PARLIAMENTARY NEWS.

New Zealand Times, Volume LVI, Issue 2277, 6 August 1894, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY NEWS.

It was expected that the committal of the Lands for Settlement Bill could be taken after the financial debate; but the Waste Lands Committee, to whom the Bill was referred, have not yet even looked at it, and, it is probable, will not reach it until about Thursday, as the Committee have several petitions|which are to be cleared out of the way before the more important work of dealing with this Bill. The lobbies wore practically deserted on Saturday and yesterday. In his report concerning the co-operative works in tho Wellington district, Mr R. H. Reaney states that during the year the prices paid have been as follow:—Bushwork, from 10s to XII Os per chain. Earthwork —Dray-road, side-cuttings, 5d to 6d per yard; horse-road, side-cuttings, Gd to 8d per yard, according to quantity in face, with from 2d to Gd per yard added in through cuttings for wheeling. Rook-work —Papa, 9d to Is per yard; limestone. Is to Is Gd per yard. Drains, from 10s to £1 per chain. Culverts, from Is Gd per foot for 9in by 9in to 11s per foot for 4ft by 3ft, with Gd per foot extra in places whore there has been a diflioulty in getting timber.

On the co-operative worts near Makuri township, the minimum wage per day was 3s Bd, the maximum 9s Bd, and the average 5s 9d. The minimum wage on the Upper Makuri, Makairo, Towai and Mangatoro roads was 4s sd, and the maximum 10s 4d, the average being 7s. Captain Turner states that on the contracts under his charge, some of the men’s wages have been as low as 3s 4d per day and some as high as 11s; and as in all cases the works are estimated so as to enable the men to earn as nearly as possible the same wage, he attributes the discrepancy to the want of experience on the part of those previously used to very light employment. The Inspectors report that during the year the men have conducted themselves exceedingly well. The cash received at,the Rotorua Sanatorium for the year for baths has been .£313, an increase of upon the previous year’s sum. The number of visitors increased by about one thousand or more. At Hanmer Springs the cash received was .£217.

With reference to the competition of traction engines with the railways in parts of Canterbury, the Railway Commissioners state that the fact need cause no surprise, when it is remembered that the roads and bridges are free to the owner of the traction engine. The railways, on the other hand, provide nearly 3 per cent, interest on the capital cost, and bear the entire cost of maintenance, which averages £l4O per mile per annum.

The weekly cost per head at the Wellington Asylum during the year was 8s 9jd. This was Is more than for the previous year, due to increased expenditure caused by the opening of the Porirua Ayslum. There are only two districts in the Colony in which some knowledge of arithmetic is not imparted to the very youngest of the children attending the public schools. Five-sixths of the girl pupils receive instruction in needlework.

About 60f miles of new railway were opened for traffic during last year. Considerable difficulty is experienced by men sent to co-operative contracts in obtaining supplies from' storekeepers, the latter requiring payment to be first guaranteed. Captain Turner, the chief surveyor on the West Coast, suggests that the difficulty might be avoided if the Government became responsible for the first order. It is, he says, hardly fair to the overseers to ask them to give guarantees.

Tke total amount advanced to the village homestead settlers since the beginning of the system till the end of March last was <£25,318. During that time the amount received in rent and interest was £13,40.3. The arrears of rent and interest at the end of March last amounted to £2212. The value of improvements now on the land is £70,000.