POLITICAL NOTES. POINTS FROM SPEECHES.

Evening Post, Volume LXXX, Issue 5, 6 July 1910, Page 7

POLITICAL NOTES. POINTS FROM SPEECHES.

INDUSTRL\L PEACE? "We have, this anomaly. We have industrial legislation, presumably to establish industrial peace, but that legislation is in such a state as to be a source of irritation all rthe time," said Mr. D. M'Laren yesterday. „ He again argued that unions should bo allowed to -use their funds for political purposes. "WOOL-GATHERING. " Legislators' itch to speak on any subject that crops up in the House put one or two members in a laughable position yesterday afternoon. Mr. T. E. Taylor characteristically threw a tangled skein of wool' on to the floor of ithe House, and various non-ex-perts tried to straighten out the fibre. Mr. G. W. Russell (Riccarfcon) seemed to be unaware that foreign brokers operated at local wool sales, aoid he contrasted the "patriotism" of growers who sent their bales to the "local market" with the procedure of those who despatched the material to London, and ithis sentiment highly amused the- representatives of wool districts. He tried to explain, but floundered further among the fleeces amid the merry laughter of wool experts. Mr. Russell tried vainly to shake off the yolk and the staple that- clung to him, but he was still woolly when he concluded his quaint speech. POLICE PROVIDENT FUND. The final report and 1 balance-sheet of the Police Provident Fund, which is now merged in the Public Service Superannuation Fund, was laid before Parliament yesterday. It shows that during the year one sergeant-major, one detective, two sergeants, and eleven constables were retired and placed on the fund. At the end of the last financial year there were three ex-inspectors, one sergeant-major, twenty-one ex-sergeants, fifty-five exconstables, five ex-detectives, and two widows on the fund, their aggregate annual allowance bang £8231. Seven pensioners died during the year. The bal-ance-sheet showed at 31st Mardh. last a credit balance of £32,204, which has been transferred to the Public Service Superannuation Fund. A LOW IDEAL. This is how Mr. George Forbes described the Auckland • movement for "justice for the North" which culminated in' a conference of Auckland members a few days ago. It appeared, he said, that the ideal of the committee set up by the conference was to commandeer as much of the public money as possible for Auckland. He characterised the Auckland development aj3 the most retrograde step ever introduced into the politics of the Dominion. If the Auckland members were going to combine in this way, then it would be for the rest of the members of the House to combine and see that Auckland got away with no more money than its share. Mr. Poole : That is all we want. INTERESTING FIGURES. During the last financial year, 510 males and 207 females joined the Public Service Superannuation Fund, representing an annual salary of £77,877, and an annual contribution of £5289. At the end of tho year there were 6474 males and 848 females on the roll, representing an annual salary of £1,144,997, and an annual contribution of £79,971. Pensions for £19,747 per annum were granted during the year. The largest retiring allowance granted was £533 6s Bd, and the smallest was £8 8s lOd per annum, the average being £110 8s lid. Tho annual amount payable at the end of the year was £27,588 17s lOd. The total income for the year was £108,339, made up as follows : — Members ordinary contributions, £81,610; transferred from other funds, £27 ; members contributions to enable previous service to be counted, £1253; contributions from Government, £20,000; fines, £130; interest, £5319. The accumulated funds at the close of the year amounted to £154,548. On the 3lst December the total assets of the fund, which, include provision for the outstanding accounts, amounted to £157,457. WHAT THE POLICE COST. In New Zealand the police cost 3s 3^d per inhabitant ; in Victoria, 4s sd ; in New South Wales, 5s 9J,d ; in South Australia, 4s 4id; in Queensland, 7s 4^d; in Western "Australia, 8s 6|d; and in Tasmania, 4s 3d. LIQUOR IN THE KING COUNTRY. "The wholesale licenses granted at Raetihi, Ohakune, Rangataua, Awakino, and Mokau," says Police Inspector Wilson, of Wanganui, "will be discontinued at the end of June next. From my own knowledge, and reports from reliable persons, theso licenses are worse man the open bar, and cause more drunkenness and rowdyism amongst the younger men." A NORTH ISLAND LIGHTHOUSE. It is proposed, says the Minister for Marine in his annual report, to make provision in the Estimates for another lighthouse in the North Island, and shipmasters have been asked for their opinions as to the place at which it should be erected. They have also been consulted as'Ho the advisableness of moving Moko Hinou light to one of the Chickens Islands. DRIFTING NORTH. One of the complaints made by Mr. George Forbes (Hurunui) in his speech last evening was the failure of the Government to do all that was required in the way of land settlement in his electorate. He declared that there were large blocks of land producing nothing like their capacity. Owing to the fact that they were unable to get land people in the South Island ware drifting to the North. "The people in the South," he j said, "are looking to the Government [ to clear away the obstacles to settlement. | We can argue about tenures later." TAX THE TOTALISATOR. After advocating the abolition of the bookmaker, Mr. E. H. Clark (Chalmers) urged last night that the totalisator tax should he increa&ad 2£ per cent. 'It is far better," he said, "to tax the totalisaI tor than lo tax the necessaries of life." LEGAL LIABILITY. What legal liability, if any, rests upon the Crown with respect to accidentsoccurring to workmen employed on State co-operative works; and out of what funds present payments aro made in cases of such accidents? Theso questions have been put to the Minister of Public "Works by Mr. D. M'Laren, M.P. JOTTINGS. I A plea for better wages for attendants ! at mental hospitals, and the right of appeal, waa pub in by Mr. E. H. Clark last night. "You are getting encores from the other side." — Mr. Russell to Mr. Davey. "Because I'm talking commonsense." — Mr. Davey to Mr. Russell. ' "It serves a splendid purpose in keeping tho people at larg© informed of what is going on." — Mr. Hogg on Hansard. He estimated its circulation at 10,000. "The only fair basis of taxation is to place it on the shoulders of those best abl» to b«vr it."— Mr. Torbe*.