POLITICAL NOTES

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 7929, 12 October 1911, Page 11

POLITICAL NOTES

A MEMBEB BEBUKED SHI JOSEPH \VARD EXPLAINS. The Prime Minister yesterday afternoon replied to some remarks from tho member for Sehvyn regarding the water-power proposals of the Clovemmerit. Sir Joseph Ward said the Government were carrying the Lake Coleridge .scheme out in tho face of tho most extraordinary altitude of tho Opposition. ITc held in ids hand records of the House which showed the way tire Opposition, voted on the proposal to give the Government power to develop these resources of the country—to expend £500.033 on the work. Mr Berries had moved to strike oat the £503,000 with a view to adding other words. He had not said then what he proposed to add, but it was understood to b© that private enterprise should be allowed to develop the schemes. XL* leafier of the Opposition had opposed the Government carrying out the water schemes. The u'hole of the Opposition had voted against the Government on Mr Kerries’ motion, with the exception of the member for Solwyn (Mr Hardy), who had paired with the Government. "Now the member for Selwyn posed a« the man who was responsible for tho water-power scheme being carried out in the Canterbury district, lie wanted to take credit for something that the party to which lie belonged had opposed.

A member: It wag supported by the member for Selwyn. The Prime Minister: Yes. but the member will see that he was tho only one of his party that did so. The member’s only hope was that the Government would do what his friends of the Opposition were opposed to. He would point out tho difficulty they were labouring under in trying to carry out the work in th© face of the extraordinary opposition. UNRELIABLE STATEMENTS.

The leader of the Opposition, he proceeded, speaking at Levin, had said that the indebtedness of the country had grown from £67 per head in 1936 to £Bl in 1911. Mr Massey: What is this to do with th© question ?

Sir Joseph Ward: I am going to show you. It has to do with the expenditure of public money—the increase of our indebtedness which Mr Massey talks about. The leader of the Opposition made extraordinary and tin reliable statements. Mr - Massey: I object to that. I made no’ statement that was unreliable. I dial; long© him to give any statement of mine at Levin or elsewhere that is incorrect. Sir Joseph Ward: The hon. gentleman said lie voted for the Old Age Pension Bill. That is incorrect. Mr Massey: I can show' that I voted for the first Bill introduced into Parliament. Th© Speaker said that matter could not be discussed then. Hi© Prime Minister replied that he would take another opportunity. TEACHERS’ PRIVILEGES. EXTENSION NOT WARRANTED. A query by Mr J. C. Thomson as to whether the Minister of Railways will grant excursion tickets to school teachers during tho term holidays was answered yesterday. Tho Minister said that teachers who are unable to travel during tho Christmas holidays owing to their schools being open, and whose vacation is therefor© postponed until a later occasion, have for years past been able to obtain excursion tickets when their schools have closed down for holidays. They arc afforded all the opportunities for cheap travel that nr© given to th© general public. ' In addition, says th© Minister, they enjoy considerable other privileges. "There are thus no ; justifiable reasons why school-teachers, who are paid for tho services they render in precisely the same way as other members’ of the community, should he given a concession which is not granted to other sections -of tho public. ’’ HORSE-BREEDING. STATE ENCOURAGEMENT. It was suggested to tho Government the other day by tho member for Waikato that, in view of the large amount of money now derived from racing club/ through the increased totalisator taxation imposed last year, a portion of this sum should be allocated for distribution amongst the various agricultural and pastoral associations, by way of a subsidy allocated on the annual subscriptions of members, for th© purpose of enabling them to increase , tho prizo money to encourage tho improvement and promotion of horse breeding, and generally to assist the agricultural and pastoral interest in tnß direction within the Dominion. Yesterday the Prime Minister stated that the Government was very desirous of encouraging horse breeding on proper lines. It was, however, probable that any monetary assistance that, might b© given could, with greater advantage to settlers generally, be devoted to establishing a system of subsidies for approved sound stallions on lines similar to those upon which the ; King’s premiums are granted at Home. The whole matter was now being considered by tho Government. WIDOWS’ ANNUITIES. The desirability of increasing the annuity of widows under the teachers' superannuation scheme from £lB to £26 per annum is to receive consideration when the actuarial investigation now being made is completed. Tho Prime Minister says that much depends upon the general position of the fund as to whether any further concessions can bo made. A NORTHLAND CLAIM.

