LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 946, 13 October 1910, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

■ The Prime Minister is being asked by Mr. Hine whether it is a fact that the Government ■ proposed expending 'JSWGO. for the 'purchase:of statuary,for the:exterior of the- GeneraUPosj: Office, nowJiti:course of erection.in Wellington; and, if so; will , the: Government reconsider their, decision, so that the : riioney;' may be: expended in making, roads 'or: bridging'. rivers'.an'"-the backblocks. .'-,,,' V, \. .'■ -';/■■■•■'"-.' V'-;--. I '. ;:"-■■

•■-Among; the many rules,- more'., or -less picturesque,: which govera- Parliamentary, procedure,.-is one that when' members 'are' addressing the. Speaker on the'subject of ■divisions , they must-' remain seated, and covered./ This rule got, inutile .way of. the Hon. A: T.-Ngata .'on j Tuesday, and:' ■he -tripped.violently-over , it.:',The names' of Mii.::T..K.-.Sidey;.:and;:Mr;: were: .included on-both' sides.(if. a.division'list.' .The Speaker -asked : for -/ah and; .by' force of Vlvabit,'.-Mr, ffNgata: /rose,' -uncovered;., :to'--:-:furnish! it; .■;' liiutediately there were cries of,"Sit'down;'/.Put- on, your hat.";. Mr. Ngatasat-dqivny but-the second injunction/was not (eo.'.easily- obey-.ed,--fpr-.hats : were scarce.in .the-Ghamber at :,the -niomen't.- Eventually."lirV-Green-' skde obliged witha'green "irilby": that : did:'.jiot fit. Mr;. Ngata, but there is. no, rnle '■' against -a'; misfit Mr.'. ■■ Ngata the hat -was' passwl to. ; Mr^Sidey,. who also v;anted to.explain,his v'otei aiid finally.it got.baolcto.Mr.,'Gre'onElade./- -/'':>.:..,,;■:.■;

'\: The: Minister for: Eailwiys is being asked by Mr.;'Buchanan whether a recent cablegram from; Sydney. :in : ■ the- -newspapers .has come'under•vhis..;noticei:.stat•mg ;that, a.-;farmer:, v there' was*-, awarded by -the-: Circuit./ Court: for /damages caused by .a^spark'from,a. railway: locomotive.'. which-Veet /fire'.' to-his propertv; •and whether' he .■•will .'.this, session take steps'to amend;.the'laif'so as to-.cpnfer-the right ■ upon;. New.' Zealand .farmers to sue: the^Government-,under similar oil-' pumstances;f'y : /': /:■;';;;/:,,-. ■'■:.•:'■.■■:'. '-,-..'.■"■;■

',' At. , prese'nt:";>the : greater , part. 'of-/ the , ' trade of Kawhia goes >to ■ the Manukau/ though ; part -goes, .to .Waitara. There" seoins,-however,/a .chancev.that'Wellington merchants -will ;-be /able- ;in ■ spite 'ofthe .handicap: of distance'- (Kawhia being 'much nearer, to' Auckland;:-than'-: to Wellington)'to divert tho trade, to- their port;'It is 'stated : that tile' Kawhia coming more and ; uiore: to regard /Wellington as their distributing,'centre! /■ In view .of ..this, .a' proposal'"'is'' on foot.,to ran. small steamers from Wellington to PateaV New Plymouth.V-Waitara, and' Kawhia.; '/.;■..■':.■'.■■/;:,':''.' •■ v=' •-.= -:-''' ;. i ; ■

:'■'; {SeyeraL\ representations- were "■-- made to '■ Ministers last night by: Mr. ..Jonathan, ,'chairinan of vthe'.Kawhia -Town Board, and; a member... of. the. KaVhia Harbour .Board: . Accompanied by Mr/'W. : T. Jennings, M.P., Mr.; Jonathan 'waited on the' Minister .for Marine, (the .Hon.. J; -A.' Millar V and asked' that -the • Eaivhi'a Harbour Board,,"ivhioh has -.raised'- a loan of one.thousand.pounds,.should be:granted a ' subsidy. /Mr. Millar'said the -request' was, rather, , ,an unusual one, 'tis- far as harbour, improvement,was concerned, ; but' he promised to' consider it. - Tho deputation also asked for'.a ';subsidy' for the building of- a. wharfc at: Lemon ' .Point; Kinohakn, and Mr; Millar promised . a contribution of pound .'for. pound'. /The deputation also' approached 'the Minister for Public Works i ,(the';Hpn.-E. ; M'Konzie) for assistance in.bringing-iha-main road from Kawhia' Harbour to iQparau Terry into a tit state. for. wheel traffio; The rpauest will be considered. ■'■' '

