Political Gossip

Southland Times, Issue 19117, 6 August 1903, Page 2

Political Gossip

By Telegraph. From Our Own Correspondent. WELLINGTON, Aug 5. PURE FOOD. , Mr Hanan gained a point to-day x&ten, upon his earnest recommendation, . the Minister of Public Health said he ; was prepared to have an expert cor iniltee set up to establish standards of purity for foods and drinks and take: n<cans: to secure to the people wholeso-ne food. Sir Joseph Ward said selections' of jama had already been inspected, and prost-cu-tions had resulted. The various "interests could be represented 01V >Jio committee, such as the condensed milk business, tinned meat trade, etc. •■ • LAKE WAKATIPU STEAMKH. The position in regard ».o tno new steamer lor tms laKe is mat a marine arcniteet is preparing plans anu upe^incations, and waen tnese xr& ,reCiivea tenners will be called in i\ew Vivaland and at Home. Turbine motor" power is oeine looked into to s e e wnetner it would not : oe most suitable for the luke. lylFFizkthiSi'r- OA>iNfiOXS. -■' When Mr ±iouston condemned tho present letter earns as ungainly anci cluuisv ne was strongly supported, but ■ Kir i/os^pn Ward w«s> also well t> wsK^d , when u9 said tnat for artistic appeal anco and get up our card was unequalled/ r^tte^did not thereiore 'sees any necessity^'ftjr making a change. -^ i - . ' ;■-■.. WHO SENT IT? In reply to Mr James Allen, the''Minister for .Railways denied all knowledge of a telegram -sent to tne London Times through Keuters Agency to LHo etlect mat the American' engines Rave" hotter results In a series of trials on the New Zealand railways. None of^tji» officers of the department were aware tnat such, a cable had been sent, und. jt certuinly did not represent their views. ' CONDITION .OK L,AUU(IR. Tho report of the Department of Labour, laid on the table of the House to-day, touches on the prosperity of the colony in roseate language, mid affirms tnat no difficulty was found in- ausorbing tbe large inuux of labour from Australia recently. There are- no. uncniplo.yed in the colony, yh tb© question- of American competition in -he boot trade, the head of tne department says: that if present charges will not^ keep utit the apod of cheap imports,-: then, the tariff will have to be ruisad or tho indnstry in New Zealand will "perish. There ara 59,047 persons^employed in factories, an increase of 3052. Mr Tregear Kays there is a necessity, Jor conaoHduiing the Shops and Oibces . Act* and tor "a- pro-r vision fixing the minimum age (say 14) at «which boys can work in shops- The hours of labour in shops snould .also be shortened. Sixty new unions registered during the year, of vhich 45 were union of workers. ■■■'■ •■'- ■ ■ . *; INVERCARGILL REPORT. The Inspector of Factories . at Invqr- : cargill reports activity in the building trade, and .the iron trade has been steady, although the cessation of diedgebuilding and the amalgamation -of implement makers reduced the number ~of men in tbe trade and removed a manufacturing business from tha t.>wri. Other trades hay© also be^n ousy, '.And the flaxmilling industry : is; niakinjr rapid strides. There ; ; have -been few really unemployed to -deal "with; oad during tl>e. year 108 men: arid boys. Jiaying 306 jtorsons de-pending-on- "themr. have b-nan assisted. meTe »ire>3St ■ factories, employing :1<598 males aiitr';37^; females, in .he district. ; In pvertime><432s hours were -wcrked, chiefly in- the":cJbthing and non trades ; . 17 accidents - were reported, and. tbieoN were fatal. .-..' \ . ; . „■: SrO SATISFACTION. . ;..; The Premier quite 'evaded jyTr^Jamea Allen's question to-day as t-jwlwit the Goverament intend to dp. with the £1100 sent from Home for the relief of returned troopers. It. .appears, however, that another £500 has come to band for the Otago fund. *■• . THE PUBLIC HEALTH. The Public Health Act Amendment Bill transfers the duty of. providing and maintaining hospitals for 1 the treatment of infectious di&eases from the local authorities to hospital boards ; the cost of erection and maintenance tneie.of : to ; bQ apportioned among such- local authdrities as the Chief Health, Officer directs, and the share to be agreed upon or apport'oned by ' the Stipendiary Magistrate. 