POLITICAL NOTES.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 4766, 5 October 1893, Page 1

POLITICAL NOTES.

[FROM OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT. I WELLINGTON, Oct. 4. • MIDLAND BAILWAT. Mr Wilson has not yet received a reply to hw telegram from the Directors of the Midland Eailway CotnDany in London. He informs me that* he will probably leave for England about the beginning of November, but that his movements will, to some extent, depend upon the nature of the reply he receives from London. In any case, he does not expect in the meantime to be in a position to proceed with railway works or to invite tenders for the same. All depends npon whether the Company is able to raise fresh capital on the strength of the resolution arrived at by Parliament, and he is not over sanguine on the subject. A SUMMER SESBION. There has been some talk in the lobbies about the probability of a summer session of Parliament, almost immediately after the 'general election. These speculations, I -may say, proceed from the that the result of the coming elections will be to leave the present Ministry in a minority. Such anticipations, it is almost needless to fay, are altogether premature. It is of course within the range of possibility that Mr Rollesfcon and Sir E. Stout may have between them a following more than equal to that of the Seddon party, but that would not create a situation demanding; a special session. Another reason assigned is the necessity for legislation on the subject of control of the Government railways. In this case, as in the other, the wish is probably father to the thought, and the talk of a "summer eestdon" comes from those who would like for some reason or other to have such a session held. workmen's wages. There was anew and important amendment introduced by the conference ' on the Workmen's Wagea Bill. The Council representatives were insisting upon, the amendments made by that chamber, and the Minister for Labour, though disposed to yield the point, as the amendments were< immaterial, stood out for some concession. He, therefore, opposed the amendment to Clause 3, so aB to make it obligatory upon all employers to pay wages weekly, whether the workmen demanded them or not, unless there wa3 a written agreement to foe contrary. This was accepted by the Council Managers, and the Bill now embodies ihe principle of compulsory payment of workmen's wages at intervals of not longer than one week. EDUCATION ACT AMENDMENT BILL. Advantage was taken of an interval in the business this evening to attempt to press through this measure, which provides for dealing with truancy. The Bill got very successfully through Committee to the last stage, when an amendment was skilfully introduced by Mr fisher, raising the question of permitting pupils at all schools to compete for Education Board scholarships. A | very animated, not to say acrimonous, debate followed, and after two hours the Premier found it necessary to move to report progress, in order that the remaining 1 buamessmight not be blocked. The necessity for this was so obvious to the House that the motion to report progress was carried on the voices. The Bill is not necessarily abandoned, but will be proceeded with when an opportunity offers. BUPPLEMENTAET ESTIMATES. The Supplementary Estimates wero ; i brought down late in the evening. They ! I provide for an expenditure of .£51,281 for ! \ services chargeable under the Consolidated Fund, and£17,392 for services chargeable on ! the Public Trust Office expenses accounts, j The unauthorised expenditure of lastyear is j stated at £4598, while the sums irrecover- : able by the Crown and required to be | j written off the department's accounts . are | £167. The chief voteß of interest are ! £7000 for additional expenses of the general election, £500 for additional expenses i connected with agricultural statistics, ! £300 for analysts under the Adulteration Prevention Acts, £250 additional for the New Zealand Institute, £310 for the ex- j pen sea of the public funeral of the late Pro- j mier ; payment to W. L. Fowler for sheep de=ttoyed in 1886,' £221; allowauce to the j Agent-General for expenses of removal | from New Zealand to London, £500 j in- j troduction of salmon ova (liabilities in- j curred), £180; co3t of Kauri Gum j Industry Inquiry Commission, £600; grant -in -aid to the Fire Brigades' annual demonstration, £250 ; railway passes for members of Fire Brigades attending last year's demonstration, £117; bonus to flax industry, £2000; bonus for wire netting, £100; payment of honorarium to twelve members of the Legislative Council from the date of their appointment, £850; grant to the widow and daughter of the late John Ballance, £3000; expenses of the Royal Commission appointed to inquire" into the. charges made by G. W. Ell, £320 ; in foil settlement of all claims, of Ell, £200; refund of amount paid as fees, Kaihau Trust Money Act, 1892, £25 ; gratuity to the widow of W. H. Bevell, late Besident Magistrate and Warden at Lawrence, £200 ; refund of annual license fee paid in error by the British and New Zealand Mortgage and Agency Company £200, conference of School Inspectors, £225, Assistant Medical Officer Christchurch Lunatic Asylum, £250; grant for female refuge work, £1500; Female Inspector of Factories (six months), £80. Working railways — Hurunui- Bluff section, gratuities allowed to railway employees or their widows and othera, Harry Salt, £100; Catherine Hislop, £100; Mary Burke, £160; James Harvey, £3p; M. J. Eobins, £30. Law costs, Scott v. Eitchie, £204. Compensation to the widow and children of the late Bowland Maurice, for loss of land in Canterbury, £180; valuation for improvements on termination of Hearn and Kennedy's lease of lands taken for the State, £350; Middle Island Native surveys, £1500; Bubsidy towards the purchase of the Canterbury Agricultural and Pastoral Society's old show grounds, Sydenham, £ for £ to bu paid by the Sydenham Borough Council, £2000; Stats farm, £2000; contribution towards the erection of the Pukaki bridge, Canterbury, £600. Under the unauthorised expenditure account for 1892 are £110 for compassionate allowance to the widow of W. Wilson, Inspector of Defence Works, Lyttelton, and £256 advanced to the Waitaki County as further compensation for loss sustained or damage done in connection with the proclamation of thi^Marawhenua river as a sludge channel for the deposit o£ tailings under the Mining Act, 1886. JOTTINGS. The work of the session has told very much on the health of members, and in their enfeebled condition a number caught colds during the storm of Friday last. Mr Saudford got up this afternoon to say a few words in favour of Mr Eeeves' atti« tude regarding the Conciliation and Arbitration Bill, but he was almost inaudible on account of hoarseness. The session is expected to close on Thursday night or Friday morning, and members will probably go south by Friday's steamer. Mr Rolleaton this afternoon had a fling at leading Liberals, whom he warmly denounced as designing politicians. Mr Hogg (who spoke immediately afterwards) said the leader of the Opposition had not been correct in his description. The designing politicians were those who had robbed the Colony 'of its lands. In laying a return of railway employees before the House this afternoon, the 'Premier remarked that the information

waa not exactly in the form BBked. for by the House. "It never is, from that quarter," said Mr . Tanner, whereupon another labour member gave an approving "Hear, hear," while the Oppositionists pretended to be shocked. . There wag a little breeze this afternoon during the debate on the Conciliation Bill. Mr Taylor, being interrupted in his remarks by Mr Buckland, gave a sharp retort, reminding the House that the member for Manukau would soon be in private life. Mr Buckland hurled bask the exclamation, " I'm glad you'll not be much longer here ; you're a disgrace to th* Colony." The Premier asked that these words be withdrawn, but Mr Taylor Baid, " Oh; not at all ; it's a compliment, coming from that quarter." A return laid on tbe table of the House shows the number of employees of all claases in the Government railway workshops, except foremen and leading hands, to be 648. The number discharged during the past year was 87, and in addition 32 men died, resigned or left the service.

. [Pbb Pbjbss Association.! AUCKLAND, Oct. 4. A meeting of the Bootmakers* Union passed a resolution viewing with deep indignation the action of the Legislative Council in throwing out the Arbitration Bill forwarded to the Minister for Labour.