OUR POLITICAL SPECIAL.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 9803, 30 June 1900, Page 8

OUR POLITICAL SPECIAL.

(FBOM OUR PARLIAMENTARY

REPORTER)

[by telegraph.] Wellington, This day.

CONCILIATION AND ARBITRATION.

The bill to consolidate and amend the law relating to the settlement of industrial disputes by conciliation and arbitra-1 tion has made its appearance. The interpretation clause is amended so as to include in the definition of industrial matters the claims of members of unions and workers to be employed in preference to non-members. In view of the fact that certain classes of workers have been excluded by the Court from the benefits of the Act the definition of the word " industry is extended, and made to mean any business, trade, manufacture, undertaking, calling, or employment iv which workers are employed, while " worker j means any person of any age of either! sex employed by any employer to do any | skilled or unskilled, manual, or clerical] work, for hire or reward in any industry, j Special provision is made to prevent the j multiplicity of unions. The registrar! may refuse to register a society in any case where he is of opinion that in the locality and connected with the same industry there exists an industrial union to which the members of such society might conveniently belong. Such society, if dissatisfied with the Registrar's refusal, may appeal, however, therefrom to the board of the district at an;* time during the currency of an industrial agreement, and an industrial union or industrial association or employer may become a party thereto for the residue of the term by filing a notice signifying concurrence with such agreement. As all existing Conciliation and Arbitration Acts are repealed, it is specially provided that all existing boards and courts shall be continued in office until their successors are elected or appointed. It ia provided that an award shall bind every industrial union, industrial association, or employer who not being the original party thereto is at any time during its currency engaged in the industry to which the award applies. The following powers shall be exercisable by the Court by order at any time during the currency of the award :—(1) Power to amend the provisions of the award for the purpose of remedying any defect or giving fuller effect thereto; (2) thepowerto extend the currency shall in no case exceed two years ; (3) the power to extend the award so as to join and bind as a party thereto any specified industrial union, industrial association, or _ employer not party thereto, but engaged in the same industry as that to which the award applies. The final clause reads as follows, except as provided by Section 104 (which deals with the Government railways):— " Nothing in this Act shall apply to the Crown or to any department ot the Government of New Zealand." The bill, which consists of 28 pages and 113 clauses, contains a number of other less important amendments mainly dealing with the machinery of the Act. THE HATUMA ESTATE. The acquisition of land for settlement in the Hawke's Bay district formed the subject of a discussion in the House toj day. Mr Hall brought up the question by complaining that the land opened up for settlement in the Waipawa district was limited, and that although the Minister of Lands had promised three and a half years ago to acquire the Hatuma estate its purchase had only just been concluded. replying to Mr Hall the Premier pointed out that 13,787 acres of the Ngapaeruru block had been thrown open for selection in February last, and 20 000 acres in June. In addition to that 27,000 acres were-now available in the Hatuma estate. It was not the fault of the Government that delay had taken place in acquiring the Hatuma estate. The difference between the amount offered by the Government and that awarded by the Court was £20,000. That land, however, now belonged to ihe Government, and would be available for settlement. More land was wanted in Hawke's By, and more would be acquired. They must and would acquire land in Hawke's Bay, and he took that opportunity of denying that he had ever said to anyone that he should for political reasons punish ihat part of the colony. If more land was acquired for settlement in Hawke's Bay he (Mr Seddon) believed that Napier would become a second Christchurch.

UNAUTHORISED EXPENDITURE. The Unauthorised Expenditure Account was laid on the table of the House to-day. From this it appeais that the chaiges and expenses in connection with the charter of the s.s. Undaunted for initiating trade with South Africa totalled £5088, but that the freights recovered amounted to £2115, leaving a total of £2972. The charges and expenses in connection with the shipment of produce to South Africa came to £700. The sum of £6688 was paid under the heading of "Contingent Defence" in excess of the sum voted. The sum of £149416s 6d was incurred in procuring and shipping fourteen moose from Canada to New Zealand. Other payments in excess of votes were : —Old Age Pensions Office £358 9s 10d, Defence Department (South African contingents) £40,086 4s lid. OLD AGE PENSIONS. The annual report of the Registrar of Old Age Pensions states that on the 31st March, 1899, the number of pensions granted was 7487. Thirty-eight pensioners had died, and six pension certificates were cancelled, leaving 7443 pensions in force at that date, representing a yearly payment of £127,319. During the year ended 31st March, 1900, 4699 pensions were granted, 786 pensioners died, 65 pension certificates were cancelled, and 6 pensions lapsed through non-application for renewal. The number of pensions therefore in force on the 31st March, 1900, was 11,285, representing a yearly payment of £193,718. The total amount paid in respect of pensions during the year was £157,342 15s 2d, and the cost of administration was £2360 Bs. The total amount of absolutely forfeited instalments during the year was £1036 ss. On the 31st March, 1900, the number of pensions in force, exclusive of those granted to Maoris, was 10,281. The Registrar states that while in some instances the pensions had been misapplied, the number of beneficiaries reported as so offending is relatively small. LANDS FOR SETTLEMENT. In hh report for the year ended 31st March, 1900, the general manager of the Assets Realisation Board sUteß that the conduct of the business by the board has proved extremely satisfactory, not only from a revenue earning but also from a realisation point of view. The - working and management of station properties shows a surplus of £87,455, or equal to 5 92 per cent. o_ the book cost, and and 8 - 8 pet" cent on his valuation.

Deducting from this the sum of £11,855 surplus over overdrafts against land on consignments unrealised at 31st March, 1899, there is left a net actual profit of £75,600, which gives 5-14 per cent on the book cost and 7"68 on his valuation. The amount of debentures and debenture interest redeemed to 31st March, 1900, is £180,285, and the board are now in a position to repay £75,000, with an additional £50,000, the latter beingth-Bank of New Zealand's statutory amount. The debenture interest (£88,098) has been paid prompt to date. There is a surolus of £48,063 to carry forward. Sales'have been made to the extent of 46.429 acres of country lands realising £111,137 and of town and suburban lands realising £43,300. Prices hitherto unobtainable for land have been received, in response to the enhanced value of produce and stock. The sales have in all cases been effected without difficulty at or over the reserve prices. The keenest enquiry experienced has been in the South Island. The sales for the year were :— Land, £154,437; stock and implements on properties finally realised-, £13,909 ; total, £168,346. The land sales were £34,917 in excess of the previous year. The proportion of sales to the book cost (£2,731,706) was 214, and to the land tax valuation (plus 10 per cent for sundry properties and the general manager's valuation for station properties, which together totalled (£1,895,179) 30-79.