POLITICAL NOTES.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 961, 31 October 1910, Page 8

POLITICAL NOTES.

IS THE END OF THE SESSION IN SICHT? THE COINAGE QUESTION. ■ Inquiries'during the \?eek-end show that members seem quite in the dark as to when tho session will end. In the lobbies two ontirely different views are! held "on-the'subject. It is asserted on' -the: one'-haud' that an ' attempt is to be made to finish up on; Saturday week. This might !not .be impossible if the' Licensing Bill and the. Land Bill weref jettisoned/ but it would alsomeau that' sonie' other important measures, including the National Annuities Bill, would have to bq dropped. On the other; hand,-'there' is reason' to believe ■ that the; government: is .not in a hurry to close the session: for. three or four weeks., .Even .those who hold this opinion are convinced that. the Land Bill and the Licensing Bill will not go farther than thciri second ' reading. It is stated that the; object in holding a protracted, session will 'be. that it is.intended to postpone next session for 'a month owing to the likely absence of the Prime • Minister at the Coronation celebrations. Nothing definite can, however, be learned on the subject.

RECEIVED,THE ROYAL ASSENT. So far twenty-two Bills passed this session have received the Royal assent, They are as underlmprest Supply Act, Imprest Supply Act No. 2,. Imprest Supply -No. 3, Phosphorus Matches Act,. Exhibitions Act, Town Boards Amondment Act, Gisborne Harbour Amendment Act, Rangitaiki Land Drainage" Act; Imprest v 'Supply' Act No. 4, Foreign Insurance Companies' Deposits" Amendment Act, 1910, Public Debt Extinction Act, Hutt Railways Amendment Act, Tobacco Amendment Act,' New Zealand State'! Guaranteed Advances Act,',"Aid 'to Public. Works and Land Settlement Act, Christchurch Tramway . District , , Amendment Act, Roman Catholic 'Archbishop of Wellington Empowering Act," Canterbury College and Canterbury ■ Agricultural College Amendment ,Act,_ Wangauui Church A.cre Act a'nd ; Christ's College Act. Several other' Bills have since passed through their final' stages. REPRESENTATION ON HARBOUR boards. ; . A deputation consisting of Messrs.. H: C. Tew'sle'y and G: 'Wilson, representing the -Wellington ; and ' other Chambers of Commerce, waited on the Hon. J.' A". Millar on Saturday morning and. urged that lie should ,do his utmost '.to retain' representatives of payors of dues on harbour boards.' The Minister, expressed "himself. as ! fully ..in favoui" of the proposal. • Under the widened franchise it would be quite possible:that men lacking,business ability would be elected, but' if, payers of dues - were represented that would ensure - a practical man • being on _ the board. ' The ' .Government would' "haiig on"'"ttf.'.the''payer's"of,dues, as far. as'it could. Ho 'did- not think there would be any further trouble about it.

THE COINAGE DIFFICULTY. ,; Some a number of commumcations' passed: between', the' New Zealand Government .and. the Federal Government with reference to the terms upon which l -the- "Kangaroo'' coinage might be allbwed'tt/circulate in the Dominion. . At from Australia": are /somewhat'..inconvenienced to find;, lipoii- arrival in.', New. Zealand that not legal tender here.'; The position/: (it will '.be recalled).- was that-New Zealand: claimed'. that th<3 introduction of' tho Commonwealth' "currency,/-shouldJ'.bo . conditional upon .tho paymont to the. Dominion .Government of - a 11 percentage 1 of the 1 profits or .manufacture, which were stated to be by no. means small, especially oii- silver coins. New Zealand draws its currency .from.'the Home Government which pays all freight charges, but does not allow any part of the profits of manufacture to be taken by this country... The matter' : is!' understood";., tov/. bo:- hung up. in the'' meantime owing to''the- fact 'thai -it ~ involves' consultation :with the Home: Government. It .is: :unlikely, therefore, that the question .will come before Parliament until next session. ' In the meantime; it will probably. be considered/at the forthcoming Imperial "Conference. It is felt that the New' Zealand representative, at tho Conference,would he . well supported if lie raised .the "whole question of the'desirableness of a workable' arrangement, providing for 'the interehangeability within the. Empire of the coinage in use in' its'various component parts.

IMPREST SUPPLY BILL PASSED. The Legislative Council met at 9.30. oil' Saturday morning and put the Imprest Supply Bill' No. 5 through all its stage:..' Speaking on the second reading the Hon. R. A. Lo'ughnan remarked that ,!he had; noticed that in the quart's ' revonufj. returns ijlio receipts from death-duties,-.w.era not given apart from the ordinary stamp revenue. .He thought'the amounts should be given separately. ■ . - . ~ _ v . Further" consideration of the _Law Practitioners 'Amendment Bill in CommiUce was' postponed, until Wednesday.