POLITICAL NOTES.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 907, 29 August 1910, Page 6

POLITICAL NOTES.

BUSINESS FOR TO-MORROW. It is expected that when the House meets to-morrow the report'on.lhcChristohurch police records case will be brought [down.. It'is probable that the House will go on with the, Public Debt Extinction ;Bill in Committee. Now that Government business has precedence oyer private members' business the House will go right ahead with Government business. Although the Estimates may not coruo on on Friday next it is not anticipated that the Prime Minister will'adhere to .his recent, threat to keep them back for six weeks. , In the legislative Council the Imprest ■Supply Bill will he passed through all its :stages. Tho notices of motion include the Hon. Br. Collins's motion as lo the necessity for further legislation to ensure a purer milk supply to the chief cities of the Dominion. The orders.of .the. Jar include the second readings of 'the Law Practitioners Amendment Bill, .Companies Amendment Bill, and. Phosphorus Matches. Bill. . WORKERS' DWELLINGS. A return' presented to Parliament shows that all the 1 workers' dwellings erected by the State throughout New Zealand arc occupied except one at Win'dlc settlement,' Dunedin, and eight at Petone. On .March 31 Inst the • arrears of rent, exclusive of current payments, wore JEI73 Gs. 7d. NATIVE TOWNSHIPS BILL. . It is considered ~ Uy Mr. Jennings, Chairman of the Native Affairs Committee, that tho Native Townships Bill will afford'much, .greater security to people who have lands in these townships, and will, do away, with a considerable amount of the harassment to. which towns such os Tc Kuiti and Taumarunui have been subjected in the past. The Bill has been reported by - the Native. Affairs Committee with .practically only ono amendment,. which permits of exchange. One important principle in tho Bill is that tho. Government shall have the right of purchasing' the freehold. . .MONEY FOR METALLING. • Sine* tho Minister for Public Works announced his willingness to • grant/h £ for £ subsidy to'local bodies on-money spenr on.road metalling, considerable activity has been shown in this direction. Mr. Jennings states that one county council in his electorate (Taumarunui) has put in an application for ten thousand pounds, the,work to be spread over a considerable time. i - . KAWHIA COALFIELD. In view of the recent discussion on the possibility of opening up,fresh coalfields in the vicinity of Auckland, it is interesting to 'note the geological features 1 of the Kawhiu Held... A geological survey, of this field was made some time ago,, but the findings are not generally known, and Mr.' Jennings,, member for-the district, has had a number of.requests for information on the point. , The Kawliia coalfield is part of, an extensive, development that stretches, along the western slopes.of the range from the Lower. Mokau to-a.point, on the Wnikato between Mercer and the-mouth of the river. The Miranda and Tnupiri coal seams belong, tii this.same field and.formation; In: the northern - part of this area coal is known south-east of Raglan, <m . Whangaroa,. Harbour, and exposures are likely to occur in the streams draining, into Aolea Harbour, btir for some distance between Aotca and Kaiyhia' Harbours the eastern margin of the coal lands is covered by volcanic rooks. In ISS3 samples of. coal were analysed with the following result:—Fixed carbon, 41.37 per cent.; hydrocarbon, 30.22 per cent.; water, 26.20 per cent.; ash, 2.21 per cent. It. will, bo seen from'this ..that the.coal is of poor-^iWalitj'''liii' :j ili'steaiiV coal, though it may be of value for household purposes, ■ and. may even be of use in stationary engines. If the co'al from the Awaron River stands the weather well, arid does not, in losing .part of its water, crumble to small nuts and dust, this would to ■■ some extent compensate for the low percentage of fixed carbon and consequent shortage of evaporative power, some highly. hydrous coals possessing this property' of cohering much better . than coals having less water intheir, composition. ;-■"■■ : CHOICE ART SPECIMENS. '■ In the course of his annual report, the Parliamentary Librarian (Mr. Chas. Wilson) states that 'an .exceedingly valua'u'o collection of" etchings and-engravings was presented many years ago by tho Into Bishop Monrad, and in view of the increasing interest in art throughout the Dominion, Mr. :Wilson suggests that tho. collection be carefully ; classified and framed, and the choicer specimens mounted on revolving stands. The (Collection '■. includes original etchings by Eombraridt, Albrecht, D.urer, Van Ostadc, John Steen, and others,- and it is understood that if the librarian's proposal, as above stated, is carried put, he intends to suggest that, they be lent put to. tho various art societies of the Dominion difring the recess for' exhibition, i TEACHERS' SUPERANNUATION FUND. . Tho number of contributors under tho Teachers' Superannuation Act at the end of 1909. was 3152. The. annual rate of contribution paid as at the end of the year was over .£35,500, and the number of retiring allowances in force was 21G, representing an annual charge 'of over .G9500.. The balance at the credit of the fund and invested by the Public Trusteeat the end of the year was .£118,015. Tho average rate of interest earned by the investment.at the end of the year was 4.78 per cent. •■-•..- . i