NEWS AND NOTES.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1221, 1 September 1911, Page 7

NEWS AND NOTES.

RAILWAY PORTER'S PETITION. Thomas M'Gahan, of Tuakau, laboured for tnirty-iive years in tne service of tho Railway Department, and was then dismissed for un oversight which caused the partial derailment of an empty goods train at Whaugarata, on September 23, 1909. The fault, ho states ill a petition presented to X J arliament yesterday, was directly due to his efficiency being worn down by overwork. Tho petition states that though embarrassed by the Department in his appeal, he finally established his case, and the Appeal Board decided that the penalty was too severe. He was not reinstated till February 23, five mouths after liis dismissal, and the loss in wages was .£55, in addition to which he was fined £o, the maximum penalty under tho Railways Act. Upon his reinstatement, M'Gahan states that lie was given tho laborious work of surfaceman, which resulted in his complete physical breakdown, and enforced retirement from the service two months later. He petitions Parliament for arrears of pay of which he says he was deprived "by the unduly vindictive duration of his suspension," and .£6O compensation.

SATURDAY HALF-HOLIDAY. rJ, he „J J " iv€rsal Saturday Half-Holiday Bill (Mr. Lanrenson) provides that all shops as defined by the Shops and Offices Act, 1903, shall close not later than noon every Saturday, and remain closed the rest of the day. The business places of fishmongers, fruiterers, confectioners, refreshment room keepers, bakers, and railway bookstall-keepers are exempted, but their assistants are not to be thereby deprived of tho right to a half-holiday during the week. The work of loading and discharging vcascls must cqqsb fit noon on Saturdays, but in cases of urgencv ships may be worked dn payment of overtime. LAND ACT AMENDMENT. The Land Act Amendment (Xo. 2), introduced by Sir W. ,T. Steward, aims at amending the principal Act by additions to the list of exempted interests, in Section 3-47, to which the limitation provisions that apply to ordinary private lands do not apply. The additions include land dedicated as a road, Crown lands sold for dairy or other faetorv sites or for similar purposes in the public interest, and Crown lands exchanged for privato lands; any interest acquired in rcsnect of land received from the Crown or anv local authority pursuant to any contract or arrangement for exchange of land for roads or any public purpose; any interest acquired in respect of land formerlv used or laid off as a road, but subsnnuonr-' ly closed or stopped (whether under the provisions of the Public Works Act or any other enactment) and sold to any person. Tho amendments are to bo retroactive in their operation and to apply to all interests acquired since tho Land Act Amendment of 1907 was passed. OLD SOLDIERS' PENSIONS. During t.he session a 'number of petitions have been received from war veterans asking for some reward for their services to tho country. In the House yesterday afternoon,' Mr. 11. 13. Fisher (Wellington Central) asked when tho HousG would be given tho reports of the Magisterial inquiries regarding the claims of tho old soldiers. Sonic of the men v;ero as old as 85 years, and. if there was much more delay in dealing with their claims the majority, of those whom it was intended should benefit would be dead and buried. He believed the House desired to do something for the soldiers who fonght for the colony in the early days, but. as the matter was the subject of inquiry, the Petitions Committee could not deal with the individual.-petitions referred to them. In the absence of the Prime Minister, Sir James Carroll replied that notice should.be given of tho question, and it was accordingly placed on the Order Paper.

A MIRAMAR PETITION. The M. to Z Petitions Committee reported yesterday on the petitions of Emily Meynell and Archibald Crickton, of Miramar, who wished for an inquiry into the conduct of the police that led up to the committal of the children of the female petitioner to a Government Receiving- Home, and for the return of the children to her.Tho view taken by the committee was that until relationships were established between the two petitioners, the children should not be returned. Sir. Luke, who had presented the petition, expressed satisfaction with the report, which was adopted by the House. _ ' NATIONAL INSURANCE,

A Bill lias been introduced by Sir Arthur Guinness embodying a scheme of compulsory insurance against sickness and accident. The- measure is based on the German scheme, which also forms the basis of the legislation introduced in the Imperial Parliament by tho Hon. D. Lloyd-George, an:l not yet finally dealt with. Sir Arthur Guinness introduced his Bill last session, but it did not come on for second reading. The worker is now guaranteed compensation for injuries sustained during employment, by the Workers' Compensation Act, but tho protection afforded by this legislation is confined to the working hours only. The Bill proposes to repeal tho Workers' Compensation Act, and to substitute a scheme by which every person whose average weekly earnings do not exceed JCo will reccive an allowance equal to haH his average earnings, with a minimum of ,£1 per week, during any period in which he is incapaciated from employment by accidental injuries or by sickness. The protection covers the whole of the twenty-four hours of the day. A fund is to be established and maintained by contributions paid by the employers, who are to be reimbursed to the extent of one-fourth of tho amount, paid in respect of each employee by deducting the amount of the worker's contribution from his wuges. The fund will be administered by a special board consisting of tho Public Trustee, chairman and two employers and two workers. There is a general provision that the board will determine whether an incapacity is temporary or permanent, and that no compensation shall exceed in tho aggregate ,£230 in the case of temporary incapacity or ,£SOO in the case of permanent incapacity. In the cose of tho death of a worker through accident. or sickness, compensation will bo paid to his dependents either in a lump sum or in the form of an annuity of 12s. per week to his widow, and Is. per week for each child until it attains the age of sixteen years. Owing to the probable short duration of the present session it is not proposed to introduce any portion of the Land Bill of last session in a separate Bill. — ■