POLITICAL GOSSIP.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXXI, Issue 8833, 13 July 1905, Page 4

POLITICAL GOSSIP.

{From Our Own Correspondent.) By Telegraph. Wellington, July 12. Veterinary Surgeons Bill. The Veterinary Surgeons Registration Bill, introduced by Mr T. H. Davey, provides for the registration of veterinary surgeons. A veterinary surgeon is defined as one who possesses the diploma of the Roval College of Veterinary Surgeons, London, or a similar degree from a recognised institution of at least four years standing in any country. Existing uncertificated practitioners may be examined by a qualified board of examiners and registered as "veterinary practitioners'' or "veterinary farriers," as the case may be. The Bill provides that it shall be an offence to practice under any of the headings without holding the necessary certificate after January 1, 1906. Any person - w ho has publicly practised as a veterinary practitioner for three years prior to the i passage of the Bill may, hov, cei". continue to do so on payment- of a fee of ten shillings. The Size of Gram Sacks. With reference to the size of cornsacks, Mr Duncan says the subject is one upon which a great "difference of opinion exists anions those connected with and coni cernea in the grain business of the colony 'and also those who have to handle the grain at the ship's side. It was intended to fix the maximum weight of bags at 2001b, but after this decision had been 1 come to and arrangements made to give 5 effect thereto it was represented that a considerable difficulty would arise if the alterations were insisted upon, as there was such a diversity of opinion. He thought it better to defer the operation of the proposed by-law, and he proposed to have the matter referred to a Parliamentary Committee to deal fully with the matter. with power to take evidence. He was quite satisfied that the course which has been adopted was the best in the interests ul ail concerned and when the report of tiie Committee has been received a definite decision will be arrived at and arrangements made to give effect thereto. A i brief debate ensued in the House upon [this subject this afternon, Mr Ell being !particularly severe upon the Government ! for delaying to give effect to their original ; intention. j Country Telegrams, i The Postmaster-General declines to make ia maximum mileage rate for the delivery I of country telegrams of 6d for a seven-mile ! limit. At present telegrams are delivered I I'rce up to a mile from the office of dej livery. Vp to three miles a rate of Is 6d lis charged, and beyond three miles dejlivery :s subject to" special arrangements land "actual cost of carriage. It would be impossible to provide for a 3s 6d sevenmile delivery in country district —really a journey of fourteen miles. The Duty on Flour. 1 Mr Hogg recently asked the Minister of Customs if he would allow the House an opportunity this session of dealing with the import duty on flour and breadstuff's, seeing that the duty in question, which con- . stitutes a tax of £IOO.OOO a year on the prime necessary of life, affords little or no aid to the colonial revenue and simply in- | ilates the profits of a trust or association at the cost chiefly of the workers and their families'; The" Minister, in reply, states i that the present duty of Is per cental is not sufficient to entirely prevent the competition of imported liour, the importation i in 1902 and having been considerable, . namely, 1902, 99,059 centals, and 1903, - 54,200" centals. The proposal to remove or • reduce the dnty requires very careful con- - sideration from two points of view, namely. the interests of the farmer and the : complications involved by the question of - reciprocity with the Commonwealth. If the duty on flour is removed it would be inconsistent to retain that on wheat, namely, |9d per cental. If millers are to compete hvith the imported flour they could justly !demand that their access to the cheapest jraw material should not be restricted. The removal of the duty on wheat would probably result in large importations from South Australia, to the detriment of 2vew Zealand farmers, for whose protection the duty has no doubt been imposed. As to reciprocity, the Commonwealth imposes a duty of Is 6d a cental on wheat and 2s 6d la cental on flour, and it- would be unwise | for Xew Zealand to remove its duty on ; these products without getting a compenI sating advantage in respect of some other ;of its products. The question resolved itself into a conflict between the interests of ' the consumer and that of the farmer and miller, complicated by difficulties in connection with intercolonial reciprocity. The whole matter would receive serious consideration at the proper time, but the Government did not at present see its way to introduce a Bill in the direction indicated.

