Fertilisers Act, the object of which was to prevent loss to farmers by the sale of fraudulent fertilisers. The most contentious measure of the session of 1906, which opened, as usual, in July, was the Railways Act, its principal object being to hold the ratepayers of a benefited area responsible for all losses in working a newly-constructed railway. It empowers the local authority to levy a railway rate to make good the deficiency, if any, after providing for working expenses and interest at the rate of three per cent. on capital expended on the line. If the local authority fails to levy and collect the railway rate, the Commissioner is empowered to do so. An important principle of the Act requires, when lands in a benefited area are being valued for rating purposes, that to the capital value shall be added the enhancement through the railway facilities provided. The object of the Act is undoubtedly good, in so far as it discourages landowners from agitating and bringing political pressure upon the Government in favour of railway undertakings not justified by the prospective traffic. It was supposed that persons desiring a new railway would hesitate to guarantee the Government against loss through its construction, but the applications for new lines have not been less numerous since the passing of the Act than when the burden fell entirely upon the general taxpayer. Yet there can be no doubt that many unwarranted undertakings have been quashed by the liability imposed upon local landowners. During the session there were thirty-four Acts passed, among them one for the protection of opossums, native bears, and other wild animals specified in the schedule, by the proclamation of a close season, and the prohibition of the use of cyanide as poison by collectors of skins for export. The Mining Machinery Advances Act empowered the Minister to advance loans from moneys appropriated by Parliament to persons or companies erecting machinery for carrying on mining operations or treating metalliferous ores, such loans to be made on the basis of L1 for L1 of money expended by the applicant. A comprehensive Weights and Measures Act also became law. Another useful measure was the amending Public Works Land Resumption Act, the compensation provisions being greatly improved. The Etheridge Railway Act also passed in this session despite the objection of several members of the Labour party to "syndicate" lines. The opposition of these members, however, was not characterised by the obstructive tactics adopted in regard to similar measures in 1908. [Footnote a: See page 50, ante.] THE SIXTEENTH PARLIAMENT: 23rd July to 31st December, 1907.