PARLIAMENTARY NEWS.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 4440, 21 August 1901, Page 7

PARLIAMENTARY NEWS.

NAVAL DEFENCE. Representations are to be made to the Home Government with a view to strengthening the Australasian squadron, in accordance with the recommendation of the Secret Defence Committee which was set up by our Legislature last session. It wouldthe Premier yesterday told Air Napier, be futile to move in the matter before the Federal Government of Australia did so. The grant, mg of more ships would, of course, mean an increase of the colonial subsidy towards naval defence. The formation of a colonial naval reserve is also under consideration of tho Government. HEIGHT OF SACKS OF GRAIN. * For .some time past there has been considerable discussion in regard to the weight of sacks of grain, as it Las been urged that at the present time the sacks are too heavy, and that, in consequence, workmen employed in lifting them at the railways and steamers run the risk of injury. Air Bndclo. member for Kaiapoi, has drawn attention to this matter nforo than once in the House this session. Yesterday h e had an interview with the Aiinistor for Railways relative to the proposed by-law regulating tho weight of sacks of grain to be carried on tha railways. Sir Joseph Ward expressed himself in favour of a 2001 b maximum weight, and stated that he hoped to be able to issue the regulation at an early data.

AIILITARY PENSIONS. • An amendment of the Alilitary Pensions Extension to Contingents Act is to be introduced this session with schedules containing the names of the members of tbc Sixth and Seventh Contingents, in order that the same privileges may be insured to them as are secured to the members of the previous contingents. Air Seel don, in replying to Alnjor Steward, mentioned certain anomalies which occur under the present law. If anything happens to a soldier who js the sou of a widow, his mother is entitled to a pension, but if they took a case in which a young man had been wounded who was the support of his family, his hither being bedridden, they found they could do nothing. To meet cases of this kind the law should be altered. Objection is taken by Air James Allen ' to the present method of appointing members to the Alilitary Pensions Board, and ho called attention to the matter in th 0 House yesterday, saying Unit junior officers bad been appointed over the heads of their seniors. Air Seddon replied that no slight was intended, and if tho lion member could show that any medical man put on the Board was inefficient, he would consider th e matter. Tho Premier added that medical men in Wellington had all re* fused to accept the position at ono guinea a case. Yet at the present time when throe medical men met and gave a. man one month’s leave, it cost the Government three guineas. FROZEN AIUTTON. Air Hornsby is of opinion that misleadI ing cable messages are sent to this co_ i lony regarding the wholesale prices of | frozen mutton on the London market. I Ho therefore intends to ask the Premier Ilf lie will instruct tho Agent-General for the colony to send out regularly cable messages as' to tho price of such commodity, and further instruct him to differentiate in such message tho price of “North Island” mutton and that of “ Wellington.” FLOUR MARKET. Air Napier drew attention yesterday to the recent formation of a trust in the South Island to control tho flour output of Now Zealand, and urged that Government should introduce a Bill to render suoh trusts illegal. The Premier replied that in accordance with promise made in the Governor’s Speech legislation would ho introduced this session. Since the announcement was made in tho Governor’s Speech, facts had come under his notice which made it a necessity that something should be done. He had seen correspondence which had passed between tho secretary of the association in tho south and a flour-railler who had refused to come in, and the nature of the correspondence, from the pressure and the threats held out, was such as to demand the attention of the Legislature. THE STOKE ORPHANAGE. In regard to the - Stoke Orphanage trials, Air Fisher suggested that the Government should recoup the brothers the cost of the trials, the juries having returned a verdict of not guilty in every case. Tho Premier replied that this was a matter about which the least said the better. It would bo as well to leave the case to be forgotten. However, no application had been made to the department for payment of the costs, and it was not usual to pay such costs. RIFLE CLUBS AND CADET CORPS. The applications of tho Alasterton Cadet Corps and the Opaki Rifle Club to be accepted under tho Volunteer regulations have not yet been finally dealt with, and Air Hogg asked a question yesterday on the subject. The Premier replied that no applications had been refused, whore th e regulations had been complied with. The clubs must be three miles away from a Volunteer corps, a certain number of members must h c enrolled. and they must comply with the regulations. Thoso applying had been asked whether they would agre e with these conditions; hut not twenty percent. had had the courtesy to reply. The Opaki Rifle Club was one of those which had not returned the information. On Saturday, however, he had signed for about twenty rifle clubs. Air Seddon added that, in his opinion, allthe school cadet corps should bo under the Boards of Education or under the Defence Department. It would be better, perhaps, if they were taken over by the Education Department, but ho had hesitated to do that until he saw that the Education Department was prepared to do for these cadet corps what the Defence De. partment would do for them. LANDS FOR SETTLEMENT. A return laid before Parliament yester. day shows that the number of blocks of land acquired under the Land for Settlements Aofc during th Q years ending 31st Alarch, 1898, 1899, 1900 and 1901, is forty_one. In the AYelliugtou district these blocks were : --- Paparangi, 322 a 3r 32p, £l9 19s 9d per acre; Te Alatua, 702 a Or 19p, £ls 10s per acre; Ohakea, 1741 a Ir 29p, £l3 5s 8d per acre: Ao_ rangi, 1785 a, £ls 7s 6d per acre ; Langdale, 9405 a, £3 10s pe r acre; Alangawhata, 1240 a 2r 36p, £l4 3s lOd per acre; Epuni, 100 a 3r 14p, £99 2s per acre; Alaungaraki, 423 a, £6 12s 3d per acre. The Alaungaraki Block is not yet opened. JOTTINGS. Air Laurenson has given notice of his intention to ask the Premier if he will move in the direction of granting some form of local government to the Chatham Islands. “I consider that the cadet borps of the colony ar e of vital importance, and that they ought to be properly trained.”—Air Seddon. A sum is to be placed on the Supple, mentary Estimates, Air Hogg was in-

