PARLIAMENTARY NOTES.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XLIX, Issue 12547, 10 July 1905, Page 7

PARLIAMENTARY NOTES.

(By Telegraph.)

(13y Our Special Parliamentary

Keporter)

WELLINGTON, July 7

Tlk« return of cargo by the New Zealand and African Steamship Company from New Zealand to the West Coast ports of the United Kingdom gives the values as follows:—To Liverpool £317.----803, Glasgow £99,271. Bristol £70,521, Cardiff £23,505, Barry £7894, Manchester £21,385; total, £540,379.

Tho Old Ago Pensions Act Amendment Bill provides, in addition to the provisions alreadyiwy'ed, that "in computing tho amount of the pension of a hnsliani or wife, the net capital value of the accumulated property of each shall bo deemed to bo hall the total net capital value of all the accumulated property or both. Tho- Railways Superannuation Fund shews the income for the past year from all sources, including £40,357 brought forward, to be £86,202, and the sum of £17,532 was paid in superannuation allowances, leaving a balance to credit of £68,670. MARKING TiME. Tho afternoon was devoted largely to marking time. It was to have been demoted to the old age pensions, on which everyone seems determined, for some reason which is not expressed anywhere, but makes the air sulphurous, to have a field day. But fate, hi the shape of the Shops Bill Committee, willed it otherwise.- The committee wanted permission to sit on I'- • round that the evidence is piling up at such a rate that unless entn provision o': time is made by the House the time allotted will be exceeded. The reason rather impressed the House as a sign of determination to do business. "Would that it were so always in all lines," said everybody, but there was a lion in tho path. Nobody could be absent during the old age fight. The men said it looked as if they were, absorbing tho prevailing surplus. The Premier, coming to the rescue, offered to postpone' old age till after dinner. That solved tho situation. Tho committee was allowed to sit, and the House marked time. Hero it is proper to mention that the Land Commission got further extension today till Tuesday afternoon for the report, which is now understood to be in the throes of parturition. The witty took the opportunity to get off jokes about the labouring mountain and the ridiculous mouse. It was not original, but it was supposed to bo appropriate. This expense is understood to be for the report only, 'and there is of course to be no more evidence. I saw some woe begone persons walking away from the new Custom-house, where the Commission is sitting. They had knocked at the door under the impressl.m that the Commission is a vesel into which taps of evidence can be turned at any time from any barrel. They all said the Commission way ?. farce, but they impressed no one. After dinner old as© carna on in tho midst of overflowing galleries. The trouble is that certain persons calling themselves tho Young .New Zealand Party, have formed a new combination with the Opposition prope/- The combination is like other combinations one has heard of in this Parliament—a temporary expedient. Like all of them, it is sulphurous. The bond of union is a determination to make the old age pension universal. The Premier counted the service by appraising it at half a million sterling and good times at that. What, he asked, would it be when the slump comes? It appears that even the King finds tho garden variety of slump useful at a pinch, but the new combination was not Pinched, and supper came without any iP^R.? 1' development of sulphurism. As Wo*-House filed out the inexperienced talked "no confidence.": It sounded 4R P pathetic.Comment that nobody f^^T t0 have., confidence in. They talked at this <unexpr©ssed sentiment feeing the length of threatening; "all night sitting." No digestion suffered in consequence) after supper. - •-■