POLITICAL NOTES.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXXIII, Issue 15968, 29 June 1912, Page 12

POLITICAL NOTES.

[From Ode Correspondent.] WELLINGTON, June 28. NEXT WEEK'S DEBATE. Parliament had a short sitting today, and reached an adjournment before ten o'clock. Members wero reserving their eloquence for next week, wbeu the Address-in-Roply will bo moved by Mr M'Callum and. seconded by Mr Brown. It is stated that Mr Massey has been given till Thursday by his party to frame Jus no-confidence motion, and in that case he will require to keep the debate going for a couple of days. The issue at present is very doubtful, but the Liberal Party is hardening up as the days go bv and old party differences are renewed. At Mr aMssey's request the debate will not be commenced until Tuesday night. CHAIRMAN OF COMMITTEES. Mr J. C. Thomson, member for Wallace, was installed as temporary Chairmail of Committees to-day, and it may bo taken for granted that he will receive the appointment. It is understood that Messrs Davey and Witty were offered tho position and declined it in turn. A CANTERBURY WHIP. Mr G. W. Forbes, member for Hurunui, -Will bo tho Government Whip for the South Island, although the arduous duties attached to the position in the present state of parties are not attractive to a country member desirous of keeping an eye on his farm. THE FIRST BILL. The first Bill for consideration by Parliament was the Imprest Supply Bill for £714,900 to carry on the country gonorally. Tho items were as follow : £ Consolidated Fund .... 450,000 Puhlio Works Fund .... 200,000 Opening up Crown lands for settlemen4 £«» National ©ndo\s-ment .... 2,000 Land for sottlomento .... 8,000 Stato forests ?-s°j> State coal mines , 22! Scenery preservation .... I.^OO Railways inrorovDinents . - . °,Ow Wellington-Hurt Railway and road ■ improvement .... I|WW Native land settlement . . • «W Waihou and Ohinomuri Rivers improvement . . - • • *.«» Government insurance ... . . «ijw»» Government accident, insurance . 1,000 State firo insurance .... M«j Public Trust Office . . • • 7 .°°° New Zealand Stato guaranteed «*- vances to settlers' branch . - 4«*J Advances to workers' branch . • *J» Advances to local authorities . • aw

MR PAYNE'S UTOPIA. Some facetious members promptly christened a batch of new Bills fathered by the Labour member for Grey Lynn, "Mr Payne's quartette." This is constituted by four Bills entitled Workers' Right to Workers' Wages Bill, Workers Minimum Wage Bill, Prevention of Unearned Increment Bill aud Arbitration Act Amendment Bill. Tho first of the bunch of four is very comprehensive. It provides that any person of either sex who has boon not less than five years in New Zealand, aud who is temporarily out of employment, shall bo entitled to a weekly wage equal to that person's average weekly earnings when employed. Any such person receiving such payment of wages shall perform in return therefore such work or service or duties as the officer administering the Act may be able to allot to tho payee. As far as possible the administering officer. shall provide for each applicant for a weekly wago work that ho or she has been accustomed to. Where there is any difficulty as to this the officer shall as soon as possible transfer those receiving the lienefits under the Act into suitable channels of employment. In connection with this portion of the Act free railway passes are to be supplied to persons sent to work in the country. If allotted work, the applicant must faithfully perform it for a period of threo months (unless other avenues of employment open to him), and at the end of three months shall have the right to transfer to more suitable occupation. The Workers' Minimum Wage Bill provides that no worker in Now Zoaland of whatever grade shall be paid less than £3 per week. As the Bills have not been circulated the House is left in wondering doubt as to bow this workers' Utopia is to bo achieved, but Mr Payne is nt any rate sincere. PENSIONS.

The late Under-Secretary of Lands, Mr "William C. Kensington, retired on a pension oi £560 per annum. Other pensions granted recently under tlie Civil Service Act were those of Mr J. L. Bush -C2J6 and Mr B. N. Martin £f>l6. Both officers were formerly in the Post Office Department.

INEBRIATES AND REFORMATIVE TREATMENT. '

Inmates of the Inebriates' Home, on Roto-Roa Island, in Auckland Harbour, have petitioned Parliament for a grant of £l5O, so that a piano and books may bo provided as necessary adjuncts to the reformative treatment. They also ask that if a first offender has been in the Home for six months he may bo discharged if he is physically and mentally fit, and has a good record for conduct and industry, and that any offender who has been nino months detained may be entitled to discharge if the Salvation Army officers or the visiting doctors approve.

PUBLIC DEBT AND REPAYMENT

According to a report of the Controller and Auditor-General, tho amount of the public debt on March 31 was £66,793,3G0. The public debt extinction fund is now in operation, and under this scheme the sum required to bo invested each year at compound interest at £4 per cent per annum, which would in seventy-five years repay the debt, is £149,343. Last year the Treasury paid £144,885 to the debt extinction fund credit, and tho Administrative Board has made tho following investments: £61,410 I invested on mortgages, returning £4 I 10s per cent, and £83,474 temporarily i invested with the Advances to Settlers 1 Department at £4 os per cent interest. ' AN OLD SERVANT. j Mr L. M. Isitt presented a petition ■ to-day from Joseph M. Gilchrist, of ! Christchurch, for a compassionate allowance in recognition of past servicer,. He was at one time in the mounted police and later in various positions m the public service, being discharged at the age of sixty-five ; without obtaining any allowance! ! QUESTIONS. Mr Witty has given notice to ask 1 the Minist.r of Lands whether he will amend the Land for Settlements . Act to allow married men or women j with families a chance of settling on ! tho land. Mr Witty also urges the Government to either purchase all large privately owned estates ahead ol railway construction for closer settle- ; rnent, or where such lands are matcrij ally increased in value by such conI struction, impose a betterment tax.