POLITICAL NOTES.

Evening Post, Volume LXXII, Issue 72, 22 September 1906, Page 9

POLITICAL NOTES.

A DEADLY COMBINATION. • A few striking examples of the classof verdict coroners' juries are capable of arriving at were given during the debate on the Estimates last evening, but 'the most remarknble was undoubtedly that retailed by Mr. Wilford. It was thp case of a young man who shot himself at Auckland some years ago. At the time he snded his life he was worn out with an attack of measles, and his mind was also disturbed over some love affair. He could only de acribe the decision arrived at as "the apotheosis of bn»knm." The jury decided that "deceased came by his death through jealousy and measles'!" (Laugh ter.) Mr. A. W. Hogg also condemned the coroner's jury. If a person decided to die without the assistance of a doctor — (laughter) — why should a coroner's jury have to sit on him? "Sit on him?" queried another member "Yes, I consider it is an infringement on the liberty of the subject," Mr. Hogg letorted, eminently satisfied with his little joke. BANKRUPTCY. A contingent of Wellington members, consisting of Messrs. Wilford, Izard, and Barber, made nn attack yesterday afternoon upon the Bankruptcy Department when its vote upon the Estimates was before the House. Mr. Wilford said the time had come when the Binkrnptcy Department should be placed under the Publio Trust Office, and in order to impress his point, he Moved that the first itum under the Bankruptcy Department be reduced by £1. Mr. Wilford quoted an. instance in Wellington" which he considered told against the administration of the department. Mr. Irani alao referred to Wellington experiences. Mr. Barber said bnnness men had very little confidence in the department, whiJet Mr. Laurenson expressed the opinion that if a Bankruptcy Department could be done without, then the sooner the reform wns effected the better. The Minister (Hon. Mr. M'Gowan) promi-ed to look into the matter* brought under his notice, with which promise the member fot Hutt expressed himself content, and did not press his motion to a division. FOR THE"BLIND. The Jubilee Institute for the Blind Bill (Hon. Mr. Fowlds), read for the first time in tho House yesterday, make* provision for nationalising the wellknown Auckland institution. A board or nine trustees _is to be constituted, five of whom are to be appointed by the Governor, and the other four by the voluntary contributors. Clause 7 reads: — "The trustees shall admit or cause to be admitted to the Jubilee Institute for the Blind, Auckland, every blind child between the a%ts of sever and sixteen years that the Minister of Eduestisn directs to be sent t6 such institute ; and there shall be paid by tho Minister to the trustees for the ntiintenance and education of every mch child such sum, not exceeding < twenty-six pounds per annum, a* may be agreed npon bstween the said Minister, and tha trustees." WORKMEN'S HOMES. Mr. Fisher is asking for a return showing—(l) The number and the losslities of .workmen's homas already erected; (2) the number and the localities of those in course of erection ; (3) the capital, unimproved. «nd rental value 'pf each home ; (4) the number of homes leased' ♦» dtt?; and (5) th« localities where it is proposed to erect horses during the next twelve months. THE FEAR OF THE -OIL T£UST. Yesterday tfterneon Mr. Ell pave notice of his intention to ask the Premier, Whether his attention had h«en called to the disloyal and unpatriotic proposal of certain oil companies of Tsmnrki, Duftediu, and elsewhere, operating the oil-fielda in T«ra«aki, to dispose of certain options t»ths notorious Standard Oil Trust of America? If so, wonld the Government take immediate action to conserve the interests of the people of New Zealand? Subsequently, Sir William S(»ward < gave notice of a similar question. Sir William reminded the Premier of an answer given to a similar question by Premisr Ssddon in October list, when the late Premier said : " The issue* raised in this, question are' important. . . . Enquiries will be made with a view of safeguarding the interests of ihe colony." EXPORT OF PRODUCTS. The Premier's Products Export Amendment Bill makes extensions, to the interpretation section- of the principal Act of last ye*r. The original list — grain, hops, hemp, fruit-pulp, apples, pears, and poultry — is repealed, and in li«u thereof grain, meat, rabbits, h»ro», poultry, einro, apples, pears, fruit-pulp, hops, and ShorminHi are (substituted. Subsection :) of clauss 3— which gives the Governor power to specify the ports within which the provisions of the Act apply — is renealed, and a new subsection reads: The Governor may from timo to time " appoint any specified ports to be the only ports at which products or any specified product may lawfully be exported." HUTT v. MIRAMAR. The chairman, councillors, and inhabitants of the County of Hutt are petitioning Parliament! to Ect aside tho award of the commissioner appointed by the Governor to m*kg an adjustment of accounts between th<s Count} of Hutt and the Borough of Miramar. The petition is made on the ground that the borouah has been illegally constituted, acd decs not contain, and never haa contained, the population required by the Municipal Corporations Act of 1900. Tho petition ia signed by Robert Bould (chairman) and H. D. Atkinson (clerk). UNCLASSIFIED SOCIETIES. A Bill emendhiß the Unclassified Socie ties Registration Act of 1895 was brought down by the Premier yesterday. Th«> principal Act is to bo enlarged co as to include in da interpretation clause " any combination of not less than five ouch societies or any association of not lew than five, such combined societies formed." Under the new Bill any unclassified oocicty may, by a majority vote, resolve to register, and the original stipulation of a two-thirds majority is repealed. A schedule indicates matters to be provided for by the rules of unckesificd societies. THE LANDLESS MAORI. Further Inference to tbo landless Maori was made in the House yesterday afternoon by Mr. Ileke. The member for Northern -Maori, referring to the Government's proposals for making provision for the landless natives of the South Island, urged the Eesda of many Maori* m tho North faland. Many of the latter had been deprived of their heritage through Crown purchases and confiscations. The Native Minister promised to give the matter his consideration. The Landless Natives Bill was reported from the Native Affairs Committeo yesterday afternoon, with amendments. The committee altered the title to the " South Island Landless Natives Act." The reference to surplus lands :s eomcwhnt extended, mich lands being f-sl np.Tt by the committee "as an endowment for the recreation or education of nativei,."-

