POLITICAL NEWS AND GOSSIP.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 9105, 13 July 1888, Page 5

POLITICAL NEWS AND GOSSIP.

[BY TELEGRAPH. —SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.] Wellington, Thursday. SURVEY OF CROWN AND NATIVE LANDS. In reply to Mr. Kelly, the Minister of Lands said it was not desirable to execute the survey of the Crown and native lands by tender from private parties in the districts in which they are situated. It was necessary that the roads from such blocks should be carefully chosen, and well graded, whereas it was found that, specially in small. farm settlements; private surveyors did not pay sufficient attention to this matter. So far as regards Crown land this was so; as respects native lands, the Survey Department could do the work more cheaply than it could be done by private parties. THE PROPERTY TAX ASSESSMENT. Mr. Goldie asks the Premier whether he will inform the House of the terms upon which it is proposed to engage valuers for the triennial valuations for property tax purposes.

FENCING ACT AMENDMENT BILL. This Bill is introduced by the Hon. Mr. Waterhouse in the Legislative Council. It provides for the addition to the schedule of another legai fence, thus described — "A fence of tour barbed wire or three barbed wires, and two plain wires tightiy stretched, with in eitner case posts of durable wood or iron standards, the posts or standards not to be more than twelve

feet apart, the top wire not to be less than four, nor more than five feet from the surface of the • ground, the space between each of the barbed wires to be as far as practicable equal. No such fence, however, shall be erected within the iimits of any borough or town district." THE NATIVE POLICY BILLS. Sydney Taiwhanga presented a formidable petition to-day from natives in favour of the Maori Relief Bill, and against the Government Native Policy Bills. LOCAL BODIES AND TAXATION. A return was laid on the table to-day showing the total amount paid over to local bodies out of the consolidated and public works funds since the abolition of the provinces in 1876. The total was £3,385,978 ; raised in the same period by local bodies in rates, £3,231,308. NATIVE LANDS AFFAIRS COMMITTEE. Re the petition of Wikitoria and others, praying that quarter-castes on the European side may be allowed to inherit property through their native relations, the committee recommend the Government to provide by Act of Parliament that in all legislative enactments relative to native lands and property the words " Natives of New Zealand shall include half-castes and their descendants." CAUCUS OF THE OPPOSITION. There was a caucus of the Opposition today. Mr. Lance presided, and some thirty members were present. Considerable reticence has been manifested as to the proceedings, and all that has been disclosed is that Mr, Withy's amendment was discussed, but the meeting came to no decision on the matter. It seems that the Opposition are in the same fix as their opponents. They profess to be anxious to retrench, but are equally unwilling to incur the responsibility and unpopularity of touching thp wages class in the employ of the Government. It was decided to oppose the Government proposal to refer the Native Bill to a joint committee, on the round that the committees are too deeply interested in the question of native lands, and to support a motion to refer them to a select committee of the Lower Chamber only. : The caucus was then adjourned till tomorrow. The rumoured no-confidence motion was not submitted, and one of the Opposition whips authorises me to give the rumour an explicit contradiction. Mr. Seddon, the acting leader of the Opposition, is at present on a visit to the Wairarapa district, and it is not probable anything important will be attempted till he returns. THE TARIFF. u ' ] It seems that, with all the care bestowed in the revising of the schedules of the new duties, errors have crept in. , The duty on bacon is set down as twopence advalorem, instead of twopence per pound. There is a good story current that the Premier was one of the first victims of the Protection tariff, and got badly hit by the new duty. s Some time ago he was installed Grand Master of the Masonic order of the North Island, E.C. His regalia arrived the other day from England, and went into bond, from which it was not released till Sir Harry had paid the duty, which was over ten pounds. The Customs officers even had the hardihood to ask him for the " primage duty." The incident has been a great consolation to Freetraders. THE CHINESE BILL. Nothing is yet decided as to the Chinese Bill, and as to whether any fresh attempt will be made to meet the views of the Legislative Council. If the Bill is dropped it is regarded as probable that the Government may make a fresh attempt in another way by introducing the Bill recommended by the Australian Conference. NEW ZEALAND MEAT FREEZING AND STORAGE COMPANY. The attention of some of the Southern members of the Legislative Council has been turned to the operations of the above company in butter-making, and in view of Mr. McCallum's mission one of the Southland members of the Council moved that the Government be requested to obtain from the company some account of its butter operations for the information of the Legislature. REPORT OF THE CROWN LANDS DEPARTMENT. The annual report of this department for the year ending 31st March last, wis laid on the table of the House to-day. It states that an adjustment between the land districts of Auckland and Hawke's Bay has been effected by making them coterminous with the Land Registration Districts. Speaking of the Government sanatorium, the report states that a lease for sixty years has been granted to Mr. Joshua for the springs near Taupo, subject to the fulfilment of certain conditions with the rest of the public which are being observed. The number of baths taken at Rotorua during the year were 6650, and the fees £177; Te Aroha, 28,598, and fees £479; an increase at Te Aioha of five, and at Rotcrua of 1782 on the previous year. At the Ro:orua sanatorium the patients admitted weie 48 Europeans and 17 Natives, of whom vere cured 34 Europeans and 12 Natives ; benefited, 14 Europeans and 2 natives; died, 3 Natives. The report then refers to the forest and agricultural ground. So far as Auckland is concerned, it having been decided to curtail operations under the State Forests Act, the services of nearly all the officers engaged in forestry have been dispensed with ; but an arrangement has been entered into with Mr. T. Kirk, the late conservator, to complete the illustrated work on the forestry of New Zealand, which he began some time ago. It is now well forward, and should be ready for issue shortly. Regarding planting operations begun at Whangarei, Wairangi, and Maniototo, it is proposed to continue the experimental nursery and the plantations already begun at Whangarei, and so utilise the work, but otherwise no extensions will be entered on. At Wairangi 1700 acres have been fenced in, and nearly half of it ploughed around and sown with tree seeds ; but with the exception of a few acres of wattles, which are doing well, the work is a failure. This may be accounted for by a poor soil, insufficient cultivation, and possibly bad seed. As there seems no reason for the Government entering into competition with private enterprise in growing bark for tanning, it will be advisable to dispose of this place either by sale or lease for what it will fetch. It is well fenced, and is intersected by the railway, and if laid down in grass, would make one or two stock farms. j

