POLITICAL INTELLIGENCE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 11505, 18 August 1899, Page 6

POLITICAL INTELLIGENCE.

(Fr.oxi Our On-x Cohjikspoxdext.)

WELLTXGTOX, August 17. '.U^EATMENT OF INJURED EM-

PLOYEKS.

A discussion anno this aft-.-.;-n<vi!< regarding the case of a Now Plymouth railway servant who was run over by an engine and both his legs taken off. Members' urged that the Government should do something move than they had done for this man, and Mr Bollard pointed out that the Government were very ready to pass an Employers' Liability Act, but they took good care not to make it apply to their .own 'Workmen. The Premier said that- injured men always got preference of light employment in the Railway department, and he agreed with that. This brought Mr

John Hulehcson to his feet with a, direct charge against the Premier of having neglected that principle in connection with his own departments. The .Premier had sacrificed old and deserving servants for younger men. who wero his own political supporters. The Premier even liad his own relatives clipping newspapers. The Premier did not practice what he preached, and there were robust,

stalwart young fellows in bullets as messengers while there were many old veterans of New Zealand walking about half starving.

AVEAK IN DEBAT.It

The deplorable weakness of tJio debating power of the Ministerial side of the Honso was shown last night. After Mr Taylor sat down, not a single Government supporter was

ready to answer him, and Mr Lang had to follow on. Even after Mr Lung liad finished, there was still no Ministerialist prepared to reply to the important criticisms of the policy of the Government as set forth in the State-

menl. Mr Fraser, another Oppositionist, was the ne:cl speaker. It looked as though the Government desired the debate to, collapse, but such was not tFie ease. They simply had no speakers ready to address the House. There are indications that (lie debate may close tomorrow night. SEIZING i'VRTHER SINKING ITNDS. In the course of his speech last evening, the member for Wakalipu (Mr Fraser) dealt at length with the finances of the colony, and the contentions of the Colonial Treasurer suffered severely at his hands. He made one entirely new point—namely, the discovery of further seizures of sinking funds !>y the Government. Tt scenu thai under the Loans to Local Bodies Act the Government has power to lend to itself money for the opening up of Crown lands. To meet the interest payments on the money so borrowed and to provide a sinking fund for repayment of the loan, the lands benefited by the expenditure are subjected to a loading. According to Mr Tracer's contention, the Go-

vernment for some years past, instead of sepa-

rating the amount provided for as sinking fund and placing it in a sinking fund account, or even in "the loan account itself and lending it out again, has included it as territorial revenue, and used it accordingly. In other words, the sinking funds have been seized by the

Government1 and used to swell the surplus. The amount seized in this way has been between £40,000 and £50,000. This is entirely opposed to the spirit and wording of the act.

MINISTERIAL TRAVELLING—AN

EXPENSIVE LUXURY.

Mr Taylor to-day asked tho Premier by what statutory or other authority the sums of £1156. £1048, and £981 were charged for tho financial years ending 31st March, 1896, 1897, and 1898. respectively, under the heading of "Ministerial Travelling Expenses," as distinguished from the £3038 charged during tho samo year for " Ministerial Travelling Allowances." Mr Taylor referred to the extravagant expenditure of £6 a day by the Premier; while in Jubilee year, when he was only travelling for three days, he cost the colony at the rate of £40 a day for expenses and allowances. At Opunake the Premier had told the people that all he drew was 30s a day, and the people there got the impression that he (Mr Taylor) had stated what was not correct at his meeting iv saying that, the Premier had drawn 30s a day and £4 as well. The Premier had also mentioned at his O|)Uziake meeting that the buggy iv which he had driven from Hawera would cost him £5. Well, if that were so,, he (Mr Taylor) would like to be the owner of the buggy and to be able to let it every day at that rate. He wished, he said, to draw attention to the system that was growing rapidly of most extortionate charges made against the colony by Ministers while absent from Wellington. The Premier, in reply, said what he stated at Opunake was that Ministers only drew 30s a day for travelling allowance. If they exceeded this the Auditor-general would very soon put a tag to the accounts. As regards travelling expenses, that was a misnomer altogether, and the sooner it was altered the better. The Ministers did not draw any of this money. It was obtained on imprest by the private secretaries, and vouchers had to be sent to the Treasury and the Audit, department for what was expended. He did not handle one shilling of it. As to the Opunake trip, ho had a, trap and two horses and a driver for two days, and he said he presumed that would cost £5. He did not know, however. Livery stable keepers and others presented their bills in due course, and ,he was not going to baggie with them and beat them down even to satisfy such people as the member for Christchurch.