THE GAMING BILL. Judging by the amendments which have already been given notice of, the Gaming and Lotteries Act \mendment Bill ia to have a lively time when if. comes before the House. Mr. Ell intends to move for the abolition of th« totalisator, Mr. Symw is moving for the limitation of the. use of the machine, and Mr. Jennincs for the limitation of the number of totalisator permits. PRIVILEGE. A question of breach of privilege was raised in the House yesterday afternoon by the Leader of the OpDosiliou. Mr. Masjcy drew th« attention of the Premier to reports that had appeared in ©sveral newspapers purporting to ba records of the proc:edings of the Land Committee on the Land Bill. Not being a member of the committee, he could not iwy whether the records were true reports of what had taken plsoe, but they Trere clearly a breach of th« Standing Ordera. The Premier should take notice of the matter. Either tho proceedings of the committee should be kept strictly confidential or the meetings of th« committee should be open to tho pre«s. The Premier agreed with Mr. 'Masiey, and promised to consider the matter. He was not sure whether on ouch a matter as tho Land Bill, the proceedings of the committee ehould not be open to the press. i A PITIABLE STORY. While the Habitual Criminal and Offenders Bill wns undergoing ita second reading in the Legislative Council yesterday, the Hon. J. Rigg took the point that poverty and environment wsre largely responsible for the crime of the colony. Apropos of the last-mentioned contention, he remarked that it waa the duty of the Stete to find employment for ita peopl*. It was pitiable, he said, to see crowds of men waiting outside a newspaper office to see wh*t employment was offering, and then running off in teas and twenties to apply for a single job. Bs knew of one casa where a billet in" a timber yard had drawn forty applicants within an hour. He had another case in his mind, A tailoring man in the city had lost, his employment through some Arbitration Court case. He was unable to get another place, and 1 from time to time contrived to k*ap boccs and fltsb tosrclfc-er by mskinjr odd suits for a few friends who sympathised with him and his family. Mr. Rigg waa not aware of his distress until the man was put in a lunatic asylum. " Nothing raora or less than sheer, dowuright, hard luck w^s responsible for that mm's insanity," -Mr. Rijrg.said. "He is in the lunatic asylum to-day, and he has a delusion. And what do honourable members think that delusion is? That he has a permanent billet at £3 10s per week! Could tber« poreibly bo anything moro pitisble than this?" THE MAGISTRACY. l During the discussion an the Estimates last night the Leader of the Oppodtisn had a good deal to say about the necessity for the magistracy b'ing placed in a position outride the possib.Lty of interference by the Government. *H« was one who did not for a mome-nt bel eve that the salary of a magistrate shou'd, depend on th< goodwill of the Governmsnt of the day or of Parliament. A magistrate's salary ehould be paid on a ecafe according to his length of service and the importance of the duties he was called upon to discharge. The magistracy should be placed in a posit on vbere it would be impossible bo bring aay influence to bear by the Qovernbent. Mr. Izard agreed that magistrates should be independent of the Ministry, JOTTINGS. "The general experience is -that judges live a long time," said Mr. Barclay. "They have nothing to worry them." — Mr. Horneby. Alt. Hfke says that the dog tax is about the only financial means some Maori Councils possess. People in Wellington are paying 3d for two potatoes, and think they are getting a great luxury. —Mr. Fisher. The natives have profited upon every occaaion when they nave had the assi tanee of scientific advice on • agriculture, said the Hon. Mr. Carroll. Mr. Alwon is asking for a Teturn 'sho-rring the amount of revenue derived by way of land tax from freehold and leasehold lands. Eleven proprietors of, newspapers in the South Island have fol'.owed the lead of a number of Northern publishers in asking for an enquiry into the methods of the Press Association. The number of freehold and leasehold holdings and areas in tho colony is aA.od for by Mr. 'Al.son. Another commission to investigate old soldiers' claims is asked for by Mr. Bollard. .