PARLIAMENTARY NOTES.

Colonist, Volume XLIX, Issue 12018, 20 August 1907, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY NOTES.

From Our Own Correspondent, (By Telegraph). BULLER BRIDGE CONTRACT. Wellington, August 19. It is understood that the Government has accepted a contract for thd "O'Sullivan" cart bridge over tha Buller river, near Fern Flat. The name of the successful tenderer has not yet been disclosed. "TRAVELLING" ALLOWANCES. In connection with the question of travelling allowances it is reported, on excellent authority, that within the last few months three civil servants have been discharged for drawing'travelling allowances to which they wefe not entitled. One civil servant, it is alleged? drew a regular allowance running into a fairly re . speotable sum annually for the maintenance of a horse supposed to be necessary for the proper disobarge of his duties; inquiry, it is stated, elicited the fact that he had never possessed a horse, and what is more, that he never required one. The outcome will no doubt be an enquiry embraoing the whole question of payment of travelling allowances. At present no details are given in respect of this expenditure, but a number of members intend to be satisfied with nothing less than actual and specific amounts in future. FREEHOLD FOR NOTHING. The "Freehold for Nothing" is a strong term to apply, but that is practically the effect of an amendment to the Government land proposals, notice of which has been given by the. Hon. T. Y. Duncan. ex-Mihister for Lands. To put it briefly, Mr Duncan- will move in committee on tbe Bill tbat, subject to the approval of the Minister, the Land Boards may set aside areas of rural land and declare same available for selection and occupation without payment. Public notice is to be given of all land so set forth, and the area to be seleoted by each person of 18 years and upwards shall not exceed 200 acres, and for persons under 18 years 50 aores. The total area" tc be seleoted by any One family shall not exceed 500 acres. Residence is to be compulsory from a stated date ; in the case of bush lands within one year, and in the case of open lands within six months fiom the date of selection, and be continuous thereafter for a period of seven years. A dwelling-house is to be ereoted within 18 months, and , certain stipulations are made re* garding the' area to be cultivated each yeai*. These are conditions of extraordinary liberality, but Mr Duncan would give away the property of the State beyond recall, for sub-clause- 6 provides "if the conditions are duly observed a grant shall at the expiration of the said period of seven years be issued for the land selected. " THE CIVIL SERVICE. The Executive of the Civil Ser.vice Association waited upon the Premier this afternoon and urged; him to. pass this sees ion the-Super-

abnuation Bill and the uiaasinca.ion Bill Mr Allport, who acted as spokesman, expressed appreciation of air Joseph Ward !s efforts in tho desired direction last session, ancl ur^ed that the pension should be .bm_»u ted .on the same basis as that on which the rail Way pensions were j computed, namely, one sixtieth of the officers sarmi; *>* each year's service, basing the computation Upon the maximum salary received at the time of retirement. They also asked the most favorable consideration for allowances to widows in case of the death of a Civil Servant. The Premier, in replyng, said he had already intimated to the House that the 'Bill would be brought flown this session. There was no flbubi of tbatiarid it was very nearly ready, 'fhe Govern nie.it had bad to hold back a number of bills on accbui\t bf certain policy matters takIngiprecejJence, ,but he thought there bo ample tin.? during the session to put this Bill through, and the Classification Bill also. The retiring allowance would, as requested, be based on the one-sixtieth as desired, but the Government could not accede to the request regarding widows, tbat they should be paid 10s n'week. Under the railways scheme the payment was £18 a year. The scheme now in contemplation could not be made 10s a week without raising tbe railways pension to 10s and to warrant that increase there would need to be an increase of contribution, which would press heavily on some of the lower paid railway menj and on the service as a whole. On the whole, however, be thought it would b. a vory good superannuation scheme. The Government had had an actuarial report from Mr Morris Fox, and the whole matter had been, gone into pretty exhaustively. The Bill was now in the hands of the law draftsmen, and he hoped before very long, to be able to submit the proposals tb the House. He felt pretty certain that both Bills would go through this session. He intended to do his best to get them through.