POLITICAL TOPICS.

Evening Post, Volume LXXVI, Issue 45, 21 August 1908, Page 6

POLITICAL TOPICS.

ON THE ROLLS. i A deputation of members interviewed the Prime Minister yesterday evening to ask that some steps should be taken to get people on the rolls. The members stated that they were not satisfied with the existing position, since many electors were not being enrolled, and they suggested that some officer should bo employed in each electorate to take the matter in hand. The Prime Minister stated that the police would be instructed to take steps to get people on tho rolls, and that if they could not do all the work in time, other persons wonld ba employed. CIVIL SERVICE CLASSIFICATION. "It is now 12 months since the Civil Service Classification Act was passed, " said Mr. Arnold in the House of Repre---sentativae yesterday, "and tho lists havo ;nofc yet been prepared." Ho pointed ■-out that after the work of preparing the classification was disposed of, the lists have to be gazetted, and one moDth allowed for consideration of objections. Unless the Gazette notice appeared very soon, it was reasonable to suppose that the classification would not bo presented te Parliament this session. He wanted to know if the lists could not be gazetted immediately. The only alternative was to have the usual annual increases iv civil servants' salaries pro-, vided for in the supplementary estimates. Members would therefore have little opportunity of carefully studying the advancements made, and that would be unfair to the Honse and to th© civil service. The Hon. W. Hall-Jones said the lists could not be brought down until recommendations of the Classification Board were in the hands of the Govern,ment. Ho had hoped that the lists would have been presented to the House before this, but in the absence of the recommendations of the board, the lists could not be supplied. If they should be delayed, members would havo ample opportunity of discussing the salaries when the supplementary estimates were being considered. FIRST APPEARANCE. A return was presented yesterday to 'the House, at the instance of Mr. Aitken, showing that 5851 first offending drunkards were fined during the year ended 30th June, 1908. Of the total number, 872 were visitors from overseas, and 243 were women. The return is signed by the Commissioner of Police.

Built in 1866, forty-two years ago, the little Church of St. John, at Matarawa, closed its career of usefulness on Sunday evening, the 9th inst., when service was held for the last time. As one of the oldest church buildings in the district, very many old associations are naturally connected with it, and that these had not lapsed from memory was evident from the large attendance on the afternoon of the 13th at the opening of the new church which has just been built. The building marks a new departure in church buildiug. It is constructed of a combination of timber and f erro-concrete. The dimensions of the main building are 35ft by 18ft, seating 66 persons ; the narthex and porch, at the west end, 16ft by sft ,6in ; and the vestry 9ft 6in by sft 6in are in addition. The height of the walls inside is 12ft, and to the ridge 21ft. A bellcote is placed on the main ridge, on which is hung a bell donated to the church. The framing is of totara, all visible both inside and outside. The covering of the walls is composed of Portland cement plaster, laid on expanded steel lathing fixed on the framing timbers. The external finish of plaster is "rough cast" finished white. The construction is of a solid description, being strengthened by diagonal iron tie rods, built into the walls. The interior shows all framing timbers, with panels of cement plaster, tinted in two colours. The roof 'also is finished in open framework, and the building has a plain but substantial and massive appearance. The windows are glazed with hammered cathedral glass. The architects were Messrs. Atkins anil Bacon, of Wellington. In order to assist tha Wellington bakers who struck -work, the Westport Labour Union has mado a weekly levy of sixpence per member. This, states the local paper, will realise £5 per week. A Maori named Rangi Tau Ban, from Wanganui, was found dead in his bed at 10 30 last night at the Strand Cafe in Mnksvrorth-slreet. An inquest is to be held at the Morgue this afternoon at 0. 15.