PARLIAMENTARY ITEMS.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume XXI, Issue 1074, 3 July 1890, Page 3

PARLIAMENTARY ITEMS.

Important changes in the Lauds office at Dunedin are contemplated. Although the Estimates provide salaries for both the Chief Commissioner and Chief Surveyor as heretofore, the M blister of Lands will explain to the House, when dealing with his departmental votes, that the dual authority has not proved a success, therefore it will be proposed, at the end of the current financial year, to amalgamate the two offices. This means that after March 31 next Mr. J. P. •Maitland will be retired on a pension, and when the change is effected the probabilities are that Chief-Surveyor Adams will exchange stations with some other chief surveyor.

All persons interested in the land laws of the colony will be glad to learn that the Government intend to legislate this session for the prevention of dummyism and the speaulative acquisition of .Grown lands at Government land sales. The Miuister of Lands has given Mr. Monk an assurance to that effect.

A suggestion is thrown out by the " Evening Press" that Sir Harry Atkinson should retire on a pensibn of £IOOO a" year, to be granted for life in consideration of his valuable public services.'""-'''

It is an open secret that the Opposition leaders were deeply disappointed and chagrined at the favorable result of Friday's meeting.. Tney did not conceal their belief that it would prove a "regular burst up," and that whether Mr. Mitchelson or Mr; Bryce were chosen as leader the new Government would be so weak in the present House as to be virtually helpless, and that a dissolution would be speedily forced. They were completely taken aback when the result was announced that Sir H. A. Atkinson would remain Premier with so overwhelming a majority pledged to support him. Up to the present date Government railways have yielded gross receipts at the rate of (in round numbers) £1,300,000 per annum, of which working expenses have absorbed only 25 per cent. This a wholly unprecedented record, but of course cannot be maintained throughout the year. A considerable excess of revenue over the Commissioners' estimate (in the Budget) is, however deemed already certain. In his Private Schools Bill Mr. Pyke seeks to put children attending private schools on the same footing as those attendiug Government primary schools, except that only onehalf capitation granted to State Education is required. The Bill is specially framed in the interest of the Roman Catholics, and is only intended to apply to centres of population. A clause which did not appear in last year's measure provides for qualifying pupils in private schools for examination for scholarships, and permits of their undergoing university matriculation examination.

Mr. Humphreys is moving for an amendment to the Education Act, with the object of the more efficacious enforcement of the compulsory attendance clauses of the Act by removing the duty of appointing truant officers from the hands of school committees and placing it in those of education boards.

Mr. Scobie Mackenzie is urging the Government, in view of any necessity that may appear to exist for making appointments to the Legislative Council, to introduce a bill to amend the Constitution Act in the direction of making such appointments for a limited term instead of for life.

Mr. Scobie Mackenzie has given notice to ask the Minister of Mines if he has received a copy of the resolutions passed at a meeting of delegates of the \aiions mining associations of Otago held in Dunedin in February last, and if so whether he can see his way to take the steps necessary to give effect to them.

The farmers and settlers in the Blacks district have petitioned Parliament complaining that the rabbit pest is assuming alavming proportions, and asserting that the runholJersare allowed to breed rabbits on their land and actually do so during the spring and summer months ; that they farm them through the summer months and kill them during winter when the skins are valuable ; that when summoned to court three runholderswere fined in disproportionatelysmall sums ; that the inspectors ought not to be allowed to make concessions to the runholders ; and that the farmers would have no difficulty in keeping their laud free of rabbits if the runholders were compelled to do so too. The petitioners, therefore, pray that Parliament will take steps to redress the grievance. Almo3t as soon as the Mouse of Representa-tives-net on Tuesday, the Hon. Mr. Ballance gave noliceeof his amendment to the motion to go into committee of supply. This is to the effect that the continuance of the primage duty is unnecessary, that further retrenchment is imperatively demanded and can be effected without impairing the efficiency of the public service, and that the property tax in its present form and the land policy of the Government impede the progress of the colony. The Government accepted this as ii no-confijence motion, and the House adjourned until the evening, when Mr. Ballance ' commenced the debate. The Minister of . Lands followed, and then came Mr \V. P. Reeves, after which the House adjourned.