POLITICAL NOTES

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 7868, 2 August 1911, Page 1

POLITICAL NOTES

WATER - POWER

PUSHING ON WORK AT LAKH COLERIDGE.

Tho Lake Coleridge hydro-electric power scheme is being pushed on as rapidly as possible* by tho Public Works * Department, and it is ex per ted that in 11 Jess than two years Christchurch city 1- will have a good supply of cheap power. e ' Tho Minister of Public Works states that the prospects of a market for eur- • rent are excellent. The Chief Electrical n Engineer, Mr Parry, recently spent a “ week in Christchurch looking up prospccJ 1 tiro customers, ami reported that there v was likelv to bo a good demand, it I SHEARERS' ACCOMMODATION. f Mr McLnron's Shearers’ Accompiodn.- . tion Bill contains a minute description d of what ff pro?>er and sufficient accomir.olf dataon" should mean It enacts, among > other things, that all living buildings t shall be not less than 150 feet from the ,/ s?hed 4 or from any killing-yard, piggery, ' l or similar place; that 210 cubic feet of air space shall be allowed to every per- )- son sleeping on the premises; with not )- more than two tiers of bunks; that e dinizigrocms and kitchens shall bo sepact rate from sleeping rooms, and l>a lightcd till 9 p.m.; that a wash-house and. lavatory shall bo provided; that a book [- on first aid to the injured shall bo e found by the employer; and that medi- .. oino .shall bo provided free by the employer in caso of accident, r PRINTING "HANSARD.” 0 In pursuance of the promise made Try - the Government .'if: the end of fast srs--1 sion, "Hansard” will now and in failure 1 bn printed in type somewhat larger than that hitherto used. Tlie change is the - result, mainly, of complaints made by i r members who found their eyesight snf- , faring through poring too closely over > the official record of their own and one j another's speeches. Though tho typo . will be larger it is not expected that I the hulk of "Hansard” will ho mated-1 j ally increased, ns it is proposed to i lengthen the'columns a little, and so . avoid tho necessity of adding more - pages. - ' PLUMBERS’ QUALIFICATIONS. ; A BILL THIS SESSION. In view of tho promised legislation regarding the registration of plumbers, a ’ deputation representing the New Zealand federated Plumbers interviewed the ■Minister of Internal Allairs, the Hon. D. Buddo', yesterday. Mr AY. E'. AViliiams (president of the ' federation) stated that about ten years 1 ago a Plumbers’ Registration Bill was ' projected, but it did not go through, and j the Bill of this session appeared to be j very low down on the order paper. The 1 deputation, on behalf of a conference of 1 plumbers which had met in Wellington, 1 comprising delegates from the four cen- 1 tres and Tim am, wished to urge thojiass- ;

ing of the Bill, so as to remedy the present anomalous state of things. A plumber registered in Wellington would have to pay a fresh license fee in Petone, and again when ho wont to Hutt, Ihmedin, Auckland or Timaiui- If a plumber moved around the Dominion it would cost him c£2s per annum in fees. It was desirable that any Government certilicate which was granted should give the holder an equal status in Australia and England. Sir K. Johnston suggested that if a plumber passed tho London City Guild examination that should bo sufficient to qualify anywhefre. Two classes of plumbing wore met with, city and country, as country plumbers were not usually qualified in sanitary work, but it would bo impracticable to provide by law for more than one qualification, which should be the highest. Tho Minister replied that ho had asked the deputation to see him because ho wanted information on the point mentioned by the last speaker. Ho was pleased to find his own opinion endorsed, namely that the highest standard should be required - for registration. Having had that assurance, he would submit tho 1 Bill to Cabinet for consideration. WIRELESS TELEGRAPHY. Anxiety as to whether tho installation of the Telefunken system of wireless telegraphy in Wellington is an infringement of the Marconi master patent was the subject of a question in the House by Mr Luke, who asked whether the Acting-Postmaster-General had had his attention drawn to the Parker judgment, that, subject to further appeals to other courts, f it was a question whether any commercial system was outside the Marconi master patent, and whether, in view of this pronouncement, the Minister 1 would explain tho legal position of the ; Government in regard to its' contract, and state whether any indemnity hud 4 been obtained by tho Government against infringement.

THE COOK ISLANDS. PUBIiIC INQUIRY ASKED FOB. A petition from three residents ot Rarotonga, Messrs R, V. Hosking, C. M. Dawson and W. R. Reynolds, was presented to the House by Air R. A. Wright last night, asking for a Commission of Inquiry into the administration of the Cook Islands.

The petitioners stated that, in their opinion, the time had arrived when the House should take immediate steps to remove the President, Resident Commissioner, Chief Judge of the High Court and Chief Judge of the Land Titles Court of the Cook Islands. The Kesi* dent Commissioner, they say, had proved himself deficient in the necessary quail fications for the offices lie hold in that he had- shown want of tact, dignity, veracity and justice, . and bad clearly demonstrated his ignorance in lee a) matters and the laws ho had to ad minister, and had not attempted to make himself familiar with the language aim customs of the natives. The petitioners asked that a fully-qualified successor should be appointed as Resident Commissioner, and another as Judge of the High Court and- the Native Land Court and as ' magistrate. Thoy therefore , prayed that, owing to the most unsatis- j Factory state of affairs at present in legal, social and moral matters, a properly constituted Commission of Inquiry should be immediately set up, to pub- j licly investigate the complaints against j the administration, the evidence to be given, on oath owing to the gravity of