POLITICAL INTELLIGENCE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 12418, 30 July 1902, Page 5

POLITICAL INTELLIGENCE.

(Fnou Our Owk CoRHEsroxDEnT.) WELLINGTON, July 29. STATE FIRE INSURANCE BILL. At a. meeting of the Special Committco set up to consider the State Eire Insurance : liill Mr Tanner was appointed chairman. It , was decided to hear any evidence that migiit j be tendered -by Chamber* of Commerce, Trades . anil Labour Councils, Farmers' Unions, and Fife -Insurance Companies. Persons connected with the above organisations desiring to.bo heard on the bill by the committee should communicate with the chairman without delay. DAMAGE TO PROPERTY BY SPARES FROM ENGINES. ' The much-discussed question of the liability of the Government for damage dono to ■ property along tlio railway lines by sparks , \ from engines was once more- ventilated in the Houm this afternoon. The Railways Committee, reporting upon the petition of James Wallace, farmer, of Papatoetoe, near Auckland,, who asked for compensation for damage done to his property by fire caused by sparks/froin a railway engine, recom-' mended that the petitioner be granted the : Slim of £20. Mr MasSey called attention to j the hardship that the petitioner had suffered from damage caused by sparks on more than ' | one occasion, in spite of every precaution - that bad been taken by him. Mr Lang in- |. staneed- li -case of considerable hardship which had occurred in his district, and ex- 1 1 pressed tho, opinion that it was quite time 1 the Government were prepared to compen- ' ] sjite the people who li»ad suffered from lire?. ■ Sir Joseph Ward, the Minister of railways, ; ,

admitted tho 'importance of the question, and thought there was not a member who would not sympathise very much indeed with Hie unfortunate settler who had cuit'ored. At the tainc lime, lie pointed out that- one of the mail)- troubles any Administration was met with in .dealing with this matter was dial it was exceedingly difficult to discriminate between what was an accidental fire and an intentional Hre. He did not mean that, his remarks referred to the eases quoted by the gentleman on tho opposite side of Ihe House. He thought it was time j an endeavour was made to end the question of the fires referred to in the report of the commission which had been set up to investigate the mutter some time ago. It must bo ; clearly understood that ho did not advocate the laying down of a precedent that tho 1 colony should accept responsibility for these ' firos. In his opinion, the people living along tho line should take tlio precaution of in- ' suring themselves against- loss. Mr Massey: ' I don't think it would be possible. The Minister said -the difficulty, if the colony ■ accepted responsibility, would be that where- ! ever a fire occurred along the line tho persons affected would make a claim on tho Government. With regard to those fires that had been inquired into bv the commission, ho was inclined to think' tbit, without establishing a precedent, the Government should go into the question of putting a sum oi* the Supplementary Estimates to compon- . sate tho persons affected. At the- same time, 1 he thought it was clearly the dutv of settlors to take somo precautions to prevent damage being done by these fires. The Minister promised tbnt tho Government would tako into consideration tho question of placing a sum on the Supplementary Esti-

£1210s BICYCLES. il2los. Owing to the large demand for Allday's Highgrade Bicycles at £12 10s and £13 Cooke, HorrHson, and Co. report tli□.t they have only a few left) and ns it is impossible to securo aiiv more of these famous machines at such low prices Kould lirge intending purchasers to place their orders at once. Particulars from Cooke, Howlison, and Co., 156, 158, and 162 Great King street, Dunsdin. •

