POLITICAL NOTES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 14226, 24 November 1909, Page 8

POLITICAL NOTES.

PUBLIC WORKS STATEMENT

VOTES FOR BACK BLOCKS. [BY TELEGRAPH. —SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.] Wellington, Tuesday. The non-appearance of the Public Works Statement, for which the residents of the back blocks especially are anxiously waiting, led to a question on the subject being put to the Prime Minister this afternoon bv "Mr. J. Hine, member for Stratford. Sir Joseph Ward, in replying, stated that the Government had been attending to the interests of the people in the back blocks all along. When is the Statement coming? asked Mr. Hine.

" It all depends upon the progress made by the House with the business," was the only information that the Prime Minister would vouchsafe. "If the business goes on satisfactorily, the Statement will be brought down at an early date." Mr. Massey: Will it be brought down before Christmas?

Sir Joseph Ward; Yes; I hope so. Before Christmas of this year, I mean.

COST OP ELECTORAL ROLLS.

The cost of compiling the main electoral rolls was £4611, and of printing them £3161. The highest cost of compiling was for the Christ-church North roll, viz., £103. The cost of compiling supplementary rolls was £6625, and of printing them £3014. The highest cost of compiling was for Wellington Central, £293. AN AUCKLAND BILL. The committee on the Roman Catholic Bishop of Auckland Empowering Bill reported the measure to-day without amendment. The Bill proposes to empower the Bishop to sell or exchange certain lands in the city, suburbs, and province of Auckland, or to lease them for a longer period than 42 years.