POLITICAL GOSSIP.

Evening Star, Issue 8003, 4 September 1889, Page 2

POLITICAL GOSSIP.

[From Ocr Parliamentary Reporter.! WELLINGTON, September 3. Suing for Rates. An important recommendation ia made by the Public Petitions (M to Z) Committee in reference to summonses for rates. Reporting upon some Auckland petitions, they propose that the Rating Act should be amended in the direction of providing that personal service of summons for rates shall be a condition precedent to the recovery of rates and the sale of land for non-payment thereof. Such non-service of summons, they consider, should not be a bar to the local body recovering the rate after a lapse of two years. Jottings. Mr Duncan is asking that concessions be granted to a company formed for the manufacture of spirits within the colony. Members are burning with a desire to haveroyal commissions appointed during the recess. Mr Guinness is anxious to have one set up to report on the best mode in which assistance can be rendered to develop the auriferous resources of the colony; while Mr Joyce has given notice to move that a Royal Commission should be appointed to consider the following subjects ;—(!) The proposed Canadian, New Zealand and Australian ocean mail service; (2) the direct mail service; (3) intercolonial freetrade and reciprocity with Canada; (4) the present mode of disposing of Crown lands, and to indicate the desirableness or otherwise that some of the large blocks of Native lands coming to the Government (by purchase or otherwise) should be set aside and dealt with under the perpetual-lease system. The Native Minister this evening moved the second reading of the Ngarara and Waipiro Further Investigation Bill, to provide for the rehearing of the cases of the Ngarara and Waipiro blocks, which were inquired into by a Commission in the recess. Mr Turnbull characterised the Bill as an altogether extraordinary one, in that its destroyed the finality of the decisions ci theNative Land Court Judges, seeing *.W they had already adjudicated upon the cose three times. It was most oppressive, and quite unworthy of the House. Several members blamed Wi Parata for his action in reference to the Ngarara block, Major Jackson going so far as to say that had he acted as WiParata had he would ere now have been in gaol, and properly so too. Mr Carroll and Mr Taiwhanga, on the other hand, warmly defended Wi Parata, and blamed an officer of the Native Department for the difficulties in connection with both blocks, The second reading of the Bill was ultimately agreed to. Mr Wilson is asking whether the Minister of Education will during the recess (1) issue a circular to all education boards and inspectors inviting any suggestions for the improvement of the syllabus for primary education; and (2) hold a Conference orap-. point a Commission to take them or other suggestions into consideration, and to. report whether any alteration should be. made, | {Mr Ross did not move his danse empowering harbor boards to expend revenue in constructing streets, etc., as the Minister of Works promised that when the NortU Island Trunk Railway Loan Application Qttli is before the Legislative Conncil he will kuve» the clause inserted. _ Mr Fish is directing the Minister of Justice’s attention to the sly grog-soffing case oP the Police v. Harris Priedlich in Dunedin on, the 22nd ult., with a view to having stops taken to amend the Licensing Act in the direction of preventing a recurrence of such breaches of the evident meaning of the Act in future. The matte? of the Pegasua tinfidd i» engaging the attention of Mr Ward, who is inquiring in what direction the Government are moving in the way o| affording assistance to, those engaged in developing the tinfields. Mr Mills ia inquiring whether thePremier’s attention has been attracted to a» statement that the Customs Department of Victoria had promised to consider the advisableness of levying a duty on smoked antS salt fish imported into that colony, and if in any representation to the Government of Victoria on the subject of duties levied onproduce of this colony he would keep in view the interests of those engaged in the, fish curing industry. The Union Steam Ship Company h?.ringj decided to reduce their fares in view of theExhibition period, Mr Duncan ia asking what facilities the Railway Department contemplates affording the public generally who may be anxious to visit Dunedin. September 4, The Title Empowering and Ngarara and Waipiro Investigation

