POLITICAL NOTES.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIC, Issue 13420, 18 October 1907, Page 3

POLITICAL NOTES.

COUNTRY SCHOOL TEACHERS. Special—By Telegraph. "WELLINGTON, October 17. The ever present question pf teachers' salaries cropped up again in the House vesterdav. It- was urged that teachers of country schools should receive better consideration from the Government. The Hon. Mr Fowlds said his sympathies -were entirely with the teachers in small country schools. What was asked by some membens, however, was absolutely impossible to accomplish. The Member for Waikouaiti had called for the establishment of a minimum salary of £l4O per annum. That might mean that this salary would be paid to teachers who had only .a few | children under them. At present there was a minimum salary of £llO for schools with from 16 to 20 children. He admitted that it was not a large sum, but the cases which had been mentioned had an at-end'anoe' below sixteen. There was no country in the world that could in any way approach New Zealand in the liberality of its provision for the education of children in districts where there was only an attendance of 15 or over to form a school. In regard to teachers' salaries ha reminded members that they had been fixed as a result of the : deliberations of the Education Committee of Parliament and Royal Commission after taking evidence all over the colony, and on their recommendations the Government had fixed the present minimum standard. It was pcssible the Government might give a little more, but it was quite clear that there must bs a limit in some way. Dealing with the same question, Sir Joseph Ward said that if: members were sincere ;in their desire to have increased the salaries' to teachers they would vote for the Endowment Bill which made provision for education purposes in this country. (Applause and dissent). THE RAILWAY SERVICE.

It was urged by Mr Massey that the whole of the employees in the RailwayService should be given an opportunity of coming wiihin the provisions of the Arbitration Act. He declared that the. Premier must know theie was a great deal of dissatisfaction throughout the whole service, members having left to take' up private employment, and it was a positive

loss to the State that men who had received years of training in ths service should have to go-into business themselves. He believed the time had come when a Royal Commssion should be appointed to go into the -whole of the working of the Railway Department-, and the grievances ofl the "employees. . Sir Joseph Ward said that the Leader of the Opposition surely could not understand the position, o-i- he would not ask that the whole of the railway employees should be allowed to vote on r the question. His own opinion was that if the whole service vot«d the insult Would be against coming under the Arbitration Act by a large majority. In order to pay Gtandard wages the Court had l to have comparisons, and the only section of the railway branch which could do that was the workshops which could compare with th-j wages paid to mechanics outside. To apply the vote all round wotild pub t'he men in the other branches in an unfair position and he was not going to do that. The workshops had asked for it, and were entitled to vote upon the question.

THE FARMING OUTLOOK. The Member for Hurunui, Mr Rutherford, during the debate on the Land Bill gave an interesting review of the

farming outlook in New Zealand. He eaid it was to the freezer that the value of the rural lands was due. Where would we be if the freezer was done away with, and we could not send our produce Home? They need, not 'hold out special inducements for people to go on the land which was taken readily enotigh. With regard to wheat growing what was going to happen? Anyone with the slightest foresight must see that wheat was going to ba dearer. The profits of wool-growing were, so great and the requirements of labour in connection therewith so small, as compared with wheat growing, that people would fall back on the production of mutton and give up growing wheat. They had! farm labourers' unions springing up all over the colony, th'a effect of which would_.be-to raise wages -and comforts of. the labourers, and that would add to the cost of p-ioducti.m of wheat. They, knew what the farmer would do and there was no use blinding the fact. The Canerbury farmer would say:—"l'll give up wheat-growing entirely and confine my attention to the production of meat and dairy produce."

_ DEATHS BY CHLOROFORM. 1 . Notice was given to-day by Sir W. Steward to ask the Minister of Public Works whether the attention of the Department has been called to the frequency of fatal results from 'the administration of ana-es'hetics during recent years, and: whether-lie will direct inquiry to be made as to whether this is traceabl? to preventive causes, such, for instance, as the alleged! deterioration of chloroform and other anaesthetics during conveyance by sea from the place of manufacture to the Dominion, or whether the -recent less of life under the administration of anafesthetics is due to any removable conditions." " VOLUNTEER WEEDS."

Mr Hogg has tabled a notice to ask the Acting-Minister of Defence whether his attention has been called to a public' •statement said to have been made at Christchurcli recently by Colonel 11. HDavies, one of the paid officers of tlu defence forces, to _ the effect that the volunteers of the Dominion were "weeds," and whether the Minister proposes to takeany action in t.hs ma't-cr in view of the unfounded nature of Colonel Daviesl allegation; and whether the Minister's attention has been drawn io the alleged public advocacy by Colonel Davie.? :of a question of Slate policy, Jiamclj, compulsory military training for the people, and whether the Minister. .intends to take any disciplinary action in the matter, seeing "that members of the defence forces are: forbidden by the regulations under the D-efencc Act- to take any . public parts in politicid agitation.