POLITICAL NOTES.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 3297, 16 August 1911, Page 5

POLITICAL NOTES.

GAMING AMENDMENT BILL.

TOTALISATOR PERMITS.

THE CASE OF COUNTRY CLUBS.

(From Our Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, August 15. The' Gaming Amendment' Bill of Mr Jennings, which is understood, to- have the support of the Govern ment, :,was ci,rciilated to-day. It provides that-, notwithstanding the legislation of the last two years and the report of the Racing Commission, the Minister of Internal Affairs may grant one- totalisator license for one race meeting per annum to each of the following clubs: Alexandra Racing Club, Ashhu r st-Pohangina Racing Club, Horowbenua Hack Racing Club, Ivaikoura Racing Club, Lower Valley Jockey Club, Manintoto Jockey Club, North Canterbury Jockey Club, Ohoka-Evreton Jockey Club, Pahiatua Racing Club, Patea Racing Club, Waipawa Racing Club, Waihi Jockey Club, Westport Jockey Club. The Bill also' proposes to empower the Minister to grant one license annually to' the Rangitikei Club and one to- the Marton Club. The 1 Commission recommended no licenses for Rangitikei and for Marton, whereas Rangitikei has hitherto had two and Marton one. DAYLIGHT SAVING. PROPOSED FOR NEW ZEALAND. The principle of daylight saving by an arbitrary adjustment- of time is embodied in a measure promoted by Mr. T. K. Sidey, member for Dunedin South. He proposes in a Bill which was circulated this afternoon that, during the summer months, from 2 o’clock mean time on the morning of the last Sunday in September, until the same hour on the morning of the last- Sunday in the following March, New Zealand clock time should be one hour in advance of New Zealand mean time. During the balance of each year the' clock time would correspond with mean time. A clause in the' Bill proposes that this arrangement should be recognised in connection with all legal requirements into which the question of hours enters, but Mr Sidey does not intend that it should be observed for the purposes of astronomy and navigation.

THE NEW CONSTITUENCY

PROBABLE OPPOSITION CAN-

DIDATE,

Mr Jas. Rutherford is mentioned as a probable candidate for the Raglan sear If. he decides to contest the seat it will be as a straight out Oppositionist. Mr Rutherford is a well-known farmer in the Bombay portion of the electorate, and he has been president of the Auckland A. and P. Association, president of the Farmers’ Union, and a. member of the Education Board. He is at present a member of the Auckland Charitable Aid Board.

In the old Franklin electorate he Ims been one of Mr Massey’s staunchest supporters, and is popular and greatly respected throughout the district.

THE FRANKLIN SEAT

SAFE FOR THE OPPOSITION

The new Franklin electorate is looked upon by the Auckland members as one of the safest Opposition seats in New Zealand for Mr Massey. Should he decide to stand for that sear ne would be able to devote nearly the whole of his time to the campaign in other parts of the Dominion.

A PROBABLE CHANGE.

THE WAIPAWA SEAT.

The changes in the Waipa-wa boundaries should make the return of the Opposition candidate, Mr Hunter, a certainty. Last election, though he was late in coming into the field and had not a very complete organisation, he came very near defeating the Government candidate.

THE PARNELL ELECTORATE.

ALTERATION BAR FOR SITTING MEMBER.

The alterations in the boundaries of Gris seat are said to he bad for Mr tawry, who may eventually be found contesting the Manukau seat against Mr Lang.

"LIKE EATING COLD.”

THE PRICE OF BUTTER

A suggestion for regulating the price of butter was made in the Legislative Council by the Hon. W. Beehan. He said he was of opinion that eighteenpened a pound was an exorbitant price to pay in a country like this. Eating butter at that figure was like eating gold! Why should not the Government, when butter was cheap, buy it up in quantities and store it iintil the monopolists cam© out of their dens and forced the price up? No butter should be more than one shilling per pound all the year round, and to ask the working man to pay any more was going too far. The Government should take steps to regulate the price in the manner he had suggested.

MINING AMENDMENT ACT

MINERAL OIL.

The Mining Amendment Act, introduced by the Hon R. MTCenzie, ■empowers the Governor to issue Orders-in-Council extending any of the provisions of the Mining Act, 1908, so as to ply them to prospecting, mining for and storing petroleum, and other mineral oils and natural gas, and to define the districts within which-such Order-in-Council shall take effect. _ Compensation shall not be payable in respect; of the value of oil or gas taken under these provisions from land the owners of which have consented to the issue of a prospecting warrant. Regulations to control these operations may be made by Order-ib-C'oiincil. Under the original Act,. the warden could only issue prospecting, warrants in respect of Crown lands; this power is to be extended to all lands, subject to the consent of the owner or lessee, if any. - The Minister’s consent to the issue of a water-race license is no longer to he necessary except where more than twenty heads of water are required to be taken from within a mining district to a place outside it. Leases and licenses for prospecting

for mineral oils and natural gas on education reserves and endowments may be granted on certain conditions. JOTTINGS. ■ The deadly pea rifle is mentioned In a question which is to be addressed by Mr. Jennings (Taumarunui) to the Minister for Internal Affairs. He asks that the sale of the diminutive, but dangerous, weapon to persons under fifteen years of age shall be absolutely prohibited. # Definite information as to the estimated cost of the new Parliamentary Buildings and the period at which the competitive designs that, have been invited will be available, is being sought by Mr. Pearce (Patea). A suggestion will be made by Mr. J F. Arnold (Dunedin Central) that the Electoral Department should inform a!' electors who have been affected by the revision of boundaries of the name of the electorate to which they have been transferred. Mr. G. W. Russell (Avon) intends to ask the Government to introduce a Bill providing for the establishment of a Local Government Board in New Zealand if it does not propose legislation in that direction. He suggests that it should facilitate a similar measure promoted by a. private member. “Why are racehorses carried free on the railways ?” was a. question of which notice was given by Mr F. M. B. Fisher (Wellington Central) this afternoon. “They are not,” replied a member. “Shows how much you know about it,” wa.. Mr. Wittv’s comment. The bestowal of a baronetcy on Sir Joseph Ward is a frequent subject of comment at political gatherings on these days. At Mr L. M. Isitt’s meeting at Christchurch the other evening, the candidate was asked what he thought about the Prime Minister’s acceptance of a hereditary title. “It is a little weakness,” said Mr. Isitt. “It won’t hurt him, and it does not trouble me very much. 1 never had the chance of being ‘Sir Leonard’ —and I don’t know what would happen, if I got the chance.” “J am not a party politician, and 1 do net believe in party politics. So far as the present position is concerned, 1 believe the present Government has. been in office long enough. I am out to put them out if I can.”—Mr. J. D. Hall, a candidate for the Christchurch North seat. The member for Otaki has given notice of motion f.or a return showing the total cost of the Native Lands Commission and the Statutory Revisions’ Committee, and also an. estimate of the actual saving to the country that ■would have been effected if some person other than the Chief Justice had acted as chairman of those commissions.