POLITICAL NOTES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13798, 10 July 1908, Page 4

POLITICAL NOTES.

.-*-,—,♦ THE DAY'S WORK. DEBATE ON THE LOAN BILL. [BY telegraph.— special C'ORUESPONDENT.] Wellington,, Thursday. Parliament had a fairly busy day to-day. After a discussion regarding ■«. technicality as to the Wellington Harbour : Board's Loan Bill, the Government's Loan Bill was discussed, and a, lengthy though superficial debate ensued on financial matters, the main feature of which was the Prime r Minister's submission of the revenue returns of the last quarter. The figures showed an increase in the net revenue over -

last year of £6892, notwithstanding a tre- '"" -: mendous decrease of £80,847; in the Cus- ; ] toms revenue for the period compared with last year. . •. -.; Mr. Massey urged a protest against the ."- Loan Bill being introduced before the details of proposed expenditure v?ere presented, but the Prime Minister explained that . X'i the procedure tliis yeai was in accordance \r with custom. The Incorporated Societies Bill was read a third time, also the New Zealand Ac-, countants Bill. The Pawnbrokers' Charges \? Bill was read a second time. ■ / In the evening the House was occupied .'\r with the Coroners, Bill and the Civil ; Ser-,;'. vice Amendment Bill. The former passed ' through committee with r flight amend- ■ ment, and tin. latter wav read a second % time. _ ' ':•„.' In the Legislative Council the debate on the Address-in-Reply was 'continued. FRIENDLY SOCIETIES' BILL. In the Friendly Societies Consolidation Bill the greater portion of tie 1888 Act is }\ re-enacted and a number of provisions from the latest English law are included. Several recommendations of the Friendly Socie-; :■*s. ties' Conference find a place in the measure. The benefits of registration are extended to some new classes of societies, wnich have come into existence since the passing of the previous Act, arid provision is made to -..« secure that the fees chargeable by societies ' to be registered in future or new branches of existing societies shall be,.adequate to provide the promised benefits. The former office of puHic valuer of friendly societies is superseded by that of ; actuary of Jfriendly societies, and new proposals are inserted providing that societies shall submit their accounts to auditors appointed under the Act. Actuarial valua- , tion of friendly societies is made compulsory [ in the registrar's department, and it is proj vided as a further safeguard of friendly j society members that not more than two- ; ! thirds of the value of any lands or buildings i may be advanced upon them by way of mortgage. Another clause affords to socie- -: ties or branches having an adequate rate of . contributions an actuarial.certificate to that effect free of charge. CIVIL SERVICE AMENDMENT, . The present law in regard to Civil Set* vice appointments provides that with cer- '■■■:.■■ tain exceptions no person is tc be permanently; appointed to the Civil Service -except as a cadet after; competitive examination. The exceptions admitted to this rule have long proved to be too narrow in their scope,: having regard to the , great extension in recent years *of •-. the .-...■:•■. sphere of executive Government. By section 16 of the Public -Service Classification and Superannuation Act, however, it 'is J provided that no .temporary > appoint- | ment is, to < continue; for more' than-six . | months. It has become necessary, therefore, to ;- increase ' the extent and number ', of: the exceptions to the rule governing ,a vpermanent appointments. This is stated to be the sole purpose of the Prime Minister's Civil Service -Amendment Bill.; > PAWNBROKERS' CHARGES.

.Amendment to the Pawnbrokers* Charges Act is proposed. This Act fixes the scale of profits.that may be taken by a pawnbroker on pledges, the scale allowing a profit as high as 80 j per cent, per annum to be made. ' The Bill . introduced repeals this,, scale, and substitutes ..one provided by the English Act, under which the rate is ? limited to 20 /per cent, per annum in the case of loans exceeding £2, and 26 per cent, for loans under that amount. Pawnbrokers are empowered-to charge the sum of one penny for pawn tickets issued.

, LAW PRACTITIONERS. The Attorney-General's Law Practitioners Amendment Bill' proposes, to re- ■ peal the ' existing legislation, which provides that a solicitor may be admitted without further examination to • practise as ' a barrister after -he has practised for i ;ig five years as a solicitor or as the i manag-Hi vj ing clerk of a solicitor. The repeal has been requested not only by law societies v:<;i but also by the University of New Zealand, on account of the detrimental effect upon the standard of legal education in the Dominion. A clause is included ■in .-, v the Bill to save the rights of solicitors s " ' who; have been admitted as ' such since the passing of the Act of 3898. TOWN BOARDS. The Town Boards Amendment Bill, in ; ; troduced by the Attorney-General, provides . that any town district which satisfies the Governor that it has a population of 500 may be taken off the county by Order-in- ,;; Council. It also provides that county roads within a town district which is hot ;%■:s part of the county are to be controlled and maintained by ■■. the town'board, and all .-y, other county roads by the county council, MINERS' WORKING HOURS. The Hours of Underground Labour Bill, which Mr. R.McKenzie has introduced on behalf of the Hon. A. R. Guinness, is intended to give all those engaged in underground workings an eight-hour day, inclusive of half an hour for meals. It will 7 apply to shafts and tur-nels, such as ; the .;■■■.,-!. Arthur's Pass tunnel. : ; i r : '-';;' GREAT NORTH ROAD. Mr. Mander asked the Government whether they would consider the advisableness of taking over the Great North Road, and make it reasonably fit for the rapidly- ;:f: increasing traffic, seeing that ' the local g bodies were unable to find sufficient revenue to maintain the many by-roads in their A; various districts. ; He received ' the fol- y-oj lowing : reply 3—7" The general question of , the maintenance of main trunk roads is one that I propose to consider carefully at an ;: early date, and as the road referred to is... one of the principal a4"teries of the North, it will receive consideration with the other main roads of ihs Dominion."