POLITICAL NOTES

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 7928, 11 October 1911, Page 9

POLITICAL NOTES

XEARIXG THE EXD. Tho Prime Minister has given notice to move that on and after next Monday the House should meet on Mondays at 2.30 p.m. for the transaction of Government business only. ADVANCES TO WORKERS. Christchurch, during the last three years, has more largely availed itself of advances to workers than any other centre in New Zealand, tho number of loans being 750, as against 423 in Wellington, 504 in Auckland, and 250 in Dunedin. The advances authorised throughout New Zealand for the lust three years are supplied as follows:

FISH AND FRUIT. CHEAP RAILAGE. A petition by 5,4 fruit growers of Waimate for the free railage of returned empty strawberry crates and raspberry backets led to a brief deoate in Parliament yesterday, when tho Petitions Committee referred the matter to the Government for consideration. ' Sir 'William' Steward said that last season 150 tons had been sent out from Waimate, and .50 tons from a neighbouring town, and next season it was anticipated that 250 tons would be exported. This industry gave employment to a large number of persona, including 54 growers. The fruit was railed to Christchurch, Timaru. Camara, Dunedin, and Invercargill. Dunedin was. 11l miles from Waimato. and because of the eleven miles over which cases were railed free, return freight had to be paid. Tho freight on fruit to Invercargill was Is 6d. but to bring tho empty cases back again cost Is 9d. A concession should bo made, for it cost little more to carry fruit 111 miles than 100 miles.

Mr it.- G. Ell said that the question affected tho consumer as well as the producer, and any concession should bo extended to include fish, thereby tending to reduce the cast of living. Mr G. J. Anderson (Mataura) said that there were quito enough concessions on the railways already, unless they were to be run free, and in any case ho had strawberry growers in his district who supplied the Invercargill market. Tho Hon. T. Y. Duncan said that Mr Anderson had let tho cat'out of the hag in referring to his local growers. The bulk of tho members wanted to so© fruit carried at the lowest rate possible, and the empties should ho returned free, ostvocially as the trucks usually cam© hack empty. There should ho the same concession in thG case of fish.

Mr G. W. Russell said that a policy had been laid down that fish and fruit' were commodities upon which concessions could be made on tho railway, and if their carriage would, not produce 4 per cent, tho amount should ho made up on other articles.

THE IMPERIAL CONFERENCE. DECISIONS TO BE RATIFIED. "When will an opportunity b© given to discuss the report of the Imperial Conference?" asked Mr Herdinan in tho House yesterday. Sir Joseph Ward said that the various decisions of the conference which had to be ratified by New Zealand would oomo before tho House on certain resolutions which he would submit later. He assumed that.the House would not discuss matters upon Which no decision was arrived at by the conference. Mr Hordman objected that if this were agreed’ to the Houeo would have no chance .of discussing tho Imperial Council proposals. Sir Joseph Ward said he woul d like to have this and every .other proposal discussed if time permitted. . His duty in tho matter w.its merely to ask the House to ratify what the conference had actually done.

NEW ZEALAND WINE. The committee of the Now Zealand Viticultural Association has represented to Parliament, by a petition that tho grapegrowing and wine-making industry of tho Dominion is greatly discouraged by the provisions of tho Wine Licensing Act. It asks that the Act bo amended so a® to exempt absolutely New Zealand wines from the general .Licensing Act, and. also with a view to encouraging and protecting tho industry generally. It is also asked that provision should be inserted making it an indictable offence to add alcohol or other deleterious compounds to wine offered for public consumption. The petitioners urge that licenses should bo obtainable by ail persons engaged in tho manufacture or sale of wine, and that tho holders of licenses sflou’d be permitted to sell wine by retail in any quantities to be drunk on the premises or elsewhere.

TRAMWAY 'AMENDMENTS. Proposed amendments to the Tramway Amendment Bill provide for the charging in tramway systems run under a deed of delegation of a fee not exceeding £2 in respect of every tramway car licensed. This money is to go to tlio Consolidated Fund, and may be paid to the local authority or authorities through whoso cdstricts the line parses. The clause only affects Auckland. The proposed amendments also provide for an annual sum for .depreciation, and specify that tlio experience demanded of a motorman is a year’s service immediately preceding the passing of this Act. The Hon. B. McKenzie said, iu reply to Mr Wilford, that the amendmentsembodied the recommendations of the Municipal Association.

JOTTINGS. The four petitions from tlio professorial boards of the University Colleges, asking that professors and lecturers bo brought under the superannuation scheme, have been referred to the Government by the Education Committee for favourable consideration. It was recommended by the Agricultural, Pastoral, Stock and Commerce Committee yesterday that a sum of £7O be placed on the Supplementary Estimates in final settlement of the claim of Edith Marion Lauren-, son, of Woodvillc, for compensation for the death of her husband. The Grainger street block was again brought under the notice of Parliament yesterday by a petition from Edmond Carrigan, Margaret Donnelly, and John Callaghan. sometime part-owners of the block. They represent that the compensation awarded them when the block was compulsorily acquired by the Harbour Board was insufficient to secure them an income equal to that previously received in rents for the land, and complain that they were unjustly treated by the Compensation Court. Though the Government had already* been recommended by the House to grant tnem relief thev complain that this has not been done. They now ask the House to award them a sum sufficient to compensate them for the loss sustained.

Mr Smith is seeking from the Minister of Public Works a reply on the following question® in connection with the proposed Ractihi branch line: (P Will he undertake to construct the line as a Government line; and (2) if not. will he make provision to grant permission for its construction as a private line? Mr Hanan has suggested to the Minister of Labour that he should introduce legislation to provide that the term of appointment of a Judge of the Arbitration Court, shall not be for more than five years, and that such appointment shall not be regarded as a stepping-stone to the Supreme Court Bench.

1909. 1910. 1911. £ Christchurch.- .. 57,530 77.735 87,790 Wellington .. 31.110 37,410 63.510 Auckland 51,120 Dunedin .. 24.290 25.655 22,725 Palmerston North .. , 5,605 6.010 6,760 Wanganui 14.075 36.4CO 29,930 New Plymouth Nil. 575 1,540 Nanier 2.475 12,500 9.880 Nelson . 1,655 2,960 2.C95