Gate on Mail Road. I Sir W. Steward having protested against s.'the erection of a gate on the mail road to j Mount Cook near the Pnkaki Hotel, the . I Minister replied that the erection of a '•'.gate across the road near the Pukaki ac- [ commodation house was necessary owing •-•'to the fact that the road runs through the [Pukaki domain, which has recently been fenced. In order to protect and provide ti grazing for the Department's stock the | permission of the Mackenzie County Coun- ? oil has been applied for and the Depart'iment- has up to the present received no | protest from that- body against the erection .! of the gate. On receipt of the County -! Council's reply to the application for peril mission to erect a gate, the matter would ' receive further consideration, i The Colony's Asylums. ; Replying to Mr Witty's question asking ! for a royal commission to report upon the I condition of all asylum inmates, the Minister for Asylums states that he has personally, since taking charge of the Department, and with the assistance of its officers, inquired carefully into the matters detailed, with a view to such action as

.may be necessary, and the several matters referred to have and are receiving the attention of the Department. He does not p think that there is any necessity for the ; commission asked for. Additional to this, iin response to Mr Taylor's question regardling the provision of accommodation for .[treating insanity in its earlier stages, Mr ! Hall -Jones says that mental dis.ease, like .jmany other diseases, is best- treated in institutions where the best experience and I advice is available, and where special pro-

vision is made for the treatment of such cases. A reception house had been started at Orokonui in connection with the SeacliS hospital, in which incipient cases can be treated. The extension of the system was under consideration, on the necessary assumption that such houses must be where they can at all times be conveniently visited by persons specially qualified to treat mental disorder, otherwise no practical benefit *vill result.

The Cost of Living. Mr Ell recently asked the Minister for Labor to amend the Public Contracts Act by making provision for a minimum wage of 8s per day being paid to all men employed on any public contract as defined by "that Act. The Minister, in reply, stated that the Public Contracts Act of 1900 binds any contractor employed on Go- - vemment or local Government work to pay for labor the usual rates ruling in the district. At the present time 8s per day is generally the ruling rate for laborers. He considered that it was better to leave to the Court discretion than to _ arbitrarily fix a- given wage by Act of Parliament-. The Home for Defective Children, j The Minister for Education states that a I property has been acquired in Nelson for a home'for defective children, and is being ' i)"eparcd for the reception of inmates. It Will be opened as soon as possible, meanaii.e a selection of inmates is being made. Colonel Porter. Mr Taylor having asked the Minister for Defence v.iiv Colonel Porter has been removed from his position < s Acting-Under-Suc-retary for Defence and who is to succeed him in the position, Mr Seddon stated that when Colonel Porter was appointed to the command of the Seventh Contingent he held the office of Native Land Purchase Officer for the East Coast district. He received the same guarantee as other officers of the Civil Service who were accepted as volunteers for active military service in South Africa as to the preservation of their rights as civil servants, and he has now taken up the duties of the office into which his former appointment has merged, liame--Iv, President of the East Coast- (lirrawl'iiti) District Maori Land Council, in order that he may, amongst other things, wind up a number of uncompleted transactions which he had in hand before his departure for South Africa. Colonel Porter was only appointed Acting-Under-Secretary pending the appointment of a permanent Under-Secretary. The question of his successor as Acting Under-Secretary for Defence had not yet been considered, and it may possibly not be found necessary to fill up the office. An announcement in respect to this matter would be made prior to the Estimates being considered. E\ening Newspapers. Mr Bedford having put in a plea for a compulsory half-holiday for the employees on the staffs of evening newspapers, the Premier stated that inquiries are being conducted by the Labor Department on this subject, and if it is found that the concession can be made without impairing the efficiency of the w T ork or too great disturbance of business, favorable consideration w-ould be given by the GovernmentHe added that he would be pleased to give favorable consideration to representations made by the employees or employers on the subject. Foreign Coal Sellers. Mr Colvin having asked the Government to take steps to compel foreign coal sellers to contribute to the revenue of the country, the Government replied that the only wav in which foreign coal sellers could be compelled to contribute to the revenue of the colony to a greater extent than at present would be by the imposition of an import duty on coal, and as cheap fuel was an important factor ill the development of our industries, the Government was not disposed to impose such a duty. Temperance Teaching in Schools. The question of temperance teaching in schools was raised in the House by a question from Mr Ell, who wished to know when the promised text book would be ready. The Minister for Education, replying to this, said that the projected book was to be drawn up somewhat on the lines of the book, '"Health for the Maori," and it was arranged that the work was to be done by Mr J. H. Pope, Inspector of Native Schools, and an officer of the Public Health Department. The arrangement, however, fell through, owing to the retirement- of Mr Pope from the public service, and there was no one at present in the Department who could spare the time from more pressing duties to undertake such a work. Meanwhile the position has changed considerably. The new syllabus laid down a programme of lessons on health by providing that lessons on the the structure of the body and on health should be given in classes Standard in. to Standard VI. These should include such subjects as the following, treated in a very simple manner :—The chief bones of the skeleton and the way in which they form a framework for the" body, tendons and muscles, the skin, the lieaVt, the blood, and the general system of circulation, food and drink, digestion, the stomach and intestines, the lungs, the liver, the kidneys, the brain, the nerves, the eye, the sense of touch, the outer ear, the throat and nose, air ventilation and respiration, water, washing and cleaning, the choice of clothing and drinks, the management of health exercise, the avoidance of evil and unhealthy habits, infectious disease, vaccination, methods of dealing with common ailments, cold and common accidents. Advances to Settlers.