were referred to the Native Affairs Committee after the second reading. In the Native Land Frauds Bill the amendments of the Native Affairs Committee were agreed to, and the Bill was hung up to consider the effect of the amendment proposed by Mr Carroll to allow leases up to 10,000 acres of land held prior to last year’s Act coming into force. Failed to Agree. AH efforts to arrange a compromise between tho two Houses in reference to Mr Downie Stewart’s and Sir John Hall’s new clauses in the Fire and Marine Insurance Companies Bill have so far failed. The managers appointed to conduct the free conference hold meetings last night and this morning, but were unable to come to any agreement, and have now adjourned until late this afternoon. Friendly Societies’ Finance. A return has been laid on the table showing the positions up to date of the late valuation of the various friendly societies. According to this return the position of the societies is as follows: —Members, 24,352 ; present value of benefits, L 1,015,773 ; present value of contributions, L 584.878 ; value of accumulated funds, L 312,902 ; deficiency, LI 17,998 ; average deficiency per member, L 4.84, The only society which shows a surplus is the Independent Order of Oddfellows (American)—viz., L 2,995. Railway Passes to Teachers. A question of considerable interest to those taking part iu school teachers’ conferences was put to the Government the other day by Mr Taylor, who asked “ if it is true that the Government gave tho high school teachers, ‘ most of whom are in receipt of fairly high salaries,’ free passes for five weeks over the New Zealand railways, to enable them to attend the three days’ conference of high school teachers, and left the primary school teachers, ‘ most of whom are in receipt of small salaries,’ to pay the usual return fares to attend the annual meeting of tho conference of primary teachers?” He trusted that tho Minister would give some reason why this invidious distinction was made between ono portion of the community and another. Mr Hislop said at the time that this was done there was no intention of making any invidious distinction. For some years the primary school teachers attending the meetings of the Educational Institute had had under a special vote of the House one-half of their expenses paid by the department. Last year there was no such vote, and tho Minister of Education refused to sanction the expenditure, and his colleague, the Minister for Railways, had given instructions in his department that no further passes should be allowed except under special application. He understood that passes were refused to the primary school teachers, or at any late that they were not granted, for he was not sure whether they were applied for. While his colleague was in Otago on the Central Railway trip an application came from the High School teachers for passes to attend their conference. He was aware that passes had been allowed formerly, but was not aware that instructions bad been given by his colleague tnat they should he discontinued, and without reference to the officers of the department bo had promised the teachers that they should have what they had had_ in previous years. When the application afterwards came up he became aware of the rule ; but, as he had promised, he gave instructions for the passes to be issued. Ho thought that both classes of teachers ought to have tho same concessions. Native Legislation.

A number of amendments have been made in the Native Land Court Amendment Bill, the most important of which is the striking out of clause 14, which was intended to validate certain transactions with Native lands. In its place is substituted a lengthy clause which means the appointment of a commission which shall take into consideration all Acts which were right in their intention and inception, but became impossible of completion through the Act of 1886. That Act intended that incomplete titles should be completed, but it prevented the going into new transactions which were necessary to complete the previous transactions. The new clause gives the Commission power to deal with such incompleted cases. The clause which was intended to make real and personal property of a deceased Native liable for his debts has also been struck out. Nearing the End. The House sits on Monday morning for answering questions. Dunstan’s Member. A fortnight’s leave of absence has been asked for Mr Pyke on the ground of illhealth. The member for Dunstan leaves for Dunedin to-morrow. Cut Very Short. Before the Orders of the Day were reached, Mr Ballanoe said that a report had been brought down from the other branch of the Legislature reflecting on a member of the Ministry, and ho asked whether it was the intention of the Government to place the report on the table of the House, The Premier replied : “ No, sir. It is not the intention of the Government to take any steps at all.” A Threatened No-confldence Motion. The Opposition are understood to be organising with a view to making an attack on the Government, and probably on the motion for going into Supply action will be taken. Mr Ballance’s question to-day re the Ward-Hislop correspondence lends color to this idea.