PARLIAMENTARY NOTES.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXIX, Issue 9485, 24 July 1902, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY NOTES.

(From Our Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, this day OLD-AGE PENSIONS. The number of old-age pensions in force on March 31, 1902, inclusive of 1056 granted to Maoris, was 12,776, representing a yearly payment of £217,102. During the year 1694 pensions were granted, of which 167 were to Maoris. Nine hundred and thirty-five pensioners died, including 99 Maoris; 206 pension certificates, of which 48 were held by Maoris, were cancelled, and 182 pensions, of which 76 were granted to Maoris, lapsed through non-application for renewal. The total amount, of pensions paid during the year was £207,468, and instalments amounting to £2998 were forfeited. The cost of administration was £2535. MINING CALLS. The attention of the Government was culled by Mr Fowlds to some of the. difficulties of the Companies Act. of last session. Under that Act, he said, when a call was payable, it was obligatory on the directors to pay the amount of such call on the shares held by them on or before the date on which such calls are made payable by the shareholders. It also, provided that in any proceedings ugainst a shareholder for payment of a call it must be a. condition, precedent to 1 judgment being given against defendant that the directors have duly complied with the previous quoted provisions. He urged that, that provision ought to be. .intended so as to take into account nonpayment of call by a director being due to a mistake, as the effect of the Act at present was that in such cases shareholders were free from liability to pay the call, uid in some cases companies, could not carry on. The Acting-Premier replied that a Bill consolidating the company law was being prepared, and in that Bill provision would be made for meeting the difficulty n:ow pointed out THE CORONATION. In. reply to Mr Massey, Sir Joseph Ward said that no official "intimation, had been received by tho Governor as to. the dale of the Coronation. Until that came to hand no arrangement could be made for mi adjournment of (lie House. He was disposed to think that the better plan would be to adjourn for one. day only," is he considered that would do all that was desirable and necesraiy. HOUSE PROCEEDINGS. The Wellington Harbour Board and Corporation Empowering Act, 1898, Amendment Bill was defeated by 30 to Mr Willis' School Attendance Act, 1901, Amendment. Bill, which proposed to give the Court discretionary power to dismiss informations for non-attendance at .■sohoool, was thrown out on the voices. Mr Gilfedder moved the second reading of his Inspectors of Schools Bill, to place inspectors of public schools under control of the Department of Education. The debate lasted for the lest of the jilting, a strong feeling being expressed igaiust the Bill, it being contended that there was no necessity at present to. centralise the control of inspectors. The Bill was eventually tin-own out by 27 to 23. The House rose at 12.25 p.m. Duuedin, which lias always been in the foreground of educational advancement, has now agreed to give free education in the high schools to those who have passed in, the primary schools into the seventh standard, said Mr T. McKenzle. The Hon. Hall-Jones, in congratulating the Otago Board on the step, expressed the opinion that it would be generally adopted. Information is wanted by Mr J. Allan :is to the class of weapons issiied to cadet corps in public schools. Mr Millar wishes to know why Dunedin is the only centre where no branch of the Tourist Department has been opened. The senior member for Christ church (Mr Collins) has given notice to ask whether it is a fact that the Government Accident Insurance Department has joined tlra accident insurance combine of New Zealand? The appointment of two or three experts in ship building and stevedoring to inquire into the causes of ships being dismantled while loaded with nickel-ore is idvocated by Mr Millar. Mr McKenxie intends to ask whether the Government purpose giving greater encouragement to young persons to study for the teaching profession? When uve> the present regulations regarding fumigating to be stopped so far as they apply to vessels arriving from Sydney and Newcastle, now declared free of plague"' Mr Laurensotn, asks. Sir G. M. O'Rorke is the "Father of the House." having been first elected in 1861. He has sat in eleven Parliaments. The Hon. W. J. Steward and Mr J. W. Thomson come next in seniority, having been elected to eight Piurliaments. Mr T. McKenzfe is asking whether it is true that the Secretary of Education in Wellington sent a circular to the, various Education Boards stating that in his opinion, the proposed conference of Education Boards was unnecessary, and if so will he say by what authority the announcement was made? Mr Laureoison wauls the Representation Commissioners instructed to have the Chatham Islands connected with one of the New Zealand electorates. ■ In Hie division on Mr Gilfcdder's Inspection of Schools Bill four Ministers (Messrs Carroll, Duncan, McGowan, and Mills) voted for the second reading, while Mr Hall-Jones and Sir J. G. Ward opposed the Bill.