FINANCIAL QUESTIONS. Apparently as the result of the caucus of the Opposition held to-day, several financial questions were tabled. Mr. Hutchison asked the Colonial Treasurer whether, before borrowing from the Colonial Bank at 5 per cent., the £400,000 authorised to be raised on debentures under the Public Revenues Act No. 3, 1887, he communicated with the loan agents as to the possibility of obtaining the monoy in London at a lessor rate than 5 per cent. ; and whether before arranging with the

Colonial Bank, he endeavoured to obtain as favourable accommodation from any of the other banks in business in the colony, or in Melbourne, or Sydney also if he is ab liberty to explain the circumstances under which he discounted the deficiency bills during his term of office included in the sum of £778,000 mentioned in Table No. 1 of the Financial Statement, where such bills were discounted, and the rates of interest and exchange or commission paid thereon.

Mr. Hutchison moves also for a return showing the several amounts paid, the names of the recipients, and the authority in each instance for such payments,' included in the sum of £40,346 appearing as paid during 1887-88, under the head of pensions, compensation, and gratuities (page 6 of the Estimates) other than items, making up the sum of £21,971 2s 3d, as shown in the return.

LIGHTHOUSE ON CAPE KIDNAPPERS. Mr. Ormond is moving to get a lighthouse at Cape Kidnappers, for the better security of vessels trading on the coast. NATIVE ASSESSORS. The native members are asking the Minister of Justice to instruct the Resident Magistrates in native districts to avail themselves of the services of native assessors when dealing with cases where natives or natives and Europeans are concerned. '