NEWS AND NOTES.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 681, 4 December 1909, Page 7

NEWS AND NOTES.

:';i\:';.-,; HOW; MEMBERS WORK. : ; 'A considerable discussion toot place in ihe Houso yesterday on a : motion of the PrimeMinister that on and after-to-day the House should sit on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., for : tho .consideration of orders of tho day .only,'local Bills to take precedence, and afterwards Government business. -Mr.' '.Fisher '.('Wellington. Central) said they could not discuss tho important proposals before the House properly by Christmas, and io force the: House, to sit six days a week was absolutely absurd, and a violation of the promise made by the Prime-Minister • when ho went Home that'the House would bo enabled to'dispose of tho business. "What are you paid for?" ..asked Mr. Pisher. in 'reply to an interjection. "You aro - not paid to plough your paddocks and work. .You aro paid ,£3OO to look after the business of tho country, and you, ought to do it." It would suit the Ministry to carry on the administration for twelve months without Parliament sitting at all. They were threatened with legislation by exhaustion in'an infinitely .worse form than ever before ■ ~ Mr, Hogan (Wanganui) referred to Mr. Fisher's "clap-trap," and when asked to withdraw the expression substituted "political:flapdoodle." Mr. Pisher, ho asserted,, was one of the .worst time wasters in tho House, if speaking could be called wasting time.. Tho question of "what aro you paid for?"-was becoming very common. It was used in newspapers, but 80 per cent..'of tho editors who used 1 it. did not know what they were writing about. There Were, members -who put: through. 300.letters: in a--week,/and, after.rising at 2.30 a.m., camb back-:at 0.30 a-ro.: to sit oh three committees. If members, woirepafd JCSOO a year it would not be. too much for their services -to the .country.. /; ; ,Mr.'Jennings' (Taumarunui) objected to tho "audacity and.'eurontery":of-Mr. Fisher. .: •Mr.'Wilfbrd suggested that the' House should sit right on from Friday afternoon till Saturday- afternoon, and, in answer, to Mr. Massey, said'the suggestion was. quite serious. ..'Mr. Massey said he was not going to allow all-night sittings. . ..The motion.Was adopted..

. ;;v ; ;':; :hutt ; park sat;-V;■; • 'The Local Bills. Committee has deleted from .the Hutt Park Bill the clause providing; for ah increase'in tho number of days upon which: a ; charge for admission may. : be made from 10 to 26., : ! ~,;../';'; ;;;'';. reporters'lpeeches. / ■ ',',Xike excellent reports;, in, tho , daily press,", was the ideal set by: Mr.''Thomson' (Wallace) yesterday 'lor an improved; con.'densed. Hansard. ...;- '- ~- .•', , , ■;".".'.- ; - ;"The -reporters make better Speeches than, w0.d0," .interjected Mr., Baumo. _ ■ :. - ;• HABBITS, IN THE 'KING COUNTRY. /, ;f According to- Mr; Jennings, M:P., /who has just'_returned from a visit io. his,electorate, rabbits. : arp". increasing if a" very-rapid rate in certain 'portions .-of- thoKing: Country. Ho says that/.i: very large-number wero/ observed ,be ; twoeu' Otorohanga, and Kopua, mostly onun.: o'cciipied, land.,' He -states tnat, the present sys. tern, of poisoning and: shooting. does 'not, ap-, ipear-.tb.'be. effective,'and unless 'some'-'success-' lui steps are'taken to copo with the.nuisanca cerious trouble is in front of the. settlers." Mr:; Jennings -is bringing the subject under the; notice of the' Minister, for Agriculture.. ■'-.

;■;. QUESTIONS, AND MOTIONS. ';:-/ ;Mr. Witty -has'given- notice to ask tho Government whether, .they will. favourably consider the! ;udvisableness,'; on ..sanitary grounds, of amending the law by.doing away with tho customary inbthod-'ofMaking tho path: - : ';.../;,, , -Mr, Wright intends-to movo that• there bo! laid - before the House a' return; showing—(l). Kbwmaiiy. members "of the-'Npw.;. ileaianu -Society ;bf kecbuntants 1 have -placed v their; names oh-;thb. Wellington Provincial'District-rbltj,'(2). how many voted at' the recent election'; and (8)' :woro : .any informal '.ybtes edst in this :l district, nnd.'if .so, how many? '.'■'..,; v'-.';... •■'.:. ■ ;■ Mr. -Luke desires to know, from the Ministor. for: Public Works whether he will at an early, date to the. deputation of, residents .of.-. To' Aro, Kilbirnic, and Mirimar, Peninsula, who ;Waited Ph ,his -prodecessor,' the Hon; W. • HallJones, asking for the extension of. tho railway system' beyond. To A ro, ? and ; to /serve .■' tho; community of tho south end of the city'and Mirajnar.;:.; /;. '..-'•- -...— . ..;;'.;.■//

;■ Mr. Wright has v given notice to ask tho Mini-, 'Customs ,whethor:,ho. will■ take. stops this session-to amoricl;'tho regulations:'r6garding .'drawback' of • duty on ships'.stores, making: it; possible for merchants -to obtain' drawback ori_>gbo4s .supplied as ships' /stores>to; foreigngoing- vessels. ■'■■':/■'' ' : '■'■■■■■'■■,''■'■ <.":■:■■■■' : < : :'.;■/ ','

'"'' Mr; H%aron will ask the Prime' Ministor ■whether,he will, cause inquiry.to be inado into tho circnmstancesunder.which an official of the Post- OfSco ..Sayings 13ank, at Wellington,'., aconsedaßianof having; recoived'and held the 'sum'of,-.£14 in place'of'Us.; for .which.ho had given a receipt by. way of withdrawal from tho bank, and way.'the said person,(after having distinctly.stated that ho had.,not received the 'MlAn question) was subjected 1 to the annoyance of an examination ■by tho chief detective at tho police;station.: •''. ; . ..:'.!, -:;',■';;;-:,;;'

■'i: A 'petition has been:presented'-by. X'nurchce Kelly,-,-of. Wellington, 1 -through, Mr.'Colvih, M.P;, :• praying 'to bo'brought;.uhd«r 'the Railway: Pension Fund.. Petitioner, was transferred -from clerical : wbrk in 1 the Railway to labouring work in, 1892.•'.- Ho states that ho wos.given.nq reason for tho,.transference,' and that his ca'sb has;been favourably considered by ft former Petitions Committee.;,;: I i The Eon. J.; E..Jcnkinson'has Ijcen elected. chairman joftha. Public Potitions /Committee of tho. Legislative Councils ~'