The member for Wellington North yesterday received a reply to his query as to whether the Minister of Lands was \ prepared to give effect to the report of tho Lauds Committee upon the petition of Mrs O’Connor, praying for compensation for injury done to her property in the Northland district. The Minister said that the matter was considered upon a former occasion when, upon reference to the Crown law officers, the Government was advised that the petitioner- had no claim either at law or in equity. The question would, .howpver, he further considered with ■other petitions in the customarjr way before the supplementary estimates were finally dealt with. “NO INTERFERENCE/’ ThtvNative Minister stated yesterday, in reply to Mr Kerries, that there had been no interference or dictation by the Department of Native Affairs in respect of tho performance of any judicial duties by tho president of the Tairawhiti Maori Land Beard. It was alleged by tho board president that he had had interference and dictation from the head of tho department in tho administration of his judicial duties, which he immediately resented; so. preferring not to sacrifice his manhood, he tendered his resignation to the Native Alinister. SEAL-POAOHERS. Mr 0. H. Poole complained in tho House yesterday that while no New Zealand vessel could take a- seal from any of the rookeries to the south of New Zealand the islands were systematically exploited by fust foreign schooners, that watched their opportunity, and cleaned the rookeries out. He had. been informed that at one island not a seal had been seen for six months. Tho poachers were assisted by the fact thas at most of the islands a notice for shipwrecked sailors was erected

stating when " the Government steamers could bo expected. MANUFACTURED GRIEVANCE. . Replying to a remark by Mr Buchanan yesterday that the Minister was unsympathetic with the railway servants, its evidenced by the cottages tor the railway men at Cross’s Creek. Wairarapa, the Hon. J. A. Millar said that the member for Wairarapa could not point to any private employers who treated their men better. (Hear, hear.) The president of the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants, who lived there, had made no complaints. It was another case of a manufactured grievance. (Hear, hear.) The department was sympathetic. The old railway cottages were gradually being replaced with more up-to-date buildings. A TAXIDERMIST’S PETITION. Alexander Youill, of Wellington, yesterday petitioned the House for compensation in respect to injuries occasioned to him bv reason of his temporary discharge as taxidermist at the museum, and loss of retiring allowance. The Petitions Committee recommended that the petition be referred to tho Government for consideration. TAUMARUXUI. Tho Native Affairs Committee reported favourably on tho petition of Taumarumti residents for the exclusion of the borough from' the Wanganui Maori District Council. NOT GUILTY. A petition was presented to the House yesterday by Mr Hogan, on behalf of John Solomon Taylor, of Wanganui, The petitioner said that he had been convicted last year of the theft of a bicycle at Wanganui, and underwent three mouths' Imprisonment, Subsequent to serving his sentence, the petitioner states he discovered evidence which, had lie known of at the time* of the trial, would have established his innocence. lie prayed that by legislation. or by other means, lie might be given an opportunity of vindicating his innocence. JOTTINGS. - The Prime Minister informed Mr J. P. Luke yesterday that it is not intended to increase the house-allowance of the detective branch at the present time. Steps will probably be taken by the Government .to prevent children from indulging In a form of gambling in chocolates recently brought under notice by a southern newspaper.

Consideration is. being given to a sue* gcstibnsby- Mr R. W. Smith that the Government should make provision to grant a remission of rent to the settlers in the K-ait’icko and adjoining blocks. The desirability of making legal provision to meet the case was advocated some time age by the Wellington Land Board.

An -anomaly which has arisen in connection with the rating of email grazing runs is to he rectified- by the Minister of Lands. He «ays it may be possible to do it by a revaluation, and if this is not effective, then an amendment of the law will be introduced. Mr D. McLaren recently called the attention of the Minister of Labour to the decision in the case of Sherwood v. the New Zealand Shipping Company—a claim under the Workers’ Compensation for Accidents Act —and asked if he would make provision in the -amending Bill now hciore the House for the adequate protection of women in the same posit loti as the plaintiff in this case. The court held that the woman, who was separated from her husband, was not a dependant as defined bv tbc Act. The Minister stated that ho is consulting, the Crown law officers on the subject, with a view, if possible, to giving any persons likely to be similarly affected the protection, l of the Act.

The advisability of amending the regulations under the Civil < Service Officers’ Guarantee Act is now being considered by the Government. The Prime Minister said yesterday that he could see no reason why the scale of contributions to defalcations should stop at any particular amount of salary (at present £603 a jmar). Ho believed that all salaries should proportionately bear their share of any contributions imposed.

It is not -deemed necessary by the Government to appoint a special representative on the Gold Coast, West Africa, to act when necessary on behalf of New Zealanders at present engaged in mining hi that district. The Prime Minister stated yesterday that the Minos Department of the dependency could be relied upon to geo that New Zealand miners were fairlv dealt with