POLITICAL GOSSIP.

Evening Star, Issue 11944, 21 July 1903, Page 4

POLITICAL GOSSIP.

WELLINGTON, July 21. - TJV4MWAYS AND WATER POWER BILL. From what I can gather there is little prospect of the Dupedin City and Suburban Tramways and Water Power Bill, bfcie in£P*Wj4 Vy Mr Millar on behalf of tb« Wunedm. Corporation, passing in its present ■F?t ,r? be B,U wiu be opposed on behal! of the, Mines Department, owing to the extended powers regarding water supply from the Taien River that are proposed to be conferred on the City Corporation. ADVANCES TO SETTLERS, c B e "UK™ 1 r , 6port of *be Advances to Settlers Office shows that up to March 51 £**„-*• ne , fc » dvanc es authcrsed numbered and amounted to £3.581,660 Th« number of applications received was 16,645 for an aggregate amount of £5,937,495. JOTTINGS. In the House this- afternoon Messrs Arnold, Ell, anS MTachlan'presented a petition in favor of the conversion of the Bank of New Zealand into a State Bank. Mr Arnold gave notice to-day to ask whether the Government would set up a royal commission during the recess to put the secondary education system on a satisfactory basis. The Hon. Mr Mills has laid on the table the annual reports of the Advances to Settlers and Government Valuation Departments. It is understood that the Government intend to introduce a Bill to conserve natural water supplies, and regulate the conditions under which they may be taken up for utilisation for lighting or power purposes.