POLITICAL NOTES

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXVII, Issue 8563, 18 August 1904, Page 1

POLITICAL NOTES

By Telegraph

(From Our Own Correspondent.) Wellington, August- 17. The length of the debate on the Lund Boards Bill suggests a disposition to block the Bruce Licensing Poll Bill._ Two Bills came "between the. Morgues Bill and theirs, which will afford more cover for. tics game. The 500,000 salmon received in Jamury wcre all successfully hatched out at IJakafarainea. From that place there were liberated during the year 5000 Jl-yoar-okl Quinna-l salmon, 5931 24,-ycar-oM Soekeye, and 42,800 li-vcar-old Atlantic salmon. All were placed in the llaka. River on March 31. There were at llaka 700 4-vcai-old and 250,000 4-mcmU.-.-ud Oiimnal, 2000 3-ycar-old Sociioye, aim lJ,year-old Atlantic salmon. The State coal-mines report shows several excellent seams of coal, hard and bright, at from 6 to 16 feet. There are good prospects, and a. dependable output of 2000 tons a week. The Marine Department report says that the million white fish ova obtainable last year from America were sent, half to the Kiinieri hatcheries and half to those at Lake Tekapo. Of these 70 per cent, were hatched out of the latter and 25 per cent, at Lake Kanicri. The Inspector advises the continuance of the importations for two or three years. Petitions were presented to-day asking for new licensing polls at Bruce and Tiuipeka. from Otautau, Mataura, Stirling, Dunedin, Geraldine, Christ-church, Bulls, Wanganui, and Auckland. From the Marine Department report 1 see that a, new lighthouse is being erected at Jack's Point, Timaru, that the automatic fog signal at Pcneurrow Head is now fired every five minutes instead of every fifteen, and that the arrangements for providing school buildings and school teachers at eight stations in isolated districts have proved successful, but that it is difficult to always find lighthouse-keepers with children of suitable age. Regulations have been issued providing that boats and rafts on all seafaring vessels bo kept always provisioned according to a scale provided, the food to be in the vessels with screwed tops. New Zealand is the first country to make this provision. The nautical almanac is kept up to date by Captain Blackburn, and continues to have a- g.:od sale. Sir W. J. Steward's Land Board Bill had a big innings this evening, the afternoon having been given up to questions, ihc Bill provides for the election by the Grown tenants of three members, the np pointment by the Government of two, and the addition ex officio of tho Commissioner of Crown Lands. Sir J. G. Ward intimated that delay would be beneficial, as the Royal Commission shortly to lie appointed would furnish much-needed information. The House showed a disposition to support generally, also a disposition tc criticise. It was generally felt on the one side that the responsibility of the Government ought not to be lessened, and on Die other there was a rather feeble attempt to insist on the rights of the tenants to be represented. The House showed, in fact, that it liked the mover better than the Bill. When Mr Parata declared that he would vote against the. second reading because he theught a Bill of such importance ought not to he in the hands of a private member he received much applause. The whole debate was academic and languid. During the questions discussion Sir J. G. Ward announced the result of the Taranaki football match —"Taranaki 3, Britain nil." The House cheered loudly. The paper then said there was an. error, the scores were: "Taranaki nil, Britain nil." The House didn't cheer.

Sir W. J. Steward's question as to whether a reward will be offered for information leading to convictions in the cases of incendiarism at Waimate was as follows: —"As a result of police investigations it seems questionable as to whether the fires recently occurring at Waimato were actually the work of an incendiary or mischievously carried out with another object in view. Special arrangements have been made to elucidate the mystery and to prevent further oceurrintr. Publicity in such cases often retard police action, and at present- I am not prepared to offer a reward for information on the subject." Mr Flat man, who asked the Minister of Lands if he had received any communication from the Crown tenants of Windsor Park and Elderslic Estates about land tenure, was rewarded with a copy of the resolntions passed by the said tenants on the Bth inst.