POLITICAL NEWS AND NOTES.

Evening Post, Volume LX, Issue 18, 21 July 1900, Page 4

POLITICAL NEWS AND NOTES.

OUR CONTINGENTS IN SOUTH AFRICA. A question vof some interest was put to the Government yesterday by Mr. | Alassey, who asked the Alinister of Defence whether is is a fact that a number of men have left our Contingents in. South Africa and joinec^tho South African Police or other force ; and whether anything is being done to keep dur Goutingents up to the strength in which they left this colony V The Hon. Air. Carroll said the Government had had no official information of any of the men having joined the police force, as stated, though it had heard privately that sue!), was the case. Some eighty men had been sent from the colony to replace tl>e men who had from various causes fu.len out, but most of these had gone to Beira. There was, however, 1 no official communication upon the point. Mr. Massey said the matter was one of im. portanee. He asked if it was not possible to get the information. Air. Carroll said he would enquire. LICENSING LEGISLATION. » The Dunedin Star has published an outline of the proposed new Licensing Bill, a draft copy of which it professes to have seen. According to the Star the poll on the licensing issues is to take place once in every nine }-ear 3; a colon ial option poll wiil be substituted for local option polls, the issues to be submitted being simply eonliruance or no license. If in any district half the number of voters do not go to the po.l the votes given in that district will not be counted in the general colonial totals. If, when the totals are made up, it is found that the vote four continuance exceeds two-thirds of those who voted, continuance will be declared to have oeen, carried throughout the colony ; -while if the votes for "no license" comprise threefifths of the total votes, that issue will be carried, and no licenses of any description will be granted throughout the colony. Should the colony be in a state of "no license when tne poll is taken, a three-fifths vote will be necessary in order to carry restoration of licenses ; and if restoration be carried it will be incumbent upon the licensing committees to grant licenses to a number not less than 50 per cent, of what existed before the carrying of prohibition, and not more than that previously -existing number. Eleven o'clock is to be* the closing hour in cities and boroughs. It is expected that provision will be made for the freeing of "tied" houses, and for five yeare lease of premises where the licensee is not the owner. JOTTINGS. A plan for the straightening of the Wellington-Hutt line was put in by Air. Wilford yesterday. The Minister of Railways was sympathetic, but could nob hold out any hope of anything being done in the matter for the present. The Colonial Secretary views with favour a suggestion by Mr. Collins tha(> copies of certificates of registration of birth should be issued at a smaller fee than »afc present — say, 3d or 6d. A Fair Rent Bill is to be brought down by the Government &t an early date. The Premier intends to introduce The Referendum Bill this session, and hopes to see it on the Statute Book.