POLITICAL NOTES. THE LATE MR. ROLLESTON.

Evening Post, Volume LXX, Issue 17, 20 July 1905, Page 5

POLITICAL NOTES. THE LATE MR. ROLLESTON.

The Government was recently asked by Mr. Fisher if it -would establish some fitbing memoria 1 to the memory of the late Hon. W. Rolleston, as was done in respect to the late Hon. John Ballance and Sir John M'Kenzie. Referring to this matter the Premier said yesterday that whatever was done by Government in respect to those two cases would be followed in connection with the late Mr. Rolleston, whose public services to the colony were well worthy of recognition. OVERSEA FREIGHTS. The subject of oversea, freights has been i brought under the notice of the Government by Mr. Bedford, who asked whether, notwithstanding the Government sub-sidy to the Federal Steamship Company, New Zealand exporters of_ rabbits to Great Britain ha,ve to pay alorty-shUliug freight per ton as against a twenty-shilling freight payable by Australian exporters; and if so, why? The reply given by the Minister for Railways was as follows: — Undei' the contract for a -steam servico to and from the west coast ports of the United Kingdom, for wjiicb the New Zealand and African' Steamship Company receive no subsidy, the company are entitled to charge freight on frozen rabbits at the rate of £2 10s per ton of 40 cubic feet, which was the. current rate between New Zealand potts and London at the time the contract was negotiated. To foster the trade the company voluntarily reduced the rate to £2 per ton of 40 cubic feet, which is the current rate from Australia, to London. Recently the Orient Company, as a. retaliatory measure, reduced the freight on rabbits to £1 per ton of 40 cubic feet; but ibis not a permanent or a general reduction. Rabbits and butter are the only two lines of New Zealand produce exported to the United Kingdom on which, we enjoy the isame rale of freight as our Australian neighbours and competitors. This equality of opportunity is due to the voluntary reductions of the New Zealand and African Steamship Company. * SECONDARY EDUCATION. It was recently urged on the Minister for Education by Mr. Arnold that* the age limit should be abolished, and the high schools thrown open to any child who passed the sixth standard. Tn' reply the Premier yesterday informed the member for Dunedin that there is no age limit except for such as are holders of free places, and he added that the effect of recent legislation had been lo admit 1400 or more pupils to free places who before would have had to pay for secondary education or to have gone without it. He did not consider that a secondary [ school should be compelled to admit any free pupil over the age of fifteen. Mr. T. Mackenzie said the holders of free I places were the very cases alluded to by Mr. Arnold, and he urged 1 that the age limit was a serious disqualification for children attending country schools. SCENERY PRESERVATION. The preservation of the native forests on the hillside beyond the Belmont railway station and the beautiful bush near the Kaitoke railway station is, says the Minister for Lands, being dealt with by the Scenery Preservation Commissioners, and the Commissioner of Crown Lands will co-operate with the Commissioners j in taking any steps necessary to preserve bush where they thinkjt desirable. TRUSTS AND THE GOVERNMENT J "There is no doubt an invasion of the colonial market by American trusts," said the Premier yesterday in answer to Mr. Arnold, and bo added that a Bill had been prepared, and "when the time foi action arises Parliament will be in a position to deal with the problem." "What has caused the invasion?" asked j the Leader' of the Opposition. Government is responsible," he declared, in answer to his own question, arid he j proceeded to read extracts from the prospectus -of" the International Exhibitiori to be held at Chnstchurch, in which an invitation was extended to the manufacturers of America, England, and Europe to exploit the New Zealand market. He was informed, and he believed correctly, that fifty thousand copies of that prospectus had been forwarded to the principal manufacturers in those countries, and he'said there was no doubt that they would be quite ready to accept the in.vitation. If within a. few years we found our markets flooded with cheap manufactures from those countries it would be because the invitation of the Government had been accepted. That was the position, and it was as well that the people of the country should know it. WHERE THE MONEY GOES. Another "book transaction" has been unearthed by Mr. Herdman, who recently gave notice to ask the Government — (1) If it is the case that a sum of £250 was paid to Mr. Ro. Carrick for a publication entitled "Historical Records of New Zealand South" ; (2) whether it is the case that such publication is full of inaccuracies, and, as a historical record, is absolutely worthless; (3) whether it is true that the Government, after paying for the production of this book, took steps to stop its circulation ; and (4) have the Government any copies of this publication in stock, if so, to what use' do they - propose putting them? The i reply given yesterday! by the Premier was as follows: — (1) Yes; £180 was paid to Mr. Carrick and £70 to the Otago Daily Times for printing the book. The work was put in hand at the request of members of the House, and the amount waa voted on the estimates. (2) No such representations have been made to the Government. (3) No. (4) Yes ; there are some 160 copies still on hand, and these are available for purchase by those who desire to obtain them. "That's where our money goes," remarked Mr. Herdman in discussing the reply, and after giving chapter and ver&e for some of the inaccuracies in the publication referred to. This, he added, was not an isolated instance. There was the book written by an American Colonel, and "Maori Lore," and others, and while the people in the country were crying out ,for roads and bridges the moneys of the Crown should nob be wasted in this way. Dealing with the &amo subject, the Leader of the Opposition &aid the Government purchased the book at the request of certain members of Parliament. He asked the Government to | tell the House the names of those members who used political influence in that direction. The Government did not r6l ' J ' GROSS FAVOURITISM. Over £20,000 per annum is, according to the Leader of the Opposition, spent by the Government in adveri.is.ing, and in speaking on the subject yesterday he charged the Government with exhibiting gross favouritism in connection with that expenditure. He knew as a positivo fact, he said, that newspapers are being started at the present time— one of them at Whangarei—on the understanding that they would be supported by receiving Government advertising, although without it they could not possibly be commercially successful. "1 make a distinct, definite charge that gross favouritism goes on in connection with the Government advertising," added Mr. Massey, and ho declared that if the return of the cost for 1904, ordered last fcc&sion, was not presented within the next few weeks, he should u&e the forms of the House in every possible way lo insist upon it being furnished. The Government did not make jny reply lo Mr. Massey's . charge.