a mates to compensate the persons whoso eases >• had boon inquired into hy the commission. • In the discussion ivliieli followed, Mr Hogg :1 mid lie was of opinion, after the remarks i! they had heard that afternoon, that tlio C .Minister of Kcilwnvi) plionld be very careful - about prosecuting railway construction in r c-r|ain parts of the coicny. All tho com- • plaints about fires ncoinotl to come, from 0 Auckland way. Mr Fowlds retorted that when e the connmp'ion was appointed to make in- ? (purics into fires all over the colony tho r ma jority of ear:;s came from Ashburton way, 1 and only two came from Auckland. He felt 5 it wm unfair (hat the peoplo living along t the line should hear the whole risk involvod t in this matter. To his mind, it was a quest lion whether the Ciovernmont should. not , institute (ho system of insnranco referred to . by the -Minister of Railway*. M THE SOUTH AFRICAN TRADE. r I Ihc exports from New Zealand to' Africa lor tlm year ended March 20, 1902, readied - ?, ,oi vL valuo of The values for 1 ™ 'I'fcrent ports were.:-Auckland £1085, s v 1 Waitora £4722, Wcl--3 "im n 1,335 ' ty' 0 " 0 " £217,034, Timiiru , *-101,802, Oainaru £50,128, Dunodin £68,295, , Jiivercarg.il £240,2110,- parcels poet £379. 1 i 'yS?' l cxp ? H wfts oals > of tl,e value i ° f£&l MOo I sentfrom the different ports as 5 ww-' n Lyttelt . on £188 ' 043 ' Tinmru , £97,500, Oamaru £49,928, W,media £11,229, . nverearg.il £209,650. The export of mut' i ™. n was . follows: —Lvttolton ■ £1144 , Tiinaru £539, Wellington £17,934. X^yttol' I o°,% c 7 x P° r ' e i!, nioats to the value "bf , and Dunedin to the value of £14:613 ii' ® ! ' 0t " r ! 1 r im "rt illo!u 'l« the value' of . torses and forago shipped with the various contingents. lho imports came mainly by 5 m ' an WMe of lho valuo ° f on 'y s I FIRE INSURANCE. i I Tho total amount, of premiums naid for . file wsuranco by or on behalf of borrowers t under the Government Advances to Settlers . Act up to March 30 last was £24,067, The 'mi an r°Ji nt 'w 1 u,K ' e i'writers on 'ac- , count of the destruction of properties thus , insured was £16,20^. j I ■' SHIPPING AND SEAMEN. I Evidenee is being given before the cornmittee on tho Shipping and Seamen's. Bill. ; M Jones, of tho local Seamen's Union !.j evidence to-day. Evidence is also to , , given by Gantains Manning and Rose (representing the Shipmasters' Association), F n H r °T r S M rO -5 y of I tl, ° As- ,/ f !f. a . U r Kenne(J y and Mr Kirby . (of the Loion Company). It i., possible i i a rov ,' se( .', n " c ' EC P araf e manning scale , nl " 1)0 submitted for Jarge cargo and passenger steamers. II SCARCITY OF COAL. ' i ; Mv Fisher has given notice to ask the i Government whether they have been made ; aware of the fact that a- great scarcity of . coal exists in tho principal cities of tho i colony, and that it is almost impossible to . purchase supplies for household use, such ■ scarcity boing broudit about by tho large i export; of New Zealand coal to foreign i cop ltries; and whether they can devise any means of ensuring a constant supply of coal, i for the use of tho people of the colony? ' COAL MIXING. Evidence regarding the coal mines in ( the South Island lV being taken by the Mines Committee-Messrs Howarth (Walton lark), .Louden (Juhilee mine), Chcesemart (Ijovell s Hat), sod M'lntosh (Allandalo). have come to Wellington for the purpose of giving evidence. Tho committee have also obtained evidence from Mr Eetta, secretary of the West Coast Miners' Union. A represontative of tho Wostport Coal Company is expected to bo present on Thursday, anil LUr Hajlowes. secretary of the Kaitangata Goal Miners Union, will also give evidence. COUNTRY MEMBERS' GRIEVANCE. A meeting of country members,..convened by Messrs O'.Meara and Herries, has been called for to-morrow morning to consider the vexed question of tho non-expenditure of moneys voted in their district*. The intention is to bring pressure to bear on •the Government to have all moneys voted expended during the financial year, and it' 1 is probable that as a ro.mlt of the meeting a deputation will stronglV urge this view on tho Government. JIIiVENUE COLLECTED AT ROTORUA. Tho fees received at Hotorua for accomniuda Hon at the sanatorium in the year ended March 31. 1888, were £427. I«i 1899 they were £489, in 1900 they were £707, in 1901 ' they were £7JI, and last vear the-' wero £324, or a total of £3160. The bath fees for ilhe past- six .years amounted to £5264...'1n IPS 7 they were £717. in 1901 they were £1011, and last year they were £1535. ■ Jottings. : Mr'Fi flier has presented a petition from Henry Pepper, of Wellington, who asks for a compassionate allowance on account of the. death of his son, who was killed whilp mustering cattle with the Seventh Contingent in South Africa. |