PARLIAMENTARY NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 12076, 20 September 1902, Page 5

PARLIAMENTARY NEWS.

[BY TELEGRAPH. CORRESPONDENT.]

Wellington', Friday. THE CORONATION CONTINGENT. The Coronation Contingent is likely to prove an expensive luxury. Already a sum of £5500 has been drawn in connection with it in sums of £-3000, £1500, and £1000. The amount drawn in London was £2500. It is stated that these sums will vet be considerably added to. BRASS BANDS. The North Island Brass Band Association is asking Parliament to grant an annual subsidy towards the expenses of holding the brass band contests in the various centres. STATE FORESTRY. Under the provisions of the State Forest Acts, trees have been planted over an area of .18,343 acres, at a total cost of £59,076. An area of 368 acres has been destroyed by fire. The estimated v<jlue of the plantations in existence is £52,000. The figures given are only approximate, owing to a large proportion of the work done being of a private nature. Eighthundred and fifty-three acres have been planted under the direction of the Government, at a cost of £9972. The estimated value of such plantations is £16,309. The amount proposed to be expended on forest tree planting during the present year is £13,818. Of this amount £5341 is for new plantations. In addition £2000 has been voted for prison labour at the Waiota pu plantation. » CORONERS BILL. In view of the advanced stage of the session and of the debatable nature of the contents of the Coroners Bill, the Joint Statutes Revision Committee recommends that this measure be dropped. The report has been adopted. A BUSY MEMBER. His appointment to the committee considering the Municipal Bills makes the seventh committee Mr. Fowlds has served on during the present session. Most of the committees have been important fines, and the member for Auckland, though he has not been heard of so often in the House as in the past session, has done a lot of hard work. THE SHIPPING BILL. The Select Committee appointed to consider the Shipping and Seamen Bill had another meeting to-day, and has now practically concluded its work, having gone through the whole measure with the exception of two schedules. It has also to consider the matter of the river limits, and will do so next- Tuesday. It is understood that the Bill will not be gone on with this session. THE FISHING SEASON. The statement that the Fisheries Conservation Bill is to be dropped is not authentic. Sir Joseph Ward has given definite promises that it will be passed. If Mr. Barclay, Major Steward, and others, persist in their proposed amendments, however, the Bill may be jeopardised. FARMERS' WANTS. Mr. Massey asked the Minister for Railways this afternoon whether he had received a communication from the Franklin Agricultural and Pastoral Society, asking for a reduction in the railway freights at present charged for the carriage of road metal and fertilisers, and also that- return passenger tickets be issued at reduced rates on market days, and whether he intended to comply with the wishes of the society in these respects? Sir Joseph Ward said the communication referred to had reached him, and he promised to give it his fullest consideration. KAIPARA RAILWAY. The Minister for -Railways was asked by Mr. Bollard to-day when he would cause the alterations in the railway line at Newmarket to be made, in order that the trains running on the Kaipara branch may run direct into Auckland, instead of backing up, as they do now, to the Newmarket station, thereby causing considerable delay. The Minister quite agreed that the work, which was estimated to cost £1500, should be done, and he informed the member for Eden that the matter was under consideration. POST AND TELEGRAPH DEPARTMENT SALARIES. A measure of interest to, a number of post and telegraph employees is being introduced by the Government. It is a Bill to amend the Post and Telegraph Department Act of 1894, by raising the maximum salaries in the first division to £800, £750, and £700 respectively, as from April 1, 1903; by raising the maximum of postmasters, fourth grade, to £180, by au additional annual increment of £5; by raising the minimum of linemen, first- grade, to £135. and the maximum to £150, by three annual increments of £5; by raising the minimum of letter-carriers, first grade, to £135, and the maximum to £150, by three annual increments of £5; by raising the minimum of letter-carriers, second grade, to £105, and the maximum to £125, by one annual increment of £10 and two of £5; by raising the mirnitnum of' lettercarriers, third grade, to £50, and the the maximum to £100, by three annual increments of £10 and two of £5 ; by raising the minimum of post office messengers, first grade, to £105, and the maximum to £140. by two annual increments of £10 and three of £5 by providing a class for post office sorters, £S0 to £150 per annum, by five annual increments of £10; by fixing the assistantcounter clerks' (telegraph) annual increments nt five of £10 each; by fixing the assistant despatch clerks' annual increments at five of £10, and four of £5 each ; by fixing the distributors' annual increments at three of £10 each. A new clause provides that every distributor appointed since April 1, 1834. shall be entitled to count his service for seniority, notwithstanding section 6 of the Classification Act of 1890. JOTTINGS. Mr. Houston was informed this afternoon that the Defence Department are now making inquiries into the loss of saddles, etc., sustained by the Mangonui Mounted Rifles at the fire when the plague hospital was burned down at Auckland.

When asked by Mr. Witheford whether the attention of the Government had been called to the serious menace to the welfare of British subjects in England and this colony by the unrestricted immigration of impecunious aliens, the Colonial Secretary said the matter was a, very difficult one to deal with, and required very careful consideration. ■

A number of residents of' Kaeo Riding, Whangaroit County, propose starting a dairy factory now that the timber industry is a thing of the past, and to help them they want the Government to throw open the Omaunu No. 2 block-of native land. Mr. Houston is presenting their petition.

Dr. R. H. Bakewell, of Auckland, is petitioning the House to grant a pension to Major Rookes, in recognition of the military services he rendered to the colonv.

The petition of Clement A. Comes, of Karangaliake, who asks for the freehold of a property he held under the Mining Act, lias been favmiraoTy reported upon by the (loldlields Committee.