POLITICAL.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8172, 2 July 1906, Page 6

POLITICAL.

THE RECORD SHORT SESSION

The session which closed on Fri- j day .night was a :ecord-maker. Tho snu:ll number of speakers was are cord, not one division us taken, and the time occupied in doing tho business was the shortest of any neafiion. The first session of 1897 (which was hold for tho purpose of enabling Mr Seddon to attend Quoen Victoria's record reign celebrations), liit;tod live days, and the lust session of 1891, on tho ovu of Mr Uallunce iovnuug his ministry, extended ovor eight days, an Brains'; throe days occupied by the iirat session of 1900.

CIVIL LIST,

Tho civil list presented to Parliament on Friday lust shows that the salary and allowances disbursed to tho Governor for the year ended 31st March amounted to £7,000. tho Chief Justice's to £'2,163 Ms 2:3, tho saluries and allowances of the other Judges (five in number) to £9,829 l(is8d; the Premier £1,(300, Sir J. G. Ward £1,300, ihe Native Minister (the Hon,, James Carroll) £1,200, tho Minister of Public Works £1,200, the Minister of Justice aud Mines £1,200, the Minieter of Lands £12,00, and the Commiaßioner of Trade and Customs £I,OOO, the Attorney-General £1,200. The "second division" (pensioners, etc ) accounted for £10,049 8s 2d, a total of £38,942 395. The Premier, Sir Joseph Ward, and the lion. O. H. Mills reside in Ministerial residences, and therefore do not receive the £2OO a year house allowance made to the other Ministers.

UNAUTHORISED EXPENDITURE.

The return of unauthorised expenditure presented to Parliament on Friday shows that the total sum so disbursed amounted to £104,884. Several of the items hare more than a passing inteiest attaching to them. The Wnltham Orphanage enquiry, for instance, cost £540, the New Zealand football tenm 1 s passages from England and sundry expenses £1,963 17a lid, Mr T E, Donne's visit to America and Europe £367, 6nd the official enquiry iuto the aondua* of the postal officials connected with the voucher incident £154 19s 7d. The Electoral Department absorbed £16,812. A sum of £3,120 17s 6d is jet down for refund of Customs duties collected in New Zealand on loads shipped duty-paid to the Cook Islands and Niue. The following are also included in the return:—Grant to North Wairarapa Benevolent Society for furnishing and water supply for the Old People's Home, Masterfon, £350; compensation to widow and dependents of the late W. J. Oooper, shot while marking at the Grassmere rifle range, £300; expenses connected with the extradition of Peter McSbane from, London, £72 6s; expenditure connected with establishment of workmen's homes, £452 15s 8d; purchase of Laroaah's Castle, £3,014 3s 6d; purchase of steamer Titiroa, £450; loan to Actea District Maori Land board, £1,000; payment for roading the Ohutu (Wanganui) and other blocks £2,013 Is Bd.