POLITICAL NOTES.

Evening Post, Volume LXVIII, Issue LXVIII, 3 November 1904, Page 6

POLITICAL NOTES.

A REQUEST DECLINED. The request was recently made by Mr. •Barber to the Minister for Public Health that Friendly Societies should be conceded free oat-patient treatment — medical advice, medicine, and baths — at Te Aroha, Rotorua, and Hanraer for any indigelit members who are sent to and maintained at these places out of the benevolent funds of a lodge when such patients are unable to obtain one of the few beds sometimes available under existing regulations at Rotorua. Sir Joseph Ward cannot, he says, accede to the request. The concessions now obtainable by Friendly Societies are as liberal as can be granted, considering the present available facilities. VALUATIONS. The Minister in charge of the Valuation Department (Hon. C. H. Mills) stated yesterday, in reply to Mr. Vile, that District Valuers have received very careful instructions from time to time as to the method of valuing improvements. They have been cautioned not to accept any boom values, but to do their utmost to obtain a fair, equitable, and bed-rock value of the land and improvements, so that it may be used either for levying rates upon, or for lending Advances to Settlers Office money upon. Sometimes objections reach the Department on the score that improvements are valued too low, and at other times that they are valued too high ; but the nature of the objecfion depends very largely upon whether ■ the local body levies its rates on the. unimproved value only or on the improvements as well, and this is where the difficulty arises. Valuers will be again instructed to exercise every care in placing on all improvements their fair value in accordance with the terms of the Act. PASTORAL LEASES. The Lands Committee has reported en the petition of O. G. Dalgety and other pastoral leaseholders of Otago and Canterbury, praying for compensation for losses of stock through snowstorms. The Cornniittee reported that the concession applied for did not appear to be so much a remission of rent as an extension of the term of the leases and increased compensation for improvements at the end of the term. The Committee was unable to recommend any form of relief beyond what might be allowed if the powers of the Land Boards were extended. They recommended that the Boards be asked to formulate a scheme that would have tKe effect of giving them more power to deal with the land upon such terms as they might think advisable in the interests of the State and the occupiers, but that such provision should be subject to the approval of the Minister for Lands. Mr. Taylor said that while there were undoubted cases of severe losses, yet he understood that there were fictitious claims. A close investigation would, he thought, show that some of the persons who had had the audacity to petition for assistance or recompense would be found not to have held any land or stock at the time of the storms. The various claims, therefore, should be considered, separately, and it should be borne in mind that if relief were granted to leaseholders, the freeholders had an equal claim on the State. If the Crown tenants were to become the subject of special concessions and special legislation on 1 every occasion on which they sustained a slight loss, then it was only logical to grant similar relief to almost any industry or manufacture. He objected to the victimising of the taxpayer without full investigation of every claim. The Minister, in the • course of his reply, said that>there was a good deal in what Mr. Taylor had said, and the various cases would be carefully scrutinised. The report was referred to the Government for consideration. The Lands Committee has reported that it had no recommendution to make on the petition of John Walsh for compensation through being deprived of his lease of a portion of the Rotokare Domain, Taranaki, under the Rotokare Domains Act. THE WELLINGTON BEACHES. The Hon. T. K. Macdonald intends to ask whether the Attorney-General, on behalf of the Government, would introduce legislation to give effect to the wishes of the Wellington Harbour Board that provision should be made by which the land between high and low water on the beaches at Lyell Bay, Evans Bay, and other places along the foreshore may be veated in the Harbour Board, and on similar beaches in other places in the Harbour Board of the district. The object of the Harbour Board's request is to prevent the removal of sand and gravel from the beaches, and thus prevent the beaches from being rendered valueless as recreation grounds. LAND FOR SETTLEMENTS. The Land for Settlements Act Amendment Bill gives power to the Minister to discontinue proceedings for the taking of land after the Court has declared what land the owner is entitled to retain and what land the Minister is entitled' to take, if he thinks it is inexpedient to proceed further. The Minister may also discontinue proceedings where the amount fixed by the Court as the price to- be paid for the laud, plus the value of the land retained by the owner, exceeds by 20 per cent, or upward.* the total capital value of the whole estate ascertained under the Government Valuation Land Act. In such cases no proceedings for the compulsory taking of the land shall be again commenced for a period of at least five years. MINISTERS' EXPENSES. The travelling expenses of Ministers for 1903-4 were as follows: — The Premier, £229 10s ; Sir J. G. Ward, £174 ; Hon. W; C. Walker, £27; Hon. T. Duncan, £192; Hon. W. Hall-Jones, £133 10s ; Ho'n J. M'Gowan, £99 ; Hon. J. Carroll, £180; Hon. C. H. Mills, £154; Hon. A. Pitt, £43 10s; total, £1233. JOTTINGS. It will not, says the Minister for Marine, be possible to introduce a general Harbour Bill this session, but during the recess he intends to go fully into the matter with a view to introducing a consolidating measure next session.

'Messrs. Macdonald, Wilson and Co. will sell to-morrow, at 12.30 o'clock, at the re3idenco of Dr. De Renzi, Glencoe, No. 3, Murphy-street, the whole of his household furnishings, upright grand piano by Brinemead, full details of which appear in the auction column. The sale of the Bannatyne Estate, Karori, the full advertisement of which appears to-day,- is said to be attracting a, good deal of attention from intending buyers, many visitors taking advantage of tho half-holiday yesterday to view the lots. The sections number 150, and range in area from an eighth of an acre to four and a half acres. Illustrated lithographic plans with full dotails can he had on application to the auctioneers, or at the Post Office Store, Karori. The firm also insert tho detailed advertisement of the sale of the Township of Wallaceville (Trentham), which has been subdivided into thirty-five quarter and half acre sections, with frontages to formed streets 66ft in width, and situate immediately opposite the railway station there and close to the proposed new racecourse groundß of the Wellington Racing Club. Lithographic plans can be had on application. At 10.30 o'clock to-morrow, on the ground, Cuba-street, next the National Bank of New Zealand, the. firm will sell timber, bricks, iron, etc., as detailed. Messrs. George Thomas and Co. will sell on Monday next, at 1.30 o'clock, at the residence of the late Mr. Robinßon, 47, Austin-street, the residue of the houset hold furniture. Full particulars appear ' in our auction columns. Mr. W. F. Shortt will continue the sale of furniture at his mart, Willis-street, toBorrow [Friday], at 2 o'clock.