POLITICAL NEWS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2579, 19 August 1903, Page 36

POLITICAL NEWS.

GOVERNMENT LLFE INSURANCE.

Mr Duthie to-day asked the Minister in charge of the Government Life Insurance Department whether it is his intention to now make good to the poJieyholders of that association the loss inflicted upon them in May, 1898, by having placed to their credit 3 per cent, debentures at par for the sum of £625,900, in- place of debentures then due, £131,600 of which hadi carried 4 per con't. and £494,300 4£ P&r cent, interest ; •and, if so, will the Government replace these 3 per cents, with debentures carrying such «. rate of interest as to be saleable at par, and also pay to (the life insurance account the arrears of interest, which, if paid ab the rate of ♦ per cent., would since the date mentioned to May of this year amount to £31,295. — The Premier, in reply, said Mr Duthie was at one time a director of another insurance company, and wished to bring discredit on the Government department. — Mr Duthie : lam a polioyhold&r iv the Government department, and' am more interested in it than in any other. — The Premier proceeded to tay that other companies, including the A.M.P., thought fit to invent in New Zealand Government stocks.— Mr Massey: Four per cents.— The Premier: You all jump to conclusions. You had b&tter not say too much for fear you foil into a trap. He proceeded to say that when the Government Life Insurance Department invested in these 3 per cents, -they stood 1 a.fc £101 15?, and it was considered an excellent investment. Thero was a risk attached to every investment. Why ehould the colony be a^ked to make up the difference in value \o corporations which invest in New Zealand stocks? Would these corporations pay over the differenoe to the colony when the stocks went over par?

FIELD WORK FOR BOYS

Mr Seddon objects to Mr Ell's idea, of giving increased facilities for classes of boys for field work travelling over tho railways in charge of a properly qualified teacher. Such a concession is not, he says, at all necessary. Tho pupils could walk ; this would do them good. There were no schools in New Zealand thai were not adjacent to fields. Mr Ell was not satisfied with the answer. He asked what about the study" of geology? Mr Seddon said he had some acquaintance with practical geology. He was satisfied' the pupils could not learn much geology in a railway train.

STATE FARMS.

Mr Hall asked tho Minister of Lands whether he would establish a State farm at Dannevirke. The Minister said he was unable at the present time to recommend this. They were only just commencing this farm business, and if they spread it too much it would become cumbersome and the expense would bo very heavy. SOCIAL REFORMS.-TREATMENT OF

CONFIRMED DRUNKARDS

Messrs Lewis, Laureneon, Witty, Hardy, Rhodce, Davey, Bedford, and Aitken, accompanied by Mr Smaill (the Christchurch Prison Gate missioner) waited on the Minister of Justice this afternoon. Mr Lewis said the deputation wished to suggest that magistrates should have power to inflict sentences of up to 12 months on confirmed drunkards, so that they (women especially) could be kept off the streets. If they oould be kept under control for more lengthened periods th&re would be a greater likelihood of reforming them ia regard to solicitation in *he street. A sentence of one month could be imposed, but this was not enough, and the deputation thought the magistrates should have power to commit up to three months. Another point was in regard to the age of consent and the period allowed within which an information could be laid. In the case of girls under age it was suggested that this p&riod should be extended from one to three months. Mr Smaill said he had come as .the result of a conference- recently hold in Christchurch. Ho gave his ideas in regard to tho various points mentioned by Mr Lewis on the lines above indicated. The Minister, in reply, said the matter was a very difficult one to deal with. He was not enamoured of tho proposal of increasing the term of imprisonment to 12 months in these cases. Unfortunately, the craving for drink got bo bad in some cases that it became a disease. The victims to it were not really criminals, and he did not see any advantage in increasing the term during which such persons should be kept in the prisons of the colony. He thought they must adopt some other method. Personally, ho was more in favour of what might b? termed tho "homo" system. Referring to tho question of soliciting, there was a danger in increasing the sentence. For instance, a criminal might know some woman who had given evidence against him — say, in connection with theft. Such a man could revenge himself on the woman under such a law. Mr Smaill pointed out that it was only the police who brought such case's. Mr Laurenson said the idea wa« not to keep them locked up, but to keep them off tho streets in a home-. Mr M'Gowan said he would give the matter his fullest consideration. He was satisfied that the evils complained of existed, and he was only too anxious to find the best methods of dealing with them. He recognised that there wore some people who should not be committed to an ordinary prison. He thought there should be- power to keep such persons in " homes." In these " homes " they should virtually be in charge of the police. Mr Aitken j "Hear, hear. That's all we want." The Minister again -promised t/» give the matter his best consideration.

REPRESENTATION ON LAND BOARDS.

Mr Herdman asked the Minister of Lands whether he will this session introduce legislation which will have the effect of giving Crown tenant's c ome representation on the land beards of the colony. The Minister

[ said he did not think there was any great demand for this special representation. Mr Herdman : I presented a petition asking for it th& other day. Mr Duncan said that was from land' for settlement tenants, and there was not a sufficient number of them in the Otago disitrict to warrant their getting special representation on the boards. The Otago Board, he said, was the- rno&b lenient of all the 'boards in tho colony with its tenants. In Wellington they had one Crown tenant upon •the board. Sir Wm. Steward : What about Canterbury? The Minister replied that Canterbury had more Crown tenants tha'a Otago. He had 1 no objection to Crown tenants being on the boards. Mr Mass&y : Let them elect their own representative. The Minister: As coon as you did that you would have trouble. You would have no proper control of the lands of the colony. lam reluctant to interfere with the members of the board in any way. I won't bring down any legislation on the subject.

THE FRUIT TRADE.

Mr Vile to-day asked the Commissioner of Trade and Customs if he will move in the direction of inducing tho Union Steam Ship Company to make Wellington tho port of call for the Cook and Society Islands trade. He said he had no desire to take anything away from Auckland, but it would bo of great benefit to the south in tho matter of the distribution of fruit if Wellington could get this connection. Mr Mills said the question of fruit distribution throughout the eoleny was very important, but up to iho present Wellington had not shown much business aptitude in tho matter of cultivating trade with the Islands. Apparently that had only been done in Auckland, and tho cou&equcnce was that the steamers trading -to Auckland get cargoes both ways. The fruit from Fiji was not transhipped at Auckland, but was sent straight down the coast, co there was no delay ; but in the case of the cargoes from other islands, transhipment led to delay. The Taviuni on her last trip arrived in Auckland on Thursday, and it was the following Tuesday before the fruit reached Wellington. He hsd communicated with tho manager of the Union Company on the subject, and when ho got a reply would communicate with Mr Vile.

JOTTINGS. The Premier, replying to Mr Laurenson, said inquiries were being made regarding the question of the closer settlement of Banks Peninsula, but the matter was noC yet settled. He would probably be able to reply definitely next week in regard to one suitable piece of land regarding which inquiries were being made. It was found .that it had been divided between 20 members of one family. — (Laughter, and a Member: "Quite righlt, too.") The Premier : " I do not ?ay it ie wrong."