POLITICAL NOTES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13869, 1 October 1908, Page 5

POLITICAL NOTES.

\ REPORTS OF COMMITTEES.

-'},:-:; \ THE NAVAL SUBSIDY. , JT TELEGRAPH.—SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT. < i Wellington, Wednesday. The House this afternoon did not get beyond the formal business stage, the whole three hours being occupied with discussions principally on the reports of com- . mittees, the principal talk being on that relating to Mr. Samuel Vaile'e petition "for a trial of the stage system on the New Zealand railways. In the evening . th Naval Subsidies Bill passed its second : ." -reading. This Bill and the Advances to ■> Settlers Amendment Bill gave rise to iairly lengthy discussions. .' «„ The Legislative Council finished the ee- ■ {ond rending debate on the Arbitration " -Jill. :.'.■';■ SALE OF WAERENGA WINE. A return, showing the quantity and ralue of the wine sold from the Waorenga ♦xperimental farm during the three .years «nded June 30, 1908, which was moved for by Mr. Massey, was presented to the House to-day. For the year ended June, . 1906, 165 gallons were sold, the amount realised being £82 10s. During the following yr 299 gallons,- of a value of £128 13s, were sold, whilst for the year «nded June last, 554 gallons were disposed «f for a. return of £227 7s. The price jer gallon ranged from 8s to 10s. KAURI GUM RESERVES. ■Mr. Mander asked the Minister for Lands to-day whether ho will make inquiry into the position of the gum reserves north of Auckland, and have the boundaries of the same properly defined, as it ii evident from reports received from the Gumdiggers' Union that the old -landmarks have fallen into defray. The Minister replied that the boundaries of the whole of the kauri gum reserves north of Auckland had at one time been properly defined, as no lew than 222.832 acres had. .been reserved in the Auckland district as ■ kauri gum reserves;, of which about 216.563 acres were north of Auckland city. It , lias impossible to undertake a resurvey .-.';:.' of the reserves, which were scattered taroughout the whole of the district. VETERINARY SURGEONS. . Mr. Massey asked the Minister for Agri- -' culture to-day why the position of Government veterinary surgeon in the Auck- . .., hnd district, Tendered vacant some months igo by the retirement of Mr. Lyons, had aofc been filled. r , The Minister e.iid that jending (permanent arrangements, Mr. Young was. attending to the requirements cf the district. Further, there were three veterinarians attached to the freezing vorks in Auckland available in cases of emergency. . ,■ : ■■ f - : w ' ~~~~ ; ! "'' A CLOSE DIVISION. ■The Education Committee brought up jheir report this afternoon on the petition ; if Ellen Aatley, Mary Lovall, and others, ; praying that they be admitted as original • - members under the Teachers' Superannuaiion Fund. The committee reported that they had no recommendation to make. ' Mr. Bollard moved as an amendment that the Teport be sent- back to the committee for reconsideration. After, considerabl discsssion, Mr. Bollard's amendment was carSsd on a division br 29 to 27. - .• INFANTS AMENDMENT BILL. ' ' ( ' The Infants -Amendment Bill, introduced by, the Hon. Geo. Fowlds, provides ; that moneys expended by the Crown in respect of infants maintained in foster ; homes, are to constitute a debt due by the hospital and charitable aid board of the :/a- district in which the foster home is situ- ''■■' - ated.