POLITICAL NOTES.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 977, 18 November 1910, Page 5

POLITICAL NOTES.

~ TWO LABOUR BILLS POSTPONED. ■ ' The Labour Bills.Committee, after con- '., Qdering the ..Workers' Compensation 'Amendment Bill; has recommended that it should be held over till next session, and a similar recommendation has been \made by the committee in the case of the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration . \Act. Amendment Bill, No. 1. NAPIER MUNICIPAL' THEATRE BILL. ■"':;.' The Local Bills Committee, having tiefiberated , on the .Napier Municipal Theatre: and Building Bill, has reported that after' hearing evidence and seeing ■■; that the School Committee has passed a resolution against the proposal, so long as the school remains, in the present posi- .'.- lion, it has no recommendation to make. DEMAND.FOR THE FREEHOLD. ;. 'An interesting,return laid on the table ••■ of the House, to the order of Mr..,Ruseell,'shows •■ the .number of . lease-in-perpetuity holders in each land district . who have.!made-;application for the right to purohase the. ; fee-simple. The figures- . (wet—, i.' ■. : - : . ■. '■ .•,: '■■ ..•'■. ■'. :■ '•..■■'■'.. ; . : '■■'■'] Numberof .. ; . : ■■.■■.''•' '■:.'> applications to Land; District.. ,; acquire freehold. '' Auckland ....,>. ....' 49 ".-.. Hawke's Bay 8 • Taranaki .;..... 11 -Wellington .• ;...•" .24 ;■■■ •• Nelson .-....; .'.1.............; 41 Marlborough .., 15 Westland ; 10 ".: Canterbury .............; .4 Otago 8 Southland ..,.....„ 40 Total ....,.„;„ ~„ 210 ■-■'■■■;. ■; .' THE STATE TOWN. \.'-'k return has been laid on the table : Df the House, to the order of Mr. Okey, Aowing ; the total exnenditure by the Government in the township of Rotorua ■ Binoe taking control of the town iu 1907, . up to March -31, 1910, and : the . total . revenue during the same period. The figures are:—Expenditure (exclusive' of Bayments but of Rotorua.town account)— onsolidated Fund, Public, Works .' total, .JE8.1,858. : Revenue (exclusive'' of. Rotorua " town' account)— - £25,317; v;; ; j :' ; :r v ;," ;■":•-. ■.';•: .;■ TONTINE' INSURANCE •; SYSTEM. . The.'question, of .' tontine 'insurance policies, again cropned. ud in the House yesterday;'.. Recently Messrs. A. 'A. and . : W. T. Larsen, .of ..Wanganui, petitioned . Parliament for. legislation affording, protection :and relief from"'.the methods of '■■ -the. Colonial Mutual.'Life. -Assurance ■ Sociefy/.Ltd., the complaint of petitioners < being directed. against;the tontine' poli;cies. /After"deliberation, the Public Ac--11 counts.: Committee reported that .it had '• no'recommendation to make- on .the peti,tion,',but the House referred the petition' ■back; to the committee. ..The committee . again _reported that it : saw'no reason to alter, its previous report, and again the _ House referred the petition back • to : it. . Yesterday the committee made its third : ; report.'lt submitted its previous reports, ■ with the additional recommendation that • . steps be , taken .to ascertain'what legislalation has been passed by other countries regarding life; insurance policies, with' the view of protecting the public: in' order that legislation for- the same Durpo'se may (if considered advisable' by the Governtaent) be introduced/next sessipn. ; . ANOTHER CHANCE! _ For some days there has been' a good oeal of speculation in the- lobbies as to whether tho Government will bring for- . ward. a Municipal ■ Corporations Amendment Bill for further consideration. It •■ .will .be recalled ■ that progress was reported upon. the. measure after, a. clause had been inserted on the motion of Mr. WUford. (Hutt), to. tho efEcct that iu connection with the erection and , alterationsoi buildings the Government should be .subject to the municipal by-laws the .earmv as -private residents. Only a djiy ■■• J? , two _. a|?o. the Prime Minister ' hinted that -the Bill might: not come on ngain ■this session. "Apparently" (he said) • members did -not want the Bill, or they wanted 'the Government to be run by ■' the local bodies." As it was felt by Bome t members that it would bo a pity for the Bill to bo lost on account of one ■-. moot clause, a petition was sent round ' for..signature by members, and afterwards: for presentation to the Primo Minister. It is now reported that the House will be given a chance to remove the objectionable" clause.