Political Notes.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXIII, Issue 7322, 24 September 1898, Page 4

Political Notes.

(by telegraph.) (fb oji oor own corrbspondeht.) Wellington, September 23. TUT. HO TAX. HUMANE SOCIETY FOR NEW ZEAXAND. I Mr Joyce in asking the Premier to-day. what steps had been taken by the Government to establish a Royal Humane Society in the colony and if the Imperi >1 Government had been approached on the subject, and; with what result, pointed oat that he had. been advocating the establishment in this colony of such a society year after year for the last seven years. The Premier in replying paid a high compliment to Mr Joyce for his persistency in this matter, and said that despatches received from, the Secretary of State conveyed the information that if a Bociety on siifdlar lines to the Royal Humane Society of Australia were established iu Naw Zealand her Majesty the Queen would be requested to grant permission to use the title "Royal" to such a society. The Australian Society, he pointed out, had been established by voluntary subscribers who elected the officers, and he referred Mr Joyce to the introduction of the report of that society for 1895 for particulars as to the steps taken to form it. On Mr Joyce forwarding the regulations proposed by the New Zealand society he would transmit them to the Secretary of State for her Majesty's approval. It will be remembered that in 1895 the Government took action with respect to the recognition of bravery exhibited in saving life and appointed a board to deal with the subject. This action has, however, proved futile and inoperative. It is understood that the central office of the proposed New Zealand Royal Humane Society will be in Christchurch, and branches were to be established in different parts of the colony. THE PRICE OF COAL. The notice of motion given by Mr O'Regan for the setting up of a committee to consider the question of the price of Westport coal in different centres in the colony has gone cff the Order Paper in accordance with the Standing Orders, which provide that nless a motion is moved within a certain time it drops off the Order Paper. Mr O'Regan had not the opportunity to move the motion. When he asked leave to move it as an unopposed motion Capt. Russell objected, which of conrsepreventei it being moved. As the session is so far advanced Mr Oregan considers that it would be impossible to do anything in the matter this year, but intends to return to the question as soon as Parliament meets next year. He has received numerous communications from different parts of the colony expressing warm approval of his proposal to have the matter considered by a committee, as it is generally felt that the price of Westport coal is much higher In various centres than it ought to be. the otahu estate. The Waste Lands Committee presented their report this afternoon on the question of the purchase of the Otahu Estate under the Land for Settlement Act. The Committee state that, having heard the statements of Mr M'Kerrow (Chairman of the Land Purchase Board), also the Hon. Mr Ward, Mr Batger, and Mr Kelly, M.H.R. (who withdrew all charges of impropriety against the Department) they are satisfied that there is no ground whatever for any charges that have been made in this connection against Mr Ward or the Land Purchase Department. A COSTLY COMMISSION". A return obtained by Mr Massey shows that the cost of the Naval and Military Class Commission amounted to L 1092, made up as follows:—Commissioners' fees, L 616 j Secretary's and shorthand writers' fees, L 20 4; travelling expenses of foregoing, L 129 ; advertising. L 27 ; material, L 3. Ic will be remembered that the total amount recommended for payment to claimants by this Commission was only L 3485. miscellaneous. Returns presented to-day show that the Government ploughed about 192 acres of the Otahu estate at a.cost of L 62. In regard to the petition of Sir James Mouat, Y.C., of London, requesting that he may be given a further opportunity of substantiating his claim for recognition of his services rendered to the colony in organising a medical staff daring the Maori war, the Committee recommend that the matter be referred to the Government for consideration. The Half-million Loan Bill introduced to-day provides for the following apportionment of the half-million proposed to be borrowed : Railway construction, L 175,000; railway rolling stock and sundry works, L 200.000; construction of roads, tracks, bridges, etc, in respect of land settlement and goldfields development, L 125.000. The lines scheduled under tbe first item (L 175,000) are Whangarei-Kamo ' extension, Helensville-Northward, Grahams-town-Te Aroha, North Island Main Trunk, Eketahuna-Woodville, BlenheimAwatere, Seaward Bash, Forest Hill. The separate amount allotted to each line will, of course, not be known until the Public Works Statement is brought down. The Land Drainage Amendment Bill was introduced to-day. It provides that where a ratepayer within a road district or town district requests tbe Boatd of such district to exercise its powers by ordering occupiers or owners of land to remove from watercourses or drains all weeds and obstructions of any kind, and for the space of twenty-eight days after receipt of notice the Board fails to comply therewith such ratepayer may call upon the Board ,to appear before the S.M. to Bhow cause why notice should not ba complied with. On the hearing of the complaint the Magistrate shall have jurisdiction to determine whether, and to what extent, such notice should be complied with by the Board, and his decision Ehall be final. Any order made by the Board pursuant to the Magistrate's decision shall be subject to appeal. Mr Jones has given notice of an amendment of the Gambling Bill to abolish the totalisator. There is a bitter feeling in the Council against the machine, but how the amendment will fare it is impossible to foretell. A caucus of Government supporters has been called for Monday forenoon. The business is stated to be important. After seventeen long years of persistent effort, Mr Speaker O'Rorke has at last succeeded in getting the Onohunga Cemetery Bill passed by both branches of the Legislature. Mr Crowther, when this was announce! in che House to-night, gave a lond hurrah, but tbe Speaker's joy was too deep for expression in words.