LOBBY GOSSIP AND NEWS.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXVII, Issue 38, 20 September 1900, Page 20

LOBBY GOSSIP AND NEWS.

In his annual report on hospitals and charitable institutions Dr. Macgregor says :— ' The question of making provibion for, incurables is becoming of pressing importance. In the new Local Government Bill provision should be made for a special auxiliary building connected with the hospitals in each of the four large centres for ca6es of this description. This would, I think, be the cheapest and most satisfactory way of solving this problem, for there seems to be no tendency among the existing local bodies to combine to deal with this difficulty in any comprehensive way. Ah a measure of temporary relief, Mother Mary Joseph Aubert, under the auspices of the Catholic Church, has provided a suitable house, with 10 beds, near Sussex square, in this city. Before commencing the consideration of the postal and telegraph class of the Estimates on Wednesday, Mr. Ward informed the House that a special opportunity would be given later on for the discussion on the San Francisco mail service. He also stated that it was net intended to renew the contract on the present terms, but simply to pay the ordinary mail rates without giving any fixed tenure.

The Premier informed the House on Wednesday that Mr. Reid. Solicitor-General, would retire at the end of the session, and that his place would be taken by Dr. Fitchett.

A Bill has been introduced by the Minister for LanJs to prevent certain abuses in convection with auction sales of land and live stock. It provides that it Khali be the duty of the auctioneer when offering land or stock for sale by auction to distinctly name the vendor aud also the last bidder, whether a sale takes place or not.

A return presented to Parliament during the week Bhows that the following amounts have been paid by the Government to the manager St. Mary's Industrial School : From August. IS'.H, to August, 18D9, £1447 7a; from August, lS'.t'J, to August, I'JOO, JCIKJ.S. It is Btated in a note that St. Mary'u Industrial School consists of three parts — namely : (1) For girls at Nelson, (2) for young boys at Nelson, (.3) for the remaining boys at Stoke. The above figures are in respect of all boys paid for by the Government at St. Mary's Industrial School. Separate records are not kept of the number of boys paid for by the Government at Stoke and Nelson respectively, the two institutions being part of one industrial school under the same manager.

The souls of Messrs. T Mackenzie and Monk are sorely troubled because the presentment of the Queen's head has been taken off the postage stamps. They consider that the Queen's head on our stamps would be a standing- testimony of our loyalty. But what about tne disloyal po-it offije official who daubs her Maje-ity's picture every time he stamps a letter .' The Postmaster-General informed the House during the week that the Government were getting Sir

Edward Poynter, the president of the Royal Academy, to design the nev stamp, and he had been asked to make it emblematical of New Zealand diffusing the benefits of reduced postage throughout the worli. New Zealand was the first country in the world to confer upon the people the benefits of universal penny postage. Sir Fid ward Poynter was one of the most eminent designers in the world, and the engraving would be done by one of the principal engraying firms in London, so that the new stamp would be a credit to New Zealand in every way. Immediately after deciding on this matter, in order to have the stamps ready for the Ist January, the Cj~verH'T»it hid "ibM for a million ntamrts according to thin design. As to putting a presentment of the Queen's head as a design. all he would «ay \va« that he hoped our loyalty was not to be judged by the designs on our postage btamps, 'The emblematical design would not detract from our loyalty, but would give a clear indioation of what we desire to do in so far as this great change was concerned.