POLITICAL NOTES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVII, Issue 14507, 22 October 1910, Page 8

POLITICAL NOTES.

THE LAND BILL. A HOT TIME IN COMMITTEE. [BT TELE GR APH- —PRESS ASSOCIATION'.] Wellington, Friday. It is generidly thought that it. will not bo possible for the Government to get the Land Bill through this session. Tho leaseholders on tho one hand and the freeholders on the other are prepared to give the Bill a very hot time in committee. It has been suggested that voluntary leasing should be substituted for compulsory leasing with a view to appeasing the freeholder party, but even if this were decided upon there is still enough materials in tho Bill to keep the House talking for several weeks. LAND AT CAMBRIDGE. Mr. Herries (Tauranga) is asking the Minister for Agriculture whether any further steps have been taken for the drainage and utilisation of the land belonging to the Department in the borough of Cambridge, and if the hind is not required by the Department,* can he see his way to transfer the land to the borough as an endowment. THE ARBITRATION COURT. The Arbitration Court sat in Auckland on April 5, 1910, and did not sit again until October 6, 1910, but between theso dates the Court sat twice in Wellington and three, times in Christchurch. This fact is being brought, under the notice of the Minister for Labour by Mr. A. E. Glover (Auckland Central who asks the Minister whether his attention has been drawn to a statement made by the president of the Arbitration Court to the effect that the Arbitration Court will not sit again in Auckland until April next, and if so, will he make provision for quarterly sittings of the Court in each of the four chief centres, when amending tho Conciliation and Arbitration Act thus session. PURCHASES OF NATIVE LAND. The purchase; of native land in the Urewera Country will be somewhat more extensive than was at first contemplated. The areas at first offered to the Government ran into 80,000 acres, but since the Government despatched an officer to negotiate for the purchase other areas have (states Mr. Macdonald, member for the district) been offered and tho area will probably amount to 100,000 acres.