POLITICAL NOTES

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 7869, 3 August 1911, Page 4

POLITICAL NOTES

CHEAP FARES FECIT ENGLAND. Reduced fares were granted to approved immigrants from England last year, and it is suggested in tlio annual report of tho Immigration Department ifhat the new rates should have the effect of inducing a number of young ■women to emigrate to N'cw Zealand, and be of material assistance .to those associations that have been formed for tho purpose of introducing domestics into the Dominion. Single female servants 'approved by the High Commissioner may obtain a passage from England to Now Zealand at .id Ids for a berth in a •six-berth enclosed cabin; AH ICs tor ono in a four-berth cabin, and .£6 16s in a two-berth cabin. Farm labourers in possession of not less than AJO can ob. tain assisted passages at AS in a sixberth cabin, and £lO and £l2 in fourberth and rivo-berth cabins respectively. During tho year ended March 31st, there wore 10,331 immigrants from tho United Kinguom, of whom 262-4 were assisted. Of the latter, 831 were domestics. Tho assisted immigrants possessed capital totalling £37,735. COMPASSIONATE ALLOWANCES. A compassionate allowance of £950 has boon granted by the Post and Telegraph Department to the widow of the lato Mr E. V. Senn, lato chief postmaster at Nelson. Other compassionate allowances shown in tho “unauthorised expenditure” return are:—Widow of late Sergeant J. G. Mackenzie, £219; P. Healy, caretaker Mount Ida water race (on retirement), £100; widow of Hon. G. F. Richardson, £100; to H. Adams, formerly orderly. House of Representatives, £IOO. A RUNAWAY TRAIN. Tho widow of tho lato, Mr F. A. Claude, of O.hxhulni, is petitioning Parliament for a compassionate allowance on tho ground that 'her husband's death was hastened, if not brought about, by his exertions on the night of April 17th, when several carriages ran away from Otahifhu Station, and a collision with the Main Trunk express was averted mainly owing to Mr Claude’s promptitude in pulling them up and warning the driver of the oncoming express. PLAGUE-CONDEMNED BUILDINGS. The owner of a block of shops in Onehunga Which was condemned and destroyed on account of plague infection has petitioned Parliament for compensation, .stating that he was willing to effect all necessary improvements, but was not given the chance. It will cost £I2OO to reinstate the block in brick. Petitioner, John Keleall, suggests that, the plague was carried from Auckland by rats in fruit boxes. WORK AND WAGES. Organised employers in New Zealand number 42G2, and ■ organised workers 57,091, there being 118 unions of employers registered at the end of last year, and 308 unions of workers. The figures for tho four largest districts are as follow; Auok’d. Wel’n. Cant’b’y. Otago. Employers. 969 : 760 1,434 . 919 Workers ... 14,311 20,601 10,422 9,167 The Wairarapa Master Printers’Union, Wellington Dairy Farmers’ Union, and Greymouth-Point Elizabeth Railway and Coal Companies’ Unions, as well as the East Wellington branch of tho Amalgamated Society of Carpenters and Joiners, have failed to send in annual returns, and their registration will 'bo cancelled unless cause to the contrary be shown. UNIVERSITY ASSETS. On the motion of Mr Hcrdman a return was laid before the House yesterday showing the value of ' land, improvements, arid the value of the library at each of the four university colleges. Tho figures are as follow; — Auck’d. Victoria. Oajit’y. Otago £ £ £ £ Unimproved value of land 4,500 9,591 6,200 15,020 Value of ituprovem’ts 4,000 34,843 45,859 46,600 Value of each library ... 1,650 2,527 1,420 5,500 Totals ...£10,150 £46,966 £51,439 £67,120 CIVIL SERVICE PENSIONS. A statement of pensions granted this year under the Civil Service Act presented to Parliament yesterday shows that Sir J. K. Logan, 1.5.0., formerly Superintendent of Electric Lines, receives a pension of £6OO per annum; Mr W. S. Furby, also of the Post Office, retired on June Ist on a pension of £383 per annum; and Mr M. J. Kilgour, of the Lauds and Deeds Registry, receives £266 per annum. A GROWING FUND. Tho balance at the credit of the Railways Superannuation Fund has been steadily growing. From £7050 in 1803 it has now reached £207,242, the increase for 1911 being roughly £34,000 over 1910. Last year members actually contributed £57,008, and tile payment of £25,000 from tho consolidated fund, together with amounts, such as interest £9219, and the sum of £l73,B76.carried forward, brought the receipts up to £269.502. The superannuation allowances paid during tho year amounted to £45,702, and among other payments was £5740 in respect of 152 widows and 262 children. The new allowances last year totalled £SO64, or nearly £4OOO less than in the previous year, bringing tho annual pensions and allowances at March 31st last to £54,144, distributed among 1061 persons. PLUMBERS? LICENSES. The Plumbers’ Registration Bill brought down last night was circulated last sion. It provides for tho creation of boards of examiners, and the registration of every plumber who was either in actual business as a master plumber at the time of the passing, of the Act or was a -fully competent journeyman plumber pir field a certificate of tho ordinary Or honours grade of the City and Guild's Institute or some otter, equally valuable certificate. Examination and registration will cost not more than twenty shillings and the holder of a certificate will not be required to pass any other examination or pay a license fee under the by-laws of any local authority. A penalty is fixed for any unreg 'stored person doing sanitary work. Tho ill will prevent local bodies from making revenue out of plumbers by requiring a local license fee from them. JOTTINGS. The Rangitikri Racing Club has .petitioned Parliament asking that ite four days’ racing permits, abolished by the Racing Commission, shall be reinstated. It is pointed out that this is more than all the metropolitan clubs have lost. Petitioners state that if the club's assets were realised they would barely cover liabilities.

The Acting Prime 'was asked yesterday by Mr F. M. B. Fisher if he would publish the decisions of the Representation Commission regarding electoral boundaries, and not postpone them until the plans were prepared. Jt was

also suggested that the House should have an opportunity of debating the decisions. Sir James Carroll’s reply was that as the report was not ready he could give no definite answer. Legal and other expenses to tho extent of £IOO incurred by Constable J, M. M'cßao in defending charges brought against him have been paid by the Justaco Department. For a similar cause, £77 16s has .been paid to Constable S. S. Martin, who • bad to defend himself against a charge of perjury.

Among the Bills by tha Government last night was ono io make better provision for tho granting of patents and for tho registration of designs and trade marks. It Ss almost entirely a consolidating measure.

Will the Government asks Mr Hunan, take steps to secure amendments in tho Standing Orders, and otherwise reform parliamentary procedure, in order that antiquated empty formalities, unduly prolonged debates, and time-wasting methods may be removed, thereby ensuring tho transaction of parliamentary business being conducted on more expeditious, business-like, efficient, and less costly lines? A question asked by Mr J. P. T.r.krt seeks to ascertain the findings of Mr Cameron, trade expert, who was commissioned to investigate tho state of tho iron and steel industry of this Dominion; and whether the Government intends to introduce legislation this session “to remove the tariff anomalies that now retard tho progress of our secondary industries."