POLITICAL NOTES.

Evening Post, Volume LXVIII, Issue 100, 25 October 1904, Page 5

POLITICAL NOTES.

PUBLIC WORKS. Some important amendments to the Public Works Act are proposed by a Bill brought down by the Minister for Public Works. One proposal is that no private tramway or railway shall be opened unless the Minister has intimated to the proprietors that he has received from an engineer a certificate I&at the line is safe and fit for traffic. Notice most be given of accidents attended by "material damage to the Hne, appliances, rolling stock, or plant." The Minister may order an enquiry into accidents, and may"* direct the proprietors to make such alterations as he thinks fit in the construction or equipment of the railway, or of the rolling stock, plant, or machinery, or in the method of worlang the same, as the case may require. If any such direction is not complied with the proprietor of tHe railway w3l be liable to a fine not exceeding £200 for every day that the noncompliance continues. It is proposed to amend the Act of 1903 by allowing the subdivision of land abutting on any road or street not less than 40ft in width. In case a local authority is notified that accrued "thirds" or "fourths" are available for expenditure, and for not less than twelve months fails to utilise I)he amount, the Minister for Public Works may give the local authority six months' notice to put in band works approved by the Land Board. If the local authority fails to carry out the work the Minister may uddertake the execution of the work. Additional powers are given to the Governor over Government roads, with • regard to control of traffic, use of any vehicle, engine, or machine, the making and enforcement of bylaws, and so on. The Bill also gives power to a local authority for the purpose of paddocking driven cattle. The limited power given to a Council to acquire land under- Part 2 of the Public Works Act 1894 are extenaea to allow the Council to acquire such land as the circumstances of t£e case require. JOTTINGS. The Wellington City Leasing Bill will be further considered by the Legislative Council to-morrow. Sir A. J. Csdman, Speaker of the Legislative- Council, is unwell, and unable to take up his Parliamentary duties. "If the Premier would teke a holiday for the rest of the session we would be away in about seven days." — Mr. Taylor's opinion. The Government is being asked by Mr. Wilford if it intends to acquire the Manawata Railway. t The Attorney-General yesterday gave notice that, in the event o*f fiie Licensing Bill being re-committed, he will move the deletion of Clause 40 (which was amended by the Council in Committee in the direction of abolishing the bona fide traveller). Four days' leave of absence has been granted to Mr. Bollard, on account of urgent private business. The Hon. J. •Carroll has been granted a week's leave, of absence, on account of family bereave- i ment, and four days' leave has been granted to Mr. Kidd on account of urgent private business.

There is a beautiful spot in Cornley Harbour, Adams Island, one of the Auckland group, which has been called "Fairchild's Garden," in honour of the late Captain Fairchild, whose name will last as long as that of the Government steamer Hinemoa, of which he was master. In his paper in the "Transactions" on the flora of the southern islands, Dr. Cockayne reproduces an excellent description of the garden by Mr. Justice Chapman, President of the Arbitration Court. The garden covers an area of about 400 acres, and is described by Mr. Chapman as one of the most wonderful natural gardens the extratropical world can show. He says :— "No doubt other parts of j Adam's Island and other places in the i group are equally beautiful, but the day we spent here can never be forgot- : ten. A peaked rock overhead is 700 ft -above the sea level; tho summit rocks are 1100 ft by the aneroid. The whole I of the ground up to these and beyond is literally packed with beautiful flowering herbaceous plants. ' Along the shore there are masses of the gold«n lily in seed, and here also grow the sweetscented Cotula knata and its hanusome congener, Cotnla plumosa, both of which are worth cnrbivßtiing. Over the whole country Pleurapfeyilum speoiosum sends up, among huge ribbed leaves, two feet long, hs spikes of buantffnl lilac or purple flowers. Here, too, >we met in immense quantities the most beautiful of all the Clemesias, vernicosa, a little plant with leaves here seldom more than two feet long, gleaming like polished nephrite new from the lapidaries hands, arranged in tho most perfect rosettes." A meeting of members of the Second Contingent will be held at Christchurch on Monday, 7th November, to discuss the disposal of the Memorial Fund. As the Thorndon Lawn Tennis Club does not open its courts until next Saturday, it has been decided that the Shield Contest will not begin until the sth prox. Entries have been received from the Po j tone, Wellington, Newtown, Brougham Hill, Victoria College, and Thorndon Clubs. The drawing for the first round is as follows : —November sth— Newtown v. Brougham Hill, Wellington v. Thorndon, Petone v. Victoria Colfege. Novem ber 12th — Brougham Hill v. Thoindon, Wellington v. Petone, Victoria College v. Newtown. November 19th — Newtovu v. Wellington, Brougham Hill v. Victoria College, Thorndon v. Petone. November 26th — Newtown v. Thorndon, Victoria College v. Wellington, Petone v. Brougham Hill. December 3rd— Petone v. Newtown, Thorndon v. Victoria College, Wellington v. Brougham Hill. The matches will be played upon the courts of the clubs first mentioned in each instance. Messrs. Macdonald, Wilson and Co. will sell to-morrow at 1.30 o'clock, at their rooms, household furniture, etc., as detailed in tho advertisement appearing elsewhere. Messrs. Macdonald, Wikon and Co. announce that tho sale of dairy cowb, horses, etc., has been cpostponed, owing to the inclemency of tho weatlior, until Tuesday next, Ist November, at 1 o'clock. NIL DESPERANDUM. Poßsibly this may catch the eye of some poor unfortunate who has tried all sorts of so-called remedies for colds, bad chests, and dangerous fits of coughing. ' Don't forget, Touking's Linsood Emulsion is your remedy. A preparation that will find its way through all quarters of tho globe solely on its merits. Sold everywhere, la 6d, 2s 6d, and 4s 6d per bottle.— Advt.