POLITICAL NOTES.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXXII, Issue 15714, 6 September 1911, Page 10

POLITICAL NOTES.

[FItOIC OXTB CoKBESFONBENT.] WELLINGTON, September 5; BUDGET ON FRIDAY. Great anxiety was evinced, by several Opposition members to-day as to when the railways report would be. down. "As soon as it is ready," said th© Minister. The leader of the Opposition strongly urged that the Railway Statement should be debated before the Financial Statement. "Very well," said the Prime Minister, " we will postpone the Budget until Friday, and bring the Railway Statement down meantime." THE OAMARU SEAT. There appears to be no reason to disbelieve the rumour tbat the Hon T. Y. Duncan, who, after Sir William Steward, is the veteran of the House, will not contest the Oamaru seat again. This cannot be distorted into any probability that Sir John Findlay or the Hon T. Mackenzie will stand for Oamaru. Already there is a strong Liberal candidate in the field, and Mr Duncan's retirement .is expected to produce another candidate, probably a farmer. ASYLUM ATTENDANTS' RISKS. Flora Newport, widow of Richard Edwart Newport, lute head assistant at Sunnyside Mental Hospital, who died last April, has petitioned Parliament, through Mr Witty, for an allowance in consideration of her husband's services to the Stat 9. She states that on one occasion her husband received a severe kick Trom a patient % that set up a permanent cyst, requiring continuous medical treatment, and on another occasion he became seriously ill through being compelled by the superintendent ito keep watch during a wet night; on a field of potatoes. These injuries, she says, materially contributed to his early death. THE QTTY CABSTANDS. Sixty-five Christchurch cabmen have petitioned Parliament through Mr j) aTev pravin<t that the city cabstands shall* do vested in the Goveraor-in-Oouncil, without whose consent no stand, including those in the two city i triangles, shall be #«*« except for repnirs: that no subsidy should be paid to the Council and any money granted should be revoked, • and that all disputes arising between Council Bn d cabmen should be settled by arbitration bv the Arbitration Court. The causes *k out for the petition are the Council's decision to abolish two cabstands for'bcautiMng purposes, winch the petition describes as restraint of trade. UNSETTLED SETTLERS. Fifty settlers on Roimata, and Tamai village settlements near Chnstohurolt, have* petitioned ?«hain«it, through Mr Laurenson, asking that they should bo allowed to squire tJiofechod of +i,«,v oiinlmputs on payment of too an addition of one-hal of the <ffcronco Sitt'JMSi a" surrounded by I t i \!ia\. +l-,-+ there has been n. preat freeholds thai> tn« . '"increase of. the annual cLrgefso that the rale, m most cases • are more than the iW l renta} -

AUCKLAND AGITATED. True to tradition, Auckland continues to flood tlio House v,«rth petitions. To-day a dozen were presented, representing 2740 persons, with the request that tho Auckland University Site Bill should be'passed. As a counterblast, Mr Glover presented a petition from 206 persons, asking that tho Bill should not be passed. INFORMAL PETITIONS. Most of the petitions presented to Parliament daily aro informal, because they omit to address themselves to Mr Speaker, but they arc usually accepted by voto of the House. Others are formal but not intelligible, as wit* ness the following presented by an Auckland member to-day:—"To tho Hon the Speaker and Members of the House of Representatives in Parliament assembled —A reward for finding gold at Waiho and Knrangahnkio and Puru and your pctmeer will ever pray." ENDOWMENT REVENUE. On the motion of Mr Witty, a return has been laid on the table of the Houso showing the amounts received as rent from tho National Endowments for the last three years. Tho figures aro as follows: 1900. 1910. 1911. £76,510 £78,407 £91,784 These amounts include sums of £l3,bG4, £14,689, and £18,132 received on account of sales of timber, coal and flax. CROWN TENANTS AND LAND BOARDS. Not fifty per cent of the Crown tenants throughout New Zealand_exercise thoir votes in electing thoir representatives to the Land Board. On the motion of the member for Wallace the figures have been presented to Parliament. They are as follows:

MISCELLANEOUS.

W. H. Marley and. R. W. Smith have petitioned Parliament, through Mr Witty, asking that they shall be retained 'in the Halswell county, instead of being annexed to the Heathcote county.

Province Tenants. v otcs Auckland , 5581 3494 Hawko'a Bay . 1559 548 Ttiraiiaki . 165(5 536 Wellington . 9477 1451 I\\>lson . 1759 583 Marlborough . 01129 435 Wostland ; . 1143 613 Canterbury . 31-15 1176 Otago . 4i;s 1333 Southland , . 21€2 476