PARLIAMENTARY NEWS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 15824, 24 July 1913, Page 8

PARLIAMENTARY NEWS.

NOTES FROM THE PRESS GALLERY. CFeou Oob Own Cobbkbpondent.) .WELLINGTON, July 23. Mr G. M. Thomson has been intorined that the Government does not propose to interfere with the long standing custom of debating tho A<ldrea>-in-Keply. FIRE WASTE. , Tho question oi prevent.ng the great financial loss oy uro sutterwl oy tflo aonwiiou was raisea to-day by Jir Newman, wno asked tne .Prune .viinisier whether tlie 'Government would bring :n legislation tnis session to support tne DUiidwg regulations in boroughs io prevent iJie great national waste by lires. in reply Mr Massey 6aid that if tho hon. member would point out where tlie present law required amendment the Government would consider suggestions wnen the lViumcipal Corporations Amendment Bill was w committee. _ _ , Anotner branch of the. subject 'was raised by Mr Sidey, who asked if provision could be made for an inquiry being held automatically into the origin of every outbreak of fire.

Tho Hon. F. M. B. Fisher (Minister in charge of tho State fire Insurance Depart-, ment) replied that this matter was already under the consideration of the Government. INSPECTION OF FLAXMILLS. The Prime Minister to-day stated that a system of inspection had been instituted by tlio department throughout the whoio of the districts of New Zealand where flaxmills and sawmills were situated, and in order to facilitate the inspection tho Government had recently authorised the purchase of nine motor cycles for the use of the inspectors. THE LYTTELTON TUNNEL. Mr Laurenson to-day asked tho Minister of Railways what preparations, if any, the Railway Department was making to electrify the Lyrtelton-Uhristchureh railway when the electricity from Lake Ooleridgo became available on April 30. Tho Hon. Mr Herr:cs (Minister of Railways) replied that the electrification of the Christchurch-Lyttelton railway involved a large amount of expenditure, and special provision would require to be made 'when the power from Lake Coleridge was available. In the meantime preliminary arrangements would be mode with a view to putt-nig the work in hand at the earl'.est possible date. THE MIDLAND RAILWAY. ' Mr Seddon to-day referred to the Midland Railway by asking the Minister of Public Works when the railway lino from Cass to Klondyke would be open for traffic. Already, he said, a special train had gone over the line to a point on tho Bealey River bed. If for a time this were mado a terminus, train and coach services could be arranged daily between the East and West Coasts.

Tho Hon. Mr Eraser replied that it was not deemed advisable to carry passengers regularly from Case to Klondyke at present as it would interfere too seriously with the completion of tho line from Cass to Bealey. The department hoped to be able to oarry passengers from Cass to Bealey towards tho end of August, although the line would not even then be ready to be transferred to the Railway Department. BURNI-lAM POULTRY FARM. The reply by the Prime Minister to Mr Witty'e question about the Burnham Poultry Farm is as follows The Government is fully desirous of furthering the interests of farmers and small settlers and of others concerned in the poultry industry, but whether these interests will be best served by continuing tho Burnham Poultry Station is a matter now under consideration, To bring the station up to pre6ent-day requirements in the matter of experimental, demonstrational, and educational work would entail practically a remodelling and rearrangement of the place, and it i 6 questionable whether the considerable expenditure thereby envolved could not be utilised to better advantage in otherwise assisting tfhe industry." TIMARU STATION. I replying to Mr Craigie's question about the Timaru Station, the Hon. Mr Hcrries (Minister of Railways) said that the contemplated improvements would involve a very large expenditure, and were not considered to be specially urgent at tho present moment. It was intended to carry them out at as early a date as possible, but having regard to other more important questions in various parts of the dominion for which funds were not available, he could not undertake any expenditure this year. The proposed alterations at Timaru would, when carried into effect, cost something like £40,000, and when tho work was put in hand it should be gone on with in proper sequeneo so as to reduce the cost as much as possible