'ih e boards are uirecteo to . receive into any hospital any person suffering' from un iniectious aisease ' -vrhen. rtltrected by- the district health -oiiicei', ono -if^ auch cases coiwe from. »pn-contr{-butinff districts the board may charge such districts up to £2 per week. Kor xlie treaVmeni of consumpvion, ibe Chief rtealth- Officer may require an hospital board to . erect a si»ecial ward.-/ The maximum: penalty for oxposiiig for - sale food unlit"- for consumption v is axed at ' £20. Local authorities may. combine in the appointment of . inspectors, and power is given to tho Governor, in -the event of an outbreak of smallpox, to order all contacts to be vaccinated:-. :\'r BARMAIDS IN THE I BALANCE. There was great amusembrit^ftiis'morn*. inff when Mr KU endeavoured; to drop v liis Bnrmaid9 Abolition - s faili" and proceed with his Elective V'l^iSisUvtiVoV'oWttCil Hill, 1 which came : U^rd. bfi: the Ordet ; L'aperl -The Hon. Hallr Jones nvottsted :• against , such, act iqribn^vjfr Kirs irurt ; : he 1 was playing \yith tb\is ' s»i'oat : t,ut-stion (laughter), ;and barmaids would resent ' it— (LaugfiterJ... Defeated; in his object, Mr Ell had: to proceed with liis bill, and his speech,' was, " I move the second reading of this bill/ he was not, however,' to. ! be allowed to the diHSculty by avoiding debate.— Mr Lowis (Uourtenay). seconded the motion, - ■■ and proceeded to 'make fun ; of rhe -whole cning, and-, he did it very succesdfully. H<b -said tHby . were intortfstea" in tho . reoi"ganjsation\ of society :and the regeneration of • mankind, and if the second reading was- carried: there :woald bo the biggest deputation the colony bad ever 'JChe 'barmaida would, flovkio Wel-lington.-And why would '■•-l^r-,- J2U «n4 Mr Beofonl vote lor .the second', rending .?■'■■-.-. Because.- thc>' wanted to hi^Ke ;it : ulifcolutely necessary for 'Jiat depiltuUou to take . placfe.— |Laui»hter).> Instead of the present nymphs of the corkscrew -they should have the " fl screet wotnai?," jrvtrodueed by the Premier some ynars ago. — (roari?)— -the discreet- woman who was to wander, the streets at might ixnd^seiie ; boys- Svho were ■-..' abroad in - suspicious ways; and lay them over *he: Riieo. The result of putting the; "discreet wOman "■ behind a bar was' well doseribftd by yvordsworthf-'.;- : - '.'" '", .->■ ; - •■."'■ :''""■■!.'■■' '"■ "She d\\'eit among the -untrodden ways. Beside tho springs' btlbv«>, " y ; Amid whom there were none :■ io praise, And very Jew to lovo."— (Laughter) The bar would lose much of its attraction. Most of them had a discreet woman at home— (Laughter). THE DEBATK. arr;"K. M. Smith took up the running and soon wandered on to Miis Hhemc; be- . ing. pulled ; :.up by^ the Speaker's asking : " >hat has ironsand to; do with barI maids ?•■ '—Mr- Parata kept the debate going, and became poetic. Woman was tha flower of creation;v and why t» ould gh» be prevented ..from.".; blbssoraing •i ?. places which this bill proposed to cose against jer.— The Hremier then entreated' tbo HOUSO- to treat the flatter seriously; Mr fc.ll.Ji,- manner of /introducing . vho bill was heartless. Some reasbnsVahould be giv fi p for passing the biU for it Bi{>ht be construed -abroad that /the ■ reason for the bfil was that woirieh behind tars did not Conduct themselves -propi»riy. That was not so: iv New Zealand, atij *air Kll should ha^ t explained that his' bill waa a part of the licensing legislation pro> posed by the Prohibition party. His own mind was open on this question, he did not think the Abolition of barmaids voultl reduce tliq amount of drinking. ,_ .- «-.,-■. - Mr 3lajor supported the measure, slating that barmaids -were encouraged to drink with customers.— Other members continued the stonewall till midnight, when a motion to adjourn the debate was carried by 33 to 21, and tho continuation of tho» debate was settled for 2nd September. The House then adJoUrned. " ;■ LIOENSING INBUUCB. Counter-petitions have .been. presented in regard to the Bruce Hcousi i* Polli- ?? c by .. , Ml " James Allen, prajnnß that the noil i iv favour of rio-license 1,0 validated, bears 178 C '; signatures of electors ?/ »t"n e> ai>tl le °. .t a r preseuted by Mr Millar, praying that .Icenses'- be continued, js signed by 1207 persons. OPps AND ENDS,. ■ ; u-SL^i 8 '" of * Justi S c intends to sco . whether the amount of business trans-; nf , «» « 0?; 7 uta Yu war rants tha building of a courtliotise there. ■ ■ ■ ■ \ - s »L h^T c « ft Ji l ,«««> u flft".ol Keujer's Agency,