IMPERIAL POLITICS.

Timaru Herald, Volume XC, Issue 13299, 30 May 1907, Page 5

IMPERIAL POLITICS.

EXTENSION OF SMALL HOLDINGS.

Priss Association-By Telegraph-Copyright LONDON. Mav"2B.

Z\lr L. W. Hare-curt introduced, a Bill to extend, cheapen and accelerate the machinery providing for small holdings and allotment-: 'in England arid Wales. County Councils will be empowered by the Bill to acquire land by purchase or lease, and may sublet such land as allotments or small holdings, thus creating a class of municipal occupants. The Board of Agriculture is empowered to act where local authorities fail. Whun necessary the purchasing, or selling price- will, be fixed-by arbitration. Local, latins., under-■ the Bill will be. .repayable ,in 80 years. The Treasury, .contributes £100,000" for. the.first year. Small holdings a'r,e not..to exceed ..50 acres and allotments -have- been increased . from 1 to 5 acres. Mr Harcourt said the Bill would not set up a dual ownership-or confer on the tenant any saleable tenant right. He did .not, -believe in compulsion being widely resorted -to and had for long opposed* compulsory hiring. Sir.- Jesse Collings .said he thought it would be, a mistake, to. keep small .holders in the- position of tenants; The Bill was read -a firet time.'... ;

AN. EMPHATIC CONTRADICTION.

LONDON; May 28.

Mr Edward Robertson, secretary -of the Admiralty, declared,, (the -"Standard's"statement- in:, reference. to. the.r.alleged...ret ductions in the. .gunnery and torpedo staffs to be an absolute lie. TfiE APvMf/BitL. Received 9.49 p.m., .May 29th. . LONDON, May; 29. Yielding to pressure and to the militarists, Mr Haldane has modified the A-rmv'Biil, -excluding State, scholars under the a<re of 16 years frq'm the operation oi the clause empowering- county associations to. establish school cadet corps and rifle clubs. . ■ ~ With ,fche assistance, of the closure, the clause in the" Army Bill providing for the establishment of county associations, tor the purpose of assisting in the reorganisation and administration of the military forces other than regulars, was earned. An amendment providing for the retention of the existing system of mnitia was. rejected bv 260 votes.to-..80 votes. ' An- amendment excluding the_Yeomanry from the control of county associations Mas also negativedTHE BUTTER! BILL.' Received 10.19 p.m.,' May 29th. ■ ■ LONDON, May 29. The special committee on the Butter Bill has agreed to Mr Strachey's amend-, intent that only milk bk-nded-butter should be recoo-nised as the butter substitute, all imitations- of butter to be classed as marsarine. . " ./ • • IN THE LORDS. The House of Lord? read Lord Ampthill's Bill extending to owners of lighters, barques and like vessels, the same protection" as is given to shipowners, a second time, and then referred, it to a selectcommittee. .....