POLITICAL NOTES.

North Otago Times, 5 August 1903, Page 1

POLITICAL NOTES.

(.From Our Own Correspondent.), By Telegraph. Wellington, August 3, -Departmental Receipts.— Speaking at a banquet tendered to him at Egmont the Hon Mr Mills, Minister for Customs, said the customs receipts for the past .quarter were £50,U00 in exoess of tho amount collected in tho corresponding quarter of last year. Ikgarding. the Valuation DepArtmeiit, he said for many years it was small the settler -.who had paid most) of the taxation, the large -properties in t,he colony not paying what they should. The valuation of the Flaxbourne Estate in his own district (Wairau) for taxation, purposes was £112,0 ft),, but the price placed upon the property by the owner when asked to sell it was £240,000, The Department had instructed its valuers not to accept fictitious values, In referring to the. Department of Agriculture Mr Mills saijd tho expenditure on that Department in 1801 was"£2s,Blß, ' but ten years later it had risen to £1101,285, -Grants to School Committees.— Tho fact that £IOOO voted last session for, assistance to sewing teachers had not yet been paid was tho'subject of complaint by Mr Tom Mac-' kenzic. Tho Premier says the reason why £2OOO to committees and £IOOO for sewing teachers had not teen paid wjlis that the Government hadlnot been advised that it would be within tho p_owen of- Education Hoards to apply the money for their own purposes. IMveiver, he lijnleiuled that the moncyi should be handed direct to school committees, and a clause to that effect would be included in tjio Appropriaoion Bill.- '•' Will you make it permanent ?" asked Mr Mackenzie. " Yes, I will make it permanent," replied the Premier, -San Francisco Mail Service.— The Postmaster-General made a definite pronouncement in favor of the Sim Francisco mail service "Do you oppose the San Francisco service ?" queried Mr Taylor. ■" No, I do not." replied Sir Joseph Ward. " I belie.v o it would be an fcict of suicidal folly lo tako the step, on account of petty intcrprovincial' jealousies, to sever the connection between millions of people and )j, young country such as j New Zealand is. We ought to have as many avenues ol!trade, as possible and it would be a very bad thing for this country, on account ol the very narrow .views, tjiat some fion Jnembers take.on this matter, to piai't with a service which has been carried out successfully so far, and at n very small cost," Mr Duncan does not approve of tho Government givingi prizes to agricultural shows. The Minister of Lands would like to get tho Fair Rent Bill through tho House this session, but does not think it possible, Mr Dim--1 can is in favor of supporting, the bee > industry by subsidy-, Tho. Financial Statement is expected to bo down on Friday.