NEWS AND NOTES..

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 861, 6 July 1910, Page 4

NEWS AND NOTES..

LOCAL BODIES SINKING FUNDS. The question as to how' the sinking funds 01 local bodies should bo invested will again come before Parliament this session. It will be recalled that this matter led to the defeat of the Government on several divisions last year. Under Section 25 of the Loans to Local Bodies - Amendment Act, . 1908, it is provided that the Public Trustee shall .bo,the, solo commissioner, .of sinking funds of local bodies, and that sucJi funds must bo invested only in Government securities'. Early last session the Dunedin city corporation petitioned the House praying either for the repeal of tho section or for exemption from its operations. Tho committee to whom the petition was referred reported that it. lad no. recommendation .to make. Against the wishes of the Government, however', the House decided to refer the petition to the- Government for consideration. Then later when tho Stats Advances Bill came before tlia House in Committee, tho clause in question was, upon a motion adverse to the desire of tho Government, rejected. Subsequently, however, the Prime- Minister had tho Bill recommitted, but his proposal to have the clause reinserted was unsuccessful. The clause was, however, reinserted later in the'session after the Bill had been in obscurity for some days. Mr. Sidoy, M.P. for Dunedin Central, who introduced the petition'in question', has now introduced a Bill entitled "Tho Local Bodies' Loans Amendment Bill," dealing with this particular matter. It is understood that it may relate only to tho funds of the Dunedin city corporation.

RAILWAY LEGISLATION. Speaking yesterday with reference to the proposed new legislation in regard to the railways, the Hon. J. A. Millar stated that nothing dofinjtc had yet been decided, but it would deal with constructional work as well as with the traffic branch of tho service.

THE BOOKMAKER AND THE TOTALISATOR. There is a good, deal of speculation iii the lobbies as to tho lines which the. Government's Bill relating to gambling will follow. _ It will bo remembered that the Primo Minister has promised that the Houso will havo an opportunity this session of dealing with both tho bookmaker ,and the totalisator. It was reported yesterday that n cardinal feature of tho rueasuro would

be tlio licensing of bookmakers by stipendiary magistrates. No official statement in regard to tlio matter was forthcoming.

BY-LAWS AND INDECENT PUBLICATIONS. Notice was given by the Hon. Dr. Findlay yesterday of his intention to ask leave on tho next sitting clay to introduce a Bill to bo called tho Bylaws Act, 1910, and also a Bill to be called tho Indecent Publications Act, 1910. The announcement of an Indecent Publications Act was received with numerous cries of "Hear, bear." "It will be a very wide-reaching Bill," declared Dr. Findlay.

BILLS TO BE INTRODUCED. Notice of intention to ask for leave to introduce the following Bills was given in tho House yesterday as follows :— Mr. Fisher —Municipal Corporations Amendment Bill (No. 2). Mr. Fisher—Weekly Day of Rest Bill. Mr. T. E. Taylor—Juries Act Amendment Bill. ' Mr. Okey—New Plymouth Racecourse Reserve Leasing Bill. Mr. Davey—Christchurch Tramway Board Amendment Bill. Mr. Buddo —Phosphorus Matches Bill. Mr. R. M'Kcuzie—Stono Quarries Bill. Mr. Millar—Factories Amendment Bill. Sir J. G. Ward—Secret Commissions Bill.

THE LOCKER SYSTEM. A'petition signed by the Rev. I. Jolly, moderator of tho General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church, and the Rev. A. Doull, convener of tho Temperanco Committee, asks that tho locker system be made illegal, as also the manufacture for sale of intoxicating liquor in No-License districts.

LIQUOR IN THE KING COUNTRY. A petition signed by a number of settlers has presented by Mr. Jennings, asking that, in view of the increasing numbor of whites coming into the King Country, the local option system of voting on the liquor question be granted them, and the distinction between tho King Country and other parts of the Dominion in this respect be removed.

WEAKER THAN WATER-GRUEL. "Tho State Coal Departmont, the Fire Insurance Department, and tho Accident Insurance Department of the Government are at tho present time in a halfparalysed condition," Mr. Hogg (Masterton) urged yesterday. "What I blame the Government for," he said, "is' their weakness of administration. Watergruel is nothing to it. (Laughter.) They have no backbone, life, or soul.''

CRADUATED LAND TAX. The increase-in the graduated land tax of recent years was thus set forth' by Mr. Hogg (Masterton) in the House last evening:—On ' properties worth £50,000 the tax in 1892 was £156 05.,, whereas now it is £312 10s, In the' same period the tax on properties worth £100,000 has been increased from £416 13s. 4d.- to £1250, and on' properties worth £210,000 from £1531 to £5250. On properties valued at £10,000 the tax has been reduced from £10 Bs. 4d. to £7 16s. 3d.

JOTTINGS. Mr. Myers, the "new member for Auckland West, who made his first speech in tho House last oveiiing, gave the impression of a quiet, able speaker, who will not set tho assembly on fire. Air. Myers traversed a good many subjects, and concluded with a very detailed and convincing statement of tho rapid development of the North Island, in comparison with tho South, as evidence of tho need for vigilance to 6ce that the North Island is given its failshare of public expenditure. Mr. Samuel Vaile is again asking Parliament, through Mr. Massoy, to givo his zone system of railway administration a trial on Boine suitablo section of railways. The circulation of Hansard is estimated by Mr. Hogg, member for Mas-, terton, at 10,000 at least. Mr. Hogg is a warm admirer of Hansard. Messrs. Okey (Taranaki), Herries (Tauranga), Smith (llangitikei), Te Itangihiroa (N. Maori), and V. Brown (Napier) took up their Parliamentary duties yesterday. According to the Hawera "Star," candidates are already materialising in view of the general elections' in November next year. Mr. E. L. Barton, Mayor of Hawera, has declared his in-, tention of contesting tho Patea seat. Mr. Barton will stand as an Independent.