AN INGENIOUS QUESTION. A rather ingenious comparison is suggested between the conditions obtaining in the teaching profession and those in the defence system by a question addressed today by Mr E. H. Clark to the Minister of Defenoe. Tho question wa,s: "Will he alter the defence regulations as to salaries, and pay tho officers according to ,the average attendance of Territorials on parade, and thus make the system uniform with the payment of teachers' salaries based on tho average attendance of the scholars?" WOMEN ON TRAINS. Mr Okey asked the Minister of Railways to-day whether he .would, in the interests, of women travelling with children on the railways, consider the advisability of placing on all mail trains a carriage in which women travelling with children would have preference. Mr Herries replied that the experience in New Zealand in respect to carriages provided for special purposes was that they were seldom used to any extent. Hie consequence was t'hat additional ears had to be run on trains and not infrequently a second engine had to be attached merely on account of. the additional weight of the special car. The experience has been that ladies travelling alone or with children preferred, as a rule, to ride in t.he ordinary carriages. . . . If ladies showed a predisposition to travel together in the same car, the department would bo only too glad to give them the necessary accommodation. LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL REFORM. The Legislative Council to-day did not touch on the measure dealing with its reform, as the afternoon was practically occupied with the formalities attendant upon conveying the Addrcss-in-Reply to the Governor. To-morrow tho debate on the Bill will be resumed by the Hon. J. R. Sinclair. It is not improbable that tho Bill will receive comparatively favourable treatment from members. Some members, who are quite opposed to the measure in principle, anticipate that it v ivill pass the second reading stage and be amended in committee in an attempt to make it a working measure. One amendment suggested has reference to the basis of election. Objoejeetion is taken to both Chambers being elected by the same body of electors, and 'the amending clause may take the line'suggested several times last year—that, a proportion of the Council shall bo elected at set times by the House of Representatives and the Legislative Council sitting together. This is somewhat on the lines of the Norwegian system, and is expected to remove the objection that an Upper House elected by the people would be moulded on partj lines, as is the case in the present Lower Chamber.

It was pointed out by a member that at present the Council occupied r> better position in the eyes of the people ever before. Its action_ last year showed that it was prepared to give Government measures fair consideration. Tho same would be t.lrn case this year, and ■ the " Reform " Bill would in many rcsprcts receive favourable treatment. JOTTINGS. The Minister of Railways stated to-day that 110 was looking into the question of extending the George street pier at Port Chalmers. Tho reply of the Minister of Justice to Mr Statham'a question about loaded firearms, is lis follows:—"It is not intended to amend 'Tho Crimes Act, 1908' this session, but should an nmciiding Bill be introduced later on the suggestion of a provision to make it a criminal offence to leave loaded firearms within the reach of irresponsible persons will be given careful consideration." The Hon. Mr R. 11. Rhodes (Postmastergeneral) stated to-day that negotiations for tho exchange of postal notes between New Zealand and the Comnionweatli were taking place. It was stated by the Prime Minister today that the Government did not intend to reinfitituto the sheep tax. Tho Govcrnmrnt stated that the question of raising tho salaries of school-teachers who were rccciving £200 a year and under was receiving consideration, but that it was doubtful whether any legislation on the subject could bo introduced this sc^ion, Mr K Newman has been re-elected chairman of tho Lands Committee of the House of Representatives, and Mr G. V. Pearce, M.P.'. Iras been re-elected chairman of the Local Bills Coin 111 ittco.

Mr Clark has asked the Minister of Railways whether he will appoint a croffiingkcepcr at the intersection of the railway ,ttk! Gordon road. Mosgiel. A note states that since tho Minister replied that) a

crossing-keeper was not nccessary at the crossing ono man has been killed and two girls seriously injured, and quite recently several people have nearly met with accidents, as the ordinary shunting trains are compelled very often "to cross this crossing while carrying out their usual shunting opera tdons.