THE VAILE SCHEME. Regarding a number of petitions in favour of giving Mr V'aile's railway scheme a trial, the Railways Committee have decided to refer them ail to the Government. When the report was presented lo the House Mr Crowther complained that, contrary to a promise made to him by the chairman, the committee had dealt with his petition on this subject in his absence. The chjiirmau, however, explained that the petition which Mr Crowther had presented had not yet been considered. It was not included among those which had lif.en reported upon.

MAORI PENSIONERS.

Old-age pensions have been granted lo 550 Maoris'and 4 half-castes. Of the Maoris receiving pensions 324 are males and 256 females. One thousand three hundred and one Maoris applied for pensions.

NATIVE WILLS.

In rojavd to certain petitions about Maori litle-i and 'wills, the Native Affairs Committee are of opinion that a case should be stated by the Native Appellate Court as soon as possible for the Supreme Court in order to tost the validity of Native wills in regard to Native lands under all classes of restrictions.

THE CLOTHING TRAM

In regard to petitions that merchant tailors and ready-made clothing factories be registered as separate trades, the Petitions Committee have no recommendation to make, as the matter is one of public policy.

RABBIT-PROOF FENCES,

The amount applied for under the Rabbitproof Wire Netting Fences Act was £1000, the amount: granted nil. Arrangements arc bein'i made for the formation of a board under the act.

DAIRY INDUSTRY ACT.

The amounts applied for under the Dairy Industry Act are:— £1000 on present buildings, £100 on buildings £2000 for erection of a new factory, and £2000 for the-erection of a ereavni'ry, '.:!■:, The rTV.ruuis granted are LOT'ii-:KY PERMITS. Foi.'.ricen Inllcry permits were grained to the English Church last year, and 23 to {.he Roman Catholic Church. No other church received a permit. Ons hundred and forty-four totitlisntor licenses were granted to racing clubs to u=e the totalizator. The aggregate number of races covered by license was 250, and the total aiivmnl of revenue received was £15.610.

■rKKTERAKf.

Mr fiiriit.i asked the Minister !Vu- Kailivrvs whether he would give instruction.;, to hava the buildings at "Puketeraki flag station (Ottigci) enlarge;1.. ,;o as to provido adequate uefomiiittdatiofi f<:?- i-l:e greatly increased traflic there. Mr P«rala said the reason of his asking the question was because of the increased traffic. In Waikouaiti, which was becoming a iavc.uriit! mnnmci resort. Air ('adman, in rf'piy. "J'.tl there was no increase

of Iraflie at nil,' am', llieref.'ire, tlio cieimrtiiK'iil; could not 30 to the expense of inereasinj>- the station accommodation; neither could lite department issue instructions directing the express train goiiif; -south to draw up at Piiketer'.ki in clvnii passenger?. t;j>: I'liv:mier score*. ! Tli<! Premier scored rather iwaii.v apaiusi ill' Pirani rhU afternoon. The member for Pidmerston Nortli waa objecting to certain new .School .Healers which !iac] been authorised by the department, and which contained passages from this J-vriptures. Mr Pirani also quoted a C!hii:iso proverb from the book in the course of his remarks. The Premier, in roplv. slated iiu.t the books which were in use in New South Wales had been approved by i iho lalfi Mi- Habens. Tie also Rave a quota- | lion from tho- Rr-ailer for the benefit of Mr I'i.-ani. Mr Snddon's splection was from the story of David and Saul as Follows: —"David therefore departed hence and escaped to the Cave of Adulla.ni. and when his brothers and all his father's house heard it they went thither to him, and everyone that was in distress, and everyone thai was discontented gathered themselves to him, and he became captain over them." The Premier explained I hat. the fact that the book contained this passage was no doubt the reason why the department sent it to the Wanganui Board, of which the member for Pabnerston North was a member. The House enjoyed a hearty laugh at the expenso of Mr Piraiii.

.fOTTINGS.

Mv i/khr.sn will ask tlio Prcniior whether 11,.-. (.;.i.■(■!-:nr.-.-i;1. v/ill at once ascertain if the •!:••■;•■•. c".n,; f.\>ic:' ivii'lins !<> Now Zealand

arc prepared to at once load with produce for Capo Colony if sufficient inducement'should bn offered.

Mr Jtolleston has given notice to ask the Premier when he will place before the House in detail his proposals for dealing with technical education and the orphanages and indusvifiou is made m the Estimates now before

J!r Taylor to-day asked the roslmfiilcrgeneral whether arrangements cannot lie made for :i special train from Invercargill io the Bluff once a week to connect with the Melbourne steamer if the Union Steam Ship Company can be induced to delay the departure of that boat until 4 p.m.. to enable passengers and mails leaving Christchurch on the Monday to connect with Melbourne steamer? Mr Seddon. in reply, said this matter had been before the V~.ii.fi. Company and the Railway department, but without result. The Railway department could not see its way to run a special train, and the Union Company could not delay the steamers.