The Advances to Settlers Office during the year authorised 15,349 advances to the amount of £5,042,555. Applicants to the number of 1990 declined the grants, so that, the net advance was £4,173,970. The securities for these were valued at £9,172,962. Wellington (£1,277,543), Otago (£1,087,185), Auckland (£926,383), and Taranaki (£868,449) secured the bulk of the money, Canterbury's share being only £328,670. The year's profits were £39.600, and the net profits £.54,454, the expense of management having been only 0.16 per cent. Questions. The Hon. Sir W. J. Steward is to ask the Minister for Railways whether he will endeavor to arrange for a motor car service between Fairlie and Lake Tekapo so as to render that place easy of access and to make it a holiday rendezvous, specially for the people of the South Island?

The Hon. Sir W. J. Steward is to ask the Minister for Lands whether, in view of the success which has invariably attended the opening of lands for settlement in South Canterbury and in view of the present unsatisfied demand for land, he will endeavor to acquire other estates for tin's purpose? There are still a few acres of suitable land held by private owners which it is submitted should be acquired by the State. Mr Herd man intends to ask the Government CI) whether they intend reimbursing the Waitaki County Council's portion of the subsidy on rates withheld for the estimated cost of repairing the railway and traffic bridges on the Waitaki river; (2)" whence the Government derive the power to withhold moneys which are payable to the local body under statute? Jottings. '"The mora.lisings of the Premier are generally sincere and sometimes interesting."—Mr Herdman on the Premier. Mr Heke on the divorce law: "If persons do not reverence the marriage tie, they ought to suffer the inconvenience and position of the tie they tie themselves to. What's the use of swearing before the Superior Being if they are not going to reverence the marriage tie? Why not bring in perpetual leases or take a wife on trial? If you can't live happily then, forego your lease." Mr Maader: "Why not occupation with right of purchase?" Another gem of oratory from Mr Heke: "I sympathise with the unfortunate position of the man who has to live apart from his wife or the wife from her husband with a family."

Epigram from Mr Wilford: "Marriage is an episode in the lives of many men, but in the life of a woman it is an epoch." Mr Witty: "The member for Christchurch says the Old Age Pensions Bill is a political dodge; well, if anybody in this House knows anything about political dodges, it is the member for Christchurch." Mr Taylor: "You have to be if you come here; it's no place for babies." A Government publication is in course of preparation dealing with the treatment and planting of potatoes. Thirty-two thousand copies of a leaflet giving directions for spraying for potato diseases were issued last season, and copies may still be had on application. The Minister for Education states that the Teachers' Superannuation Bill will probably be introduced next week.