THE SESSION.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 895, 15 August 1910, Page 9

THE SESSION.

vgallbry notes and lobby gossip, Lessees and right of purchase a quiet week-end. Owing to the exodus of a largo num-iber'of-'members ' to Aiickland for' the ' northera winter show, tho lobbies were 'almost deserted during the week-end. The Legislative Council, does not resume its 'sittings vuitil'Wednesday, but momibeis of the/House.of' Representatives. will reassemble on Tuesday evening. (The duration: oiT the debate on tho Budget will probably depend' upon the .' length': of, time that; the" Prime ; Min-. jster ';(Sir' Joseph Ward)" is ' prevented from attending the- House. .If Sir Joseph is ablo to be in; his seat tomorrow night, the debato ; may not go into the next day, 'as the number of . remaining: .members who: had - prepared • speeches has just about ■ reached van- ' 'islung; point.. -As the.session progresses- : the opinion is becoming more and more : general.: that very few: important; mea- /' isures-.will be passed, this year.,- Hardly ' i*. member' now expectsto see. either :a' Land Bill-or a Local Government Bill '.. -(reach 1 the' Statute-book during the curTent session,of Parliament.. ' • C A VINDICATION.: ,/. ■By way of a personal explanation, on > 'Friday-evening, Mr. Malcolm, M.P.' for • : Clutha,' : .'ercectiveiy silenced those Government members 'who have,, lately, 'detwitting him %%.,-;ovei> '.- keenness in securing grants for I roads ~ and ".bridges', in - his district.'" Iri : :'this :■'■' instance ; the member jvho had 'been' referring: to' the matter .was Mr...". Jen-, nings,. M.Pi for Tauhiarunui. Mr;"Mal- ' '• colm, in reply y said it-was' quite ! true ■~" that-lie had had paragraphs inserted in the 'newspapers in his district requesting his constituents : to send in ..- their claims for grants. But he would '■' explain,,why he .had done so. Applications had hitherto come straggling in right up to "tho time of the compiling ,• of the Public'Works-Estimates. Then, - agairij-'it had frequently ;• happened that 'the applications had been too indefinite ."" . —had noVcohtairied the- number of the , section'.'and block' concerned.- He'had therefore publicly;- asked 'that 'all:applications- -should bo sent in early, and "-. ■■.' be'accompahied'by,the full details., That . was' the 1 oiily ibbject that he bad had • in , making - ; -this "' request. ■'. "I don't dehy,"'-'ho'added, "that I.have always dohe' : my-'best';to get the settlers in my ' district," especially those in>the back-' ■blocks,;-, as- much in the:way of grants ; as ..possible.". l (Hear,' hears.) : -.■■'•'

MED ICA L INSPECTI ON OF SC H OOLS

Regulations are being prepared for tie medical inspection of schools throughout Now'Zealand;--According'to the Hon. D. ; Buddoi..(Minister -for. Public Health) every'school "will :• be.-embraced in the scheme.-"- The- examination will include inspection oHheteoth, physical-develop-ment, .and general health. The inspection' will be carried out by .'.the, district, medical- officers, under the- auspices" of. thei local ."education boards. ,!'V ' ASTOUNDED. :. . The recent strictures passed by :Mr. T: E: '- Taylor, M.P. for. Ghristchurch. North,, in regard-to a'petition presented last session requesting that: lessees of the' ■ ! Native. ?' reserves at.' Grcymouth 6hould be given the. opportunity of acquiring tho freehold, were referred to •by'-3fr:.vJiendng9-,?M.P.?for.Taumaruniii,, in' t&; House -on Friday. He said that he .thought- it...was very, improper;.for Mr.. Taylor-toih'ave. referred.to the.peti-tioners'.-as .'.'thieves and robbers." In. fact,- he :was astounded that he. should iliave'-been allowed to use the term, but he'took it that ;the Hon. the Speaker was diffident, to interfere, because the petitioners"\were. residents of his district.; What was the position*? ■he asked.'.The lessees did not want the freehold on unfair terms. Why, it had been stated in evidence.that if the-proposals .were fair and reasonable ..the,..owners, would not likely oppose them'.,, Petitioners wluvapplied to the House.in tho constitutional way should,not be allowed to be described in the way that he com.Such : a ,thing was very, regrettable. '.'"'' ".'; ' •..'...'..,, •-.-■. PROPERTY LAV/ AMENDMENT. ■ A Bili entitled J:the: Property . Law Amendment has beeii introduced by Mr. E. H. Taylor (Thames). , The mata. pro-.. ..vision of the- Bill is that the owner,of 'a lease for a term of not less than seven years shall have a right :to,at any. time during--the existence of the lease, purchase the fee simple of the' land comprised'in the Tease at a price equal to the. capital value of the land on. the date of the commencement of the lease. The capital value shall be determined.by valuation ,or arbitration, and. shall. ,h> "elude,, the value, of all -minerals .other than/gold and but shall, not in-clude-the value' of; any improvements placed on the'land during thecontinu-'. ance'of:the lease. . .-"'. ..-'■.•,.- s-. ' .In : ;exp]aining'the" 'details of .the Bill to, a'reporter, Mr. 'Taylor said it might be-that.when ;the,.Land,Bill was before the House'-some;' portion''; of, his.; Bill, might be.'.-adopted, .in--'which' case ho Would be satisfied.", ... '.'■-.- i