POLITICAL NOTES.

North Otago Times, 20 September 1910, Page 1

POLITICAL NOTES.

(Wellington Post,)

-Inspectors Armed with Slashers.—

The Hon. T. Mackenzie (Minister of Agriculture) has repeated his relief that the Inspectors of Noxious Weeds should not ride past clumps of blackberry or other prickly proPositions on roadsides. His idea, as dimly limned in the House yesterday, is that each inspector should be armed with a slasher, and promptly dismount for duels with .blackberry challengers. It has been indicated, however, that the blackberry is a sort of vegetable hydra which requires the strength and ingenuity of a Hercules for its extermination rather, than the casual slashing of.an inspector engaged on an extensive round of general superVision.

The Minister remarked, incidentally, that his orders for the destruction of blackberry bushes on roadsides in Central Otago had been strenuously opposed. He bad been accused of trying to deprive poor people of an opportunity to make cheap jam, and it had been alleged against him that he had threatened to prosecute grocers who sold blackberry jam. -Taxing Land Sales.—

"It's very near time that the Government considered the land question' from the standpoint' of the great mass of workers who are'constantly being bled under the system of land monopoly and private exploitation," remarked Mr M'Laren. yesterday in support of a contention that "on the sale of landed properties a proportion of the accrued value which is due to the trade in said lauds shall come to the State by way. of return: of that increase in the value of tile land .which has been'due to ,tha State's assistance -and enterprise." —Superannuation Question.— •

Answering a question by Mr D. M'Laren, as to the payments made to Mr W . M. Hannay (manager " of the late Manawatu Railway Company) out of the.Government Railways Superannuation Fund, the Minister of Railways stated yesterday: "Mr Hannay': contributed _ to the

fund in,proportion to. his salary on the,'isame' basis as any other contributor who was'in the.employ of the Wellington, and .'Manawatu'Rail'way Company,' Every- such- person paid to the Government • Railways 'tfiiperaimuation Fund an amount epal to . the. contributions '■ that ■would, li'ave been payable by them had ..they., joined the fund, at its inauguration s ou: the . Ist January, 1903;. anß; furthermore, the Manawatu' -.g&lway Company paid to the Govenfflent;©ailways Superannuation, Fund a;'lump*sum of £SOOO to purchase for superannuation benefits the back time'of the company's employees, and so .placed them on the same footing as. thrj persons in the. Government Railway Service, whose superannuation is computed on their full years of continuous service, Mr Haunay is legally entitled to receive by way of superannuation the ,wbole of the moneys .that have been paid to him."

Commenting .on that answer, Mr Hoga'h (Wanganui) declared that the Government's decision to pay a su-. Perannuation allowance of'£233 7s per year .had come,as a distinct surprise to the railway service, and to some members of the House of Representatives. /The Government, Prior to the acquisition of the Manawatu line, had announced that the two chief'officers (Messrs Hannay and Marchbanks), were not to be taken over into the Government service, and they had not been taken. The proper! course would have been to return to Mr Hannay any payments which he had made in respect of superannuation, It was the duty of the Manawatu Company to provide compensation for Mr Hannay, and not the. duty of the State.

-Timber for Sleepers.— The Minister of Railways, in answer to a unestion put by Mr Seddon, yesterday, made the following statement: "New Zealand timber is uti'lised for railway sleepers, in consonance with the Government's policy, wherever it Is practicable to do so. 'ln order to enable this policy to be carried out to the utmost,extent the Railway Department has for years past been experimenting with the treatment of New Zealand sleepers with creosote, with- a view to increasing the longevity of the timber. • Arrangements have now been made for Powellising .sleepers, which it ,is hoped will enable ■ birch' and possibly. other classes of New Zealand timber that have-been hitherto regarded as unsuitable, to be made use of. Experience-has, however, shown that for bridges and curves, and on particular parts of the line where extra strength is rewired, it is imperative that hardwood sleepers should be used, owing to their superiority in the matter of strength, durability, and noninflammability. The increasing weight of the rolling stock and the speeds of the express trains on the main line make it impossible for the ■ department to depart from the present practice. The safety of the line must be the first consideration."