formed yesterday, to send a New Zealand rifle team to Bisley in June nest. Air Napier wishes to have friendly so. defies exempted from taxation duty iu respect of sick-pay to members. Ha intends to ask the Government if it will instruct tho Commissioner to give effect to such remission. Air Fisher wants to know when the Government will take steps to give effect to its ancient promise to place New. town Park, Wellington, in a state of repair. " Tha lucky people,” the Hon George AlcLeau told" the Council yesterday, apropos of the Land for Settlement Bill, “ are those who have their land taken.” “Why do they growl then?” queried the Hon H. Fcldwick. “I don’t know that they do growl I”, was the answer of Air AlcLean, whereupon tho Hon G. Jones interpolated, “No; they get a Legislative Councillor to growl for them.”

The Hon. J. D. Ormond yesterday complained to the Council of a “scorcher” bicyclist who rode at a twenty mile uer hour i-ate down the inclined path from tho Council Chamber to Sydney street. The bicyclist met Air Ormond in the gateway, and as a result of a collision with the hon. gentleman's shin, the bicyclist flew off at a tangent on to the metal road, while Air Ormond went his painful way to the Chamber to speak shortly on his grievance and at length on the question of land settlement. Air Alillai- wishes to have a subsidy of pound for pound sterling granted by the Government for the purpose of building a public art gallery in Dunedin. The Cabinet is to consider the matter. Bays the Premier. A suggestion made yesterday by Air O’Aleara that a monetary or land grant should be given to parents who have six or more children, was not received with admiration a- the Premier. The accounts of the Fourth and Fifth Contingents, .who are under Imperial pay. are now being made up, and as soon as the moneys are received, they will be paid. In the meantime advances will be made to those entitled to them- So tho Premier informed the House yesterday. “Whetfe did you obtain that information?” queried one member of another who had unburdened himself of certain figures regarding tho Consolidated Fund and the Public Works . und. “I have obtained it where you can obtain it—from the Financial Statement, if you know how to read it.”

Tho ammunition for the new.3o3 rifle is the same as that for the Alartini-Bn-tield rifle, and is supplied by contract with the Colonial Ammunition Company at Auckland. This fact, stated by the Premier yesterday, led Air Collins to suerpest that tho source from which tho ammunition was drawn should he at tho least instead of the most vulnerable point of attack. “Oh! I don’t think it is possible to have an ammunition 7 factory on top of Mount Cook,” replied the Premier. ' . Jt The Premier yesterday informed Mr Arnold that there were already sufficient provisions in the Factories Act to prevent “sweating” in tho tailoring trade. What was necessary was a strict application of the provisions, not fresh legislation. (Hear, hear.) “I am prepared to support a straightout loan for public works.” —Air Massey. Air O’Aleara wants the Government to extend the scope of the Alilitary Commission to include the Woodvillo railway refreshment room scandal, but the Premier replies 'that anything which would bring the volunteers into discredit should be avoided, as. they did not know the delinquents. ' In answer to Air Tanner, who suggested that the revenues ot New Zealand Socities for the Prevention of • Cruelty to Women and Children should be subsidised by the Government, the Premier said yesterday that he recognised some action was necessary to ensure better protection. It seemed to bo a question whether the law as it stoo.d was sufficient to meet the case. The Legislature was to a certain extent responsible for the present unsatisfactory state of affairs.