POLITICAL NOTES.

Evening Post, Volume LXX, Issue 83, 5 October 1905, Page 5

POLITICAL NOTES.

THE FREEHOLD. The Government, said the Premier yesterday in answer to Mr. Ell, does .not see its way to introduce legislation giving private tenants the right to acquire the freehold of the. lands leased by Ihem from private owners. There are good grounds, however, to infer that, should there be a violation in respect to contracts made by tenants of th& Crown by giving them the freehold at the originalvaluo, tenants of private land and the tenants of corporate bodies would agitate to obtain the saino privileges. OUR JAPANESE ALLIES. In the House yesterday Mr. Barber asked the Premier whether* in view of the alliance entered into between Great Britain and Japan, he would communicate with the Imperial authorities with the view of obtaining their support to a policy of Asiatic exclusion, including Japanese, and take such other steps as may be considered necessary to prevent tho influx of Japanese into this colony. Mr. Barber also asked whether the Premier would further consider the question of protecting our industries from the competition that is likely to occur in the neaV future through this colony being flooded with the manufactures of Japan? New Zealand being a self-governing colony, replied the Premier, there is no necessity to communicate with the Imperial authorities, as suggested, and the present safeguards as regards the influx of Asiatic immigrants hay© up to tho present proved effective. The danger of undue competition by Japan is somewhat remote. Should, the same arise, the question will be dealt with as the necessities of the case demand. A BOGUS DOCUMENT. ' The Minister for Justice was asked by Mr. Millar yesterday whether he was aware that a bogus form of summons is. being issued to debtors by certain firms in the colony, ijuch form having no imprint on it, but supposed to be printed in Wellington ; if he ascertained such to be the case>, would he take steps to prosecute any firm printing such notice and .any firms issuing same ? lam aware, replied the Minister, that in various parts of tho colony documents purporting to be issued from the Courts are used for the purpose of debt-collecting, and I am having a, Bill prepared to render such proceedings punishable. Tho omissions of the imprint from these documents has not. been brought to my notice, but I will have enquiry made, and if the facts warrant a prosecution, then a prosecution will follow. WADESTOWN ROADS. In regard to the petition of Mrs. S. A. Rhodes, of Wellington, praying that a Crown grant be issued for certain lands at Wadestown, which are claimed by the Onslow Borough Council as btreets, the Lands Committee reported that it considered that as the question ai issue dealt with the relative rights of a municipal body and certain property owners, tho proper course had been followed in bringing it before a judicial tribunal. The Committee also expressed the opinion that, in view of the fact that a missing document had been discovered in one of the Government offices since the case was first tried, facilities should be afforded the petitioner to again bring the case before the Courts. THE VANCOUVER MAIL SERVICE, Repent correspondence between the Post Office Department and the Managing Director of tho Union Steamship Company (Mr. James Mills), with respect to the Vancouver mail service, v?as presented to Parliament yesterday. On 30th May last Mr. Mills explained that his company's offer to the Federal Government was to continue via. Brisbane for a subsidy of £30,000 (Canada paying half), or, as an alternative, to omit Brisbane and call at Now Zealand for a. isubsidy of £20,000, the' company to retain the subsidy contributed by New Zealand. Tho Federal Postmaster-General offered a year's renewal of the existing contract, but the Union Company proposed to decline this, and urged him to consider the alternative proposal via New Zealand. Replying to Mr. Mills the same day Sir Joseph Watd said that tho New Zealand Government would give £20,000 for th.c Vancouver service, touching at Wellington or Auckland. "The period," he went on, "for which a subsidy would be given* by New Zealand Government would be three years, or, if you find it necessary to bave a shorter period to conform with what you aro doing with Australia, there would be no objection to a reduced period. The details of a. contract with the New Zealand Government would be subject to ratification by Parliament in the ordinary way, but I should not anticipate any difficulty arising in this respect." In reply to an enquiry by the- Secretary of the Post Office/Mr. Mills said that the company did not receive contributions from non-contracting colonies under last contract, but had asked the Commonwealth to provide for snch payments being made Amder tho new contract. WELLINGTON CITY STREETS. The Wellington City Streets Bill was down for committal in tho Legislative Council yesterday, but, on the motion of tho Hon. T. K. Macdonald, tho committal was postponed until members had an opportunity of studying tho evidences taken by the Local Bills Committee in connection with it. JOTTrNGS. Mr. Field is urging tho Premier to state definitely and at once what are tho intentions of the Government respecting the Porirua and Otaki Nativo School Reserves. Enquiries are being i made, says th,o Minister for Commerce, with a view to developing trade with tho East. Tho vote of fISOOO on the Public Works Estimates is intended to be used in reconstructing the old library portion of tlio Parliament Buildings. The Government is of opinion, says the Premici, that the time is fast approaching when, tho law' under which the Government could resume land for settlements at the owner's value plus 10 per cent should be re-enacted. Enquiries are to be made by the Government to safeguard the interests of the colony against the colony's oilfields falling into tho hands of an American trust. Mrs. Mary P. Looney, of Wellington, whoso husband was killed by a train at Thorndon-qnay in May last, is petitioning tho House for a compassionate allowance. A question of great importance was touched upon this morning in the Court of Arbitration with reference to tho seamen's award— whether an award applies outside the industrial district in which it is made, nnd to a seaman who has signed articles at a port outside the district. Mr. Jones, representative of the New Zealand* Federated Seamen's Union, said the question affected the whole policy of the Act. Tho President of the Court (Mr. Justice Chapman) elated that he had recommended legislation on the subject some time ago, but had not seen anything on tho statute book. Mr. Jones states that some shipping employers maintain that they drop tho award when they get three miles from shore. When one is sick, the greatest care ehould be taken in th« selection of a remedy. Tho beet medicine ia ntfne- .too good, and an endeavour should be .nado to get it. As an invigorrttor and rebuilder, Steams' Wine- of Cod Livw OH id the best;. — Advt^