PARLIAMENTARY NEWS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 14000, 5 September 1907, Page 8

PARLIAMENTARY NEWS

NOTES FROM THE PRESS - GALLERY. (Fnosi Otjr Own Correspondent.) , WELLINGTON. September 4. The question of the destruction of 6mall birds is being carefully gono into by tho Government, and experiments > will be conducted from time to time with'a- view to determining what is tho best means of coping with the pest. There was a brief interchange of compliments in the. House this evening botweo'n Messrs Rutherford and Bollard. The House was discussing the question of ammunition, and Mi" Bollard, having made some reference to the question, Mr Rutherford said he did not believe Mr Bollard had had much experience in shooting since lie left Ireland, where lie may have had some experience in shooting at . landlords.— (Laughter.) Mr Bollard waited his opportunity. and when he rose a few minutes later lie. said if all the reports regarding the lion, gentleman as a landlord were-true' —(laughter)—they would put a bullet through him. now.—(Laughter.) " I think I am finished with the hon. member noW," said Mr Bollard, and the House laughed again. After .Mr Bollard had resumed his seat Mr Rutherford returned to the charge with an old joke out of Punch. The hon. member for Eden, he had been told, was ono of two tenants who Were waiting behind a hedge for a landlord. They, waited for hours, but the landlord did not come— Tho Chairman: "I think the hon. member i 6 going too far." Mr Rutherford: And as they were looking out ovor their muskets , one of them said: " I -hope nothin's hapI pened to the ould gintlcman." THE BANK OF NEW ZEALAND.. Mr Poland to-day asked tho Colonial Treasurer whether he was aware that the manager of the Bank of New Zealand at Auckland was reported in tho New Zealand Herald of 13th August as having said that tho Bank of New Zeajand now had more money than it knew what to do with, and if that was so whether the Minister did not think that Hie bank should inako 6omo reduction in its charges to the public for bank-ing-services. The Treasurer replied: "The matter .is one for tho consideration of the directors of the bank." 'Mr 1511 asked the Prime Minister, why tho Government" considered it would be a wrong act to purchase the private shareholders' in the Bank of New Zealand for tho public,-while it considered it a perfectly proper and right act to compulsorily purchase'freehold land, private gas and electric light works, etc.. . The Prime Minister replied: " The posi--1 ions are not analogous, and the Government is not going to bring about financial dislocation throughout the country which such a proposal if attempted at present would involve." Mr EH subsequently spoko in terms of strong condemnation of the policy of a State-aided and State-guaran-teed bank being worked so much in tho interests of the shareholders. He would continue to agitato for reform. INACCURATE REPORTING. In the House this aftornoon Mr W. Fraecr dre.w attention to tho incorrect reporting of the Pres3 Association. Ho said hon. members would agreo that it would be better for members not to be reported at all than that they should be made to say exactly tho opposito of what they did iay. He drew attention to the exceedingly incorrect report of fomo remarks of his published in the papers of tho colony by the Press Association tho other day.—(Hon. members: "Hear, hear."') Mr, Tanner: "That was 1 not tho first, case." Mr Fraser proceeded to explain tho inaccuracy, he complained of, and added that- members would agree that he was right in drawing attention to such a glaring ea«. He admitted that it had not been intentional. Probably the mistako occurred through some remarks made by Mr Mandcr having I been attributed to him (Mr Eraser). SANITARY COOKING.

Tile Minister for Publio Health stated that inspection had been made as to the sanitaiy conditions obtaining in some of the kitohcris and restaurants in Wellington. This inspection would he continued in every case where insanitary conditions were found to exist till the owners or the occupiers had them removed. UNEMPLOYED AND THE LABOUR BUREAU.

Mr Barclay' asked the Government why, in the case of tho Dunedin-Mosgiel railway duplication, the express instructions of tho Hon. Mr Hall-Jones, Minister of .Publio Work 6, that men required for the work should be obtained through the Labour Bureau at Dunedin, were apparently entirely disregarded by tho officials in charge of the work, although at tho time there was a large number of capable and 'com)>etent men out of work at Dunedin through the cessation of the Otago Central railway construction, who were misled into' waiting on the bureau day after day, week after week, by the Minister's announcement that they would be engaged there for the work, which was all the time being given to men obtained by other means and from other quarters; and also why the Hutt railway works seemed to bo in the same position. The Prime Minister gave tho following reply : "Prior to tho instructions given by the Hon. W. Hall-Jones a very largo number of men had made application [Or employment on tho railway duplication works in various parts of the colony. The applications of these men were noted, and they are being given consideration in rotation of application in ihe case of tho Dunedin-Mosgiel duplication works. The list of applications has not been exhausted, and consequently men who had applications in in many cases a considerable time before tho works were commenced aro given an Opportunity of acccpting employment from time to time as; vacancies occur and in accordance with tho arrangements made. When men arc required tho Labour Department is asked to communicate with tlio first man on the list,, If he decides to accept it ho is started, if not the next man ie given a chance, and so on. In a few instances men who liayo previously been employed by the department on works that have been finished, and who have proved experts in the particular class of work, have been afterwards placed on the Dunedin-Mosgiel works, but this has not affected tho position as far as ordinary , labourers are concerned. When the list of applications is exhausted, then men who did not apply in tho first instance will bo laken on as roquired. A similar practice is l m operation on the Hutt railway works."

"THE CHICAGO OF NEW ZEALAND," Mr Wood lias given noticc to ask the Postmaster-general whether it is correct, as alleged by the'lion, member for Waikouaili, that letters aro sometimes sent to the " Chicago of New Zealand,"—namely. Painierston North, the most, progressive, prosperous, bcst-laid-out, go-ahead, and up-to-date town in the Dominion;—which lettci'3 are intended for an insignificant, sparsely-built, scattered-looking, dreary village known as Palmorston in the south; and whether, if tho rumour is correct, the Postmaster-general will, out of respect, for the feelinss of tho vast population of Palmorston North, ceo that- the practice is discontinued.