. 31. Luke, M.L.C., desires it to be known that ho paired with the Hon. W. C. Smith on the motion to recommit the Second Ballot' Bill. Mr. Luke's name would otherwise havo appeared among who voted , for the recommittal of tho Bill with a view to excising the "gag" clause.

The Hon. J. .M'Gowan had ; 'a playful little tilt at Mr.' T. Mackenzie yesterday. Mr. Mackenzie had found fault with the reports of tho High Commissioner ;;'regardiiig tho price of wool. When tho Minister.was explaining Mr. Mackenzie interrupted. -"You shut up your mouth I" said. the. Minister, a sally that created peals'of laugther, in which tho member for Waikouaiti joined. Then.the Minister had another jibe at. Mr; .Mackenzie. "We shall never get a correct return of the price of wool until tho ■ lion, gontlenian is High Commissioner." The sting in .this instance, as could bo seen by the renewed laughter, was in the tail. The Prime; Minister, speaking later, said lie had recpived notice from the High Commissioner by cable that two letters bearing on this matter of tho reports vrcro oil tho way out to the Dominion now. When these lett-ers were': received ho would, in justice to tho High Commissioner and his staff, lay--them ..oil-tho table of tho .House. His experience had always been that the greatest care had been exercised in dispatching the wool ■ reports, and there had been nothing misleading.

It is ■ ineoricoivable to Mr.';L&'urcnsoti why tho Government should 'malic Quail- IslandLyttelton (tho quarantino station-' J at -'thatport), the leper quarters. Ygs'tSfday'hc'.'liad a question on the Order Paper'!'dealing' with 1 the matter. Why could not onfe-of tho nuin'- : orous islands in it-he- Hauraki Gulf-' bo utilised ? No, that was too near the' liome of the Minister for Health. (Laughter.) He further suggested Queen .-Charlotte' '.Sound. •• Mr. Laurensou protested strongly, against Lyttelton's one ewb lamb : being appropriated purpose. ' THE EDUCATION BILL. MINISTERIAL STATEPsIENT. Mr. Barclay asked the Minister for. Education in the House of Representatives yesterday What courso do you. propose to pursue in connection with -the Education Bill?-" The Minister: •" The matter.will- be dealt, with when a statement is made to tho.House by tho Prime Minister regarding the business to be. dealt with this session." -. This question snd answer enabled.one or. two members to make a few.remarks regard-; ing the'burning question. Mr. Barclay (l)unedin) touched first on the. matter by. saying that he' had voted, for the uniform book unwittingly, thinking it had been for free books. (Cries of : "Oh! ch!" "That is too thiri!" "The old gag!"). - Mr. Barclay said he<de-,. aired the Education Bill to go on and not bo defeated. (Hoar, hear.) It would bo' most' unfortunato if the measure, were , dropped. Mr. Baume (Auckland) also hoped'the Bill would not bo dropped. Tlioso who. had voted for the amendment would seo. that the ing of the Bill was of greater importance, than the preservation,of tho uniform school-, book amendment; Thero might' be some who had voted for tho amendment who had not known what they .wero liad 'tliis position: a very important Bill was before tho country, and tho responsibility; lay with thoso ,who.-'insisted, on''the. uniform school books to pass or_ block tho moasure. .. , . Mr. Hogaii: No; on tho Minister.-:*. ■

Mr; Ait-ken (Wellington) endorsed some of the remarks-of. the last speaker, viz:—That it'was highly necessary / tlio Bill should become law, and at tho- earliest possiblo moment. He was not one who had voted for uniformity in. school books.' lie did not believe in it. But if the Bill did : not,'fcomo" law this session the responsibility'rested with the Cabinet (Hear, hear) because. tho.. mere fact of'their defeat on.onc.clause—though a somewhat 'important clause—would .'.not;..re-' move from their' shoulders the fact of the' Bill not passing. He hoped' the Minister would se.o his way clcar to bring about.whaterer was necessary to. have the: Bill enacted. Ho wanted to impress upon, him. the fact" that the responsibility was his, 'and thattlib. country would look to'.him to see that, it became law. (Hear, hear.) ' " V.' Mr. Hogg (Masterton), while agreeing that tho Bill should be allowed to'.pass, disagreed as to tho responsibility resting with the Minister. Tho responsibility rested, with a number of members of the Houso. '" v"

The Minister for Education said the'member for Duncdin North had let .the. cat. out of'the taw; as. far as that member.-ivas oon-. cerned. But be would go further ..thin. Mr. Barclay and'say that it wouid lie disastrous, if the uniform school book. were instituted.' It would be a different thing altogether'- to tho free school book. It was because, he had thought some members word no doubt in the same position as Mr. Barclay,'and had voted, as they thought, for a free book, that he had taken the course ho had., A.uniform school book would be. a'larger':expense'..to parents'than ten years' cost;.,ofJthb_prcsont interchange from one. district'" to another. . Mr. Wilford: I don't agree withTyou.' Tho Minister said he had. told the member for Hutt uorno timo before that- the question of a uniform book would be gone 'into'.'. ( In. view of that ho had boon very .surprised , when lie moved his motion ill committee. . .."

Mr.' Wilford: I gave you notice of it,