The Colonial Sugar "Company has thia day reduced the price' of all grades of sugar, by twenty shillings per; ton. , '-:'■/

In the course of. a reply to a question ,by Mr. Jennings as to whether lie will amend the -land Act in the direction of extending •• the . short-Government-reserve leases of small areas in bush districts, the Minister for -Lands says the question, of dealing with public'reserves is' under consideration;- and. during the recess the present law in connection with the matter will be, carefully' considered andiroviscd, if necessary, , with.a view to future legislation.; '■ . , .-•-. ' ,

■ As announced some months ago Messrs. Clias. Bcgß and. Co.' have purchased the freehold of. the Tiloclc of Manners Street land now occupied' by' Mr. Shakes, tobacconist, and "The Hat Box." The firm lias now let a contract toa Dunedin finn of builders for. the erection of. a threostory brick ■warehouse: of-.the most modern order, which' is to cost" ,£IO,OOO. Tho building will have a frontage to 'Manners Street of 35ft. by a depth of 120 ft., with an entrance (28ft in width) from St. Hill Street to' the rear of the'block. The shop will'be 28ft. by 80ft., -surrounded' by a ijallcry r on tho first floor,';off whichprovision ■.will-be made for-.half-α-dozoir teaching rooms.. There will bo room for the display of 100 pianos, besides ample accommodation for gramaphonos, offices,' work-rooms,.etc. ;■■ , : -. ■ ''_/. : .-■■ .-• Included \in the Moeraki's cargo from Sydney yesterday wero 2500 cases of fruit for Wellington. 1 ~,.... '.;;.; /

The Minister for Public Works has informed Mr. Hine, M.P., that it is expected that the Pohukura section of ithe Strafford-Ongaruo railway will be opened tor traffic about the end of the present year. . . ... •■ .

The Prime Minister has informed Mr. Newman, M.P., that he is unable to favourably consider the. suggestion that public buildings or accessories towards the cost of erection of which the public or local authority contribute should be insured to the extent of the contributions made by the -public or local authority. A case of loss through lack of. the above provision was quoted by Mr. Newman, who instanced the loss of the Bulls town clock. This matter, says the Prime Minister, is being considered separately. , ; ■ .

Tho passengers for Wellington by the Jloeraki yesterday included thirteen Chinese, all former settlers in the Dominion. -...."

A patriotic appeal to' the young New Zealander" was made by Mr. ' Eichard Monk at the. Old Colonists'- ; : E-eunion at Auckland on .Mr. Monk: said that for once he felt. inclined to boast. Years ago he had advocated- the drilling of the children in school, cheap;ammunition, and cheap rifle ranges, and they, would see that he had anticipated what New 'Zealand ■ was now accepting. •'■ (Ap.plause.) He appealed ,to young people, the children 'and .grandchildren of the old , pioneers; 'to "accept intb-their hearts and minds..the conception of a great Empire counoil.ih.: which tlie best men , ' of the Old Country,- would be assembled,. arid-to. which, representatives of; the self-governing.'colonies ;would also go.' There were those; who. decried sentiment, wl!o said it had no place in our modern sociology, but. it was the'. sentiment; for righteousness .':that had temi pered'theiron. ; spirit' arid had.strengthened the lives of the old pioneers. He wanted their ■ sons, the natives:.of.New ■Zealand, to' have: great; ideas, -War. arid afflictions were rib doubt-ahead,' bu't^they must, aim high;; They must' aim, so. that: there ; should be no room in Parliament for. wasters,; and '-. that. their -Ministers of the . Crown , should be abounding 1 in| wisdom ;arid iii' the; spirit of integrity; (Applause.) .That was a big order,' but New Zealand'-must be'equal to it.. ■ ■