HOUSE AND LOBBY.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXX, Issue 3826, 23 August 1899, Page 3

HOUSE AND LOBBY.

gaud OR COLLEGER

It may be well to give a reminder tnat there is a party in tne House ox Representatives wmen would m a moment pass a vote xor the complexion ox Mount Cook uaol. Tnat tins is so was apparent during tne donate yesterday afternoon, when wir cjmgo felt lixmseif called upon to mane certain references to V ictoria Couego. i_,oud “ Hear,, hears ” were heard, especially from a lew nonourab.o members wto sit in Cidoe proximity to tne treasury bonenes. “ t thought/’ said the memoer Xor Dunedin, •; that tne Brenner made a mistake when he sard ne would not asp the building on Mount Cook as a gaol. I do not see that the supernno sensitiveness and tho ultra-rohned wsthetic tastes of the very superior citizens of Wellington should he pandered to in this way.” Mr ougo, alter this exordium, went on to say that tne gaol was commenced without a protest—it was there and should be finished. It was not a place to be ashamed of, for there, must be gaols. The whole movement to invert-the present building Xrom ixs original purports to the purposes of a university was a " sinful ana sUaiuolul anct abominable injustice to the other parts of the colony.” The building should no completed without protest. He Disagreed entirely with the demand that the reserves should be devoted to the requirements of Victoria College. (Further expressions of approval from some honourable members.,) Air Sngo then went on to argue that the seventy-four acres of land held by Wellington College should be sufficient for both tnat institution and victoria College.

YOUNG PERSONS’ PROTECTION. The Young Persons’ Protection Bill introduced by the Minister of itducation and read a second time in the Legislative Council yesterday, is, generally speaking, similar to the measure of the same name of - previous years. Tho ope difference is that the “ discreet wortfan ” of olden days has disappeared, and flasiSeon supplanted by what are termed Protection Officers. The laughter with which tho immaculate female was received an many quarters no doubt accounts for her withdrawal. As the Bill now stands any Protection Officer who finds a young person of either sex loitering in

the streets or out-of-the-way places at untimely hours (meaning thereby letween 9 o’clock at night and 5 o’clock in the morning), and lias reason to believe that such young person is' there without proper control, or for immoral purposes, may “ question the young person as to his name, parents and reasons for being abroad.” Should the answers be satisfactory, the officer may, in his discretion, take the child home, and hand him oyer to the parents. On the other ‘ and, tho officer may take the young person to one of the refuges that are to be tStaolished under the Act. It is further provided that any Protection Officer, accompanied by any member of the police force, may at any time, under warrant signed by a Justice of the Peace, enter and search any house, shop, building, or other p'Omiscs occupied or frequented by prostitutes, or where there is reason to suspect that any young person is harboured for illegal, improper, or immoral purposes; and every young person there found shall be forthwith taken to a refuge, where he shall be detained as aforesaid until he (an be brought before a magistrate. The penalties provide that the parents of uncontrolled children are liable to a fine of “£lO, or to imprisonment not exceeding three months. Any guardian of a gin wiio induces or permits her to visit any place for immoral purposes is rendered liable to imprisonment for a year.

THE HUTT ROAD. In the House yesterday afternoon Mr Wason (Seiwyn) asked for leave to introduce the Wellington-Petone Road Trust Bill. The road, he said, was in an entirely unique position, as several local bodies exercised : control over it, and none of them had sufficient funds to keep it in order. It w'ould well repay anyone to straighten the present road andstraighten tuo railway line and lay a double line of rails. At present the, road w r as in a disgraceful state, but under tho present conditions it was impossible to improve it. He proposed oy tho Bill to hand the control of the road over to a trust, consisting of representatives of the Fetoue Borough Council, Hutt County Council, Onslow Borough Council; the Wellington City Cornua, and the Governor-in-Council. All these bodies ivould contribute in a small degree to tho cost, and the Government would subsidise, their contributions £ for £. The question was raised as to whet her such a Bill ought not to be introduced by Governor’s Message, as it dealt with financial matters, and on the motion ol the Premier the debate was adjourned till to-day. EDUCATION OF NATIVES. In his speech on the Financial Statement last evening, Mr Hone Heke devoted some attention to the education o. natives. It had, unfortunately, not been tho success anticipated by those interested in the question. A sum of £16,900 was annually expended tor the support ol native schools, which, looking at the -who’c thing from a broad standpoint, might just ns well be thrown into tne sea. The majority ot the natives attending the sehoois did not receive any benefit rrom the expenditure whatever. Isolated successes on the part or native pupils might be pointed to/ out that was not sufficient. The fault was that m native schools they had not that system which applied to schools under tne Education Boards. In mo first place, a large number of tlie teachers-were, incompetent, and the requirements oi tne various standards were lamentably low. He suggested that it would be tar better if tno Government would bring forward a scheme centralising the schools and making them boarding schools. Then, technical: .instruction siiould be given, borne of- the native pupils wore capable, or receiving the highest education possible, but others would be rar better served by learning some handicraft, such as carpentering. This matter. a& hoped, would'eiigago the attention oi the Education Department, as it'was one or great importance.... POLITICAL ADDRESSES. It is reported that Captain Russell is going to deliver a political address at Tatoa, and that'he will probably be followed, by the Colonial Secretary. THE LAW OF COPYRIGHT. . A Bill to amend the existing law ol copyright has occu introduced by Mr Joyce. The preamble sets forth that it is .expedient to afford greater encourage ment to the production of literary works in tne colony, and afford immediate and easy access to such works. Therefore, the Bui enacts that every person who prints or publishes a .book, newspaper, magazine, or cartoon, snail forward a copy to the Parliamentary inbrarian, an,d a copy to the public library at each ot the foui centres. Each publication so received shall be deposited m the library. Fail are to supply tne libraries with a copy win render the publisher liable to a -penally equal to the market price of the book.

LAND FOR SETTLEMENTS. f The purchase of the Pareora estate, Canterbury, under the Land tor Settlements Act, has been completed. The estate consists of 80UU acres, and the price paid was about an acre. The estate is described as consisting of first-rate agricultural land, close to St. Andrew's iuiilway Station. It comprises Hats anti rolling downs, and is well adapted for ciose settlement. ROADS OBSTRUCTION. Tho Waste Lands Committee recommends that Mayor Steward's Roads Obstruction Prevention Bill be 'allowed ro proceed, with certain amendments'. AUCTIONEERS BILL. Referring to the petition of Christchurch auctioneers against the Auctioneers Bill, the Petitions Committee says it has no recommendation to make, as the Bill is now before Tarliamont. A MARVELLOUS TYPEWRITER. 'fPitt street, Sydney. April 13, i 899 Dear Sir, —Replying to your favour of 11th inst. referring to our opinion of the Royal Bar-Lock Typewriters which we use, wt can pay the machine no higher compliment than to say it has been adopted by our head office at Port Suiflight, and that our firm, according to latest advices iron. England, have 147 of your machines in use there. We may add that the machine! we are using here are giving every satis faction.—We are, yours raithiully, DEVEb BROS., Limited/' When tired of wasting time and money over inferior machines, repair your ongi nal mistake and get a Royal Bar-Locx Typewriter. If it paid the Bank of Eng land to discard other makes it will pay you. Sole agent for New Zealand—E. J. Lf Grove, 4Lambton quay, Wellington. 13i