JOINT RABBIT NUISANCE COMMITTEE.

Otago Witness, Issue 1855, 10 June 1887, Page 15

JOINT RABBIT NUISANCE COMMITTEE.

The Joint Rabbit Nuisance Committee have not had time to make an 'exhaustive report, and in view of the impending dissolution, Parliament have agreed to the tollowing resolution : — "That the Government be urged to continue to use every available means to check the spread of the rabbit nuisance, and so provide for an effective poisoning during the present winter months on all infected lands, especially unoccupied Crown lands, and that sufficient funds be provided by Parliament for that purpose.

LAND BOARD EXPENSES. The return asked for by Mr Holmes showing the details of the travelling expenses paid during the year to Messrs H. Clark, J. C. Brown, and other members of the Land Board was laid on the table to-day. This return gives nothing new with regard to the Otago members, the expenses being due to inspecting land. For instance, Mr H. Clark received £60 6s 6d for travelling expenses and £33 odd for railway fare. His whole charge is £107 8s 3d. Mr J. C. Brown's details are very similar, excepting that he had 18 days' travelling allowance at £2 when in every other instance the allowance was £1.

WELLINGTON GRIEVANCES.

Wellington has now a grievance against the Legislative Council, which has virtually shelved the University College Bill and the High Schools Reserves Amendment, and cut down their Reclamation Bill to a mere skeleton. There is a peculiar circumstance in connection with the High Schools Reserves Bill, and that is t^at whereas the bill authorised the raising of £6000 by mortgage for the erection of a girls' high school, the Education Board have already entered into a contract to erect the school, which is rapidly approaching completion, and there are no funds now to pay for the building. Regarding the University College Bill, the Post can find no other reason for its rejection than provincial jealousy.

THE MIDLAND RAILWAY.

The Midland railway occupied the attention of the House to-night for over two hours. Mr G. F. Richardson made an attempt to elicit information with regard to the position of the contract, but no direct answer was forthcoming and a battle royal easucd. Mr Pyke pressed the matter of a proclamation having been pluced ovtir the best of the land, and a good deal of bandying of words took place over this matter of the non-appearance of the revoking proclamation. The Premier produced a Gazette issued tonight containing the proclamation. This roused Mr Seddon, who was very outspoken about the rights of miners not being conserved. It was elicited during the d'scussion that the contract has not yet been signed, but negotiations are proceeding. Ministers also assured the House that the contractors were not carrying on the work under a Government guarantee.

A STRANGE PROCEDURE.

The Otago Harbour Board have been much exercised over a strange proceeding on the part of the Port Chalmers Corporation. During the past few days the latter body have been engaged in boring for the foundations of a new building on the site on which the Harbour Board offices stand. Unable to gueRS the authority for this proceeding, Mr Ross, the chairman of the Harbour Board, was communicated with. On making inquiries he found that the authority was dirived from an innocent-looking measure passed last year, entitled the Port Chalmers Fire Brigade Act. This-act provides that the corporation may borrow money, giving section 407 as security, to erect buildings on section 408. When this act was passed only a few are believed to have had the slightest idea of the effect of the measure ; at least the Otago Harbour Board, the body most concerned, had not the least. Mr Ross, in a. telegram to the board, has no hesitation in terming it "infamous legislation."

THE REPRESENTATION BILL

Contrary to expectation, the amendments to the Representation Bill came on before the House this evening after the supper adjournment, the dHpnssion on the Public Revenues Bill being postponed to allow of this. The move was no doubt an excellent one, because the members, after the fling they had in the early part of the evening, were not disposed to enter on along debate. The consequence was that, after a protest from Mc-^rs Levestam, Seddon, aiul O'Conor, the amendments were agreed to, and the representation difficulty is now a thing of the past, and the bill only awaits the Governor's assent to become law.

VILLAGE SPKCIAL SETTLEMENTS.

The matter of the Midland railway having been disposed of, a slight discussion took place on the Stock Conference. Some reference was made to the .Wellington post office, and Mr Bracken even brought up the question of a rifle range for Dunedin, so as to make the discussion one of a more all-round character. All this was on the Public Revenues Bill in committee, but how it was relevant it was hard to say. The next matter to crop up was the village special settlements. The House last 'year voted £5000 as an experiment ; but they now find that on the strength of this vote liabilities to the extent of £65,000 had been contracted. The Opposition wanted some explana-

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tion, and an assurance that this rate of expenditure should not' be continued, and Sir G: Grey actually charged Ministers with incurring the expenditure for electioneering purposes. ' The Minister for ' Lands failing to make himself clear as to the past expenditure and his future intentions, the .Premier 6ame to the rescue. Ho contended that anyone who looked at the re-> gulations must have seen that the £5000 voted would have been insufficient to do anything but to settle a few people on the land. He asked the House to indicate how far they wished him to go in putting families on the land, and beyond that they would not go. As to the question of how they were to meet the liabilities, the Premier said they had shadowed forth a measure in the Financial Statement which meant borrowing, but he contended that their system was 1 the only method of dealing with the unemployed. Nothing was done about the matter, and progress was reported without any progress having been made. The House will not meet again till Monday.