SIR JOHN HALL.

Auckland Star, Volume XXV, Issue 280, 26 September 1894, Page 8

SIR JOHN HALL.

■AN - INTERVIEW.

(BY TELEGBAPH.—PARLIAMENTARY REPORTER.) Wellington, this day. The cablegrams. and letters of apeoial correspondents for New Zealand journals have kepb us so much tn rapport with Sir John Hall's saying and doings in the Old Country that greater interest and importance has been attached' to his visib home than it perhaps merits. Of course, the Conservative party, of which he was so long an active and distinguished leader, and among his own people in Canterbury, whore he is bo well known, it is natural that the reception he met with in England, and the opinions he expressed there on New Zealand affairs should loom more largely than they do in the eyes of the people of this colony as a whole. There is one chief matter, however, on which every one must feel interested to know what Sir John has to say. that is the question of the female franchise. The prominent position he found himself placed in by the advocates of bheraovemenb in England, a position due to the leading part he had played here in bringing about the great change of last session, gave him exceptional opportunities of learning what, the feeling in the Old Country is with* regard to the extension of the franchise in New Zealand, and what chances there are of British statesmen followingour example. There are other questions on which the opinion of a man of. the experience, ability and position of Sir John, who has jusb had opportunities of studying them, which we have not, is worth noting. The views of veteran statesmen on these questions were courteously given by- him when interviewed yesterday. Sir John looked immensely better for his trip Home, and was in exeellenb spirits. WOMAN'S FRANCHISE IN ENG- • ■■■■. ' ■ LAND. ' ' ' ; The foremost "subjecb in one's mind on seeing him again was the female franchise, and thab was the one on which the interview opened. \ Sir John said that our doings lasb session in connection with the extension of the franchise had created a very greab interest throughout England, and had given a forward impulse to the movement for extending the franchise to ladies in England, Although he could.,. nob conceal from himself that the progress the movement was making in the Old Country was slow, despite the • widespread efforts of its advocates, yeb he is as sanguine as he was in the early days of the movemen :in New Zealand, thab success will come. There was a strong desire among those who are agitating for female suffrage in the Old Country to have it introtroduced into the Parliamentary Registration Bill, which was dealt with last session in the British Parliament, bub the Bill never gob very far, and no opportunity was afforded, ■.. •;■.■;■ ENGLISH OPINIONS ON KNEW ZEALAND FINANCE. We do nob expect from Sir John Hall, who while in1 the House was so hostile to, thepresentGovernmenband its works, much' in the way of praise of the policy set forth in the Budget and now being followed oub in Parliament, nor do we expect thab he should have endeavoured to listen to all the favourable criticism which was passed in the Old Country on that policy, and shut his ears to all thab was condemnatory. To expecb so much would be to expecb too much, bub I may say thab Sir John's presentation of the English opinion of the present Government was unexpectedly fair. The accounts of our Budgeb proposals which reached England before he lofb were only telegraphic, but the feeling they produced among those he came in contact with in London who are interested in colonial finance was one of uneasiness ; still he could nob say that the credit) of the colony had in any way been eeriously - injured. ' Ib 'is too firmly established to be easily shaken, he holds. , Ib appears, from whab Sir John says, that our cheap money proposals were nob clearly comprehended in London when he left, because of the meagre information to hand; still, he gathered that among financial people, with whose interests the proposal seemed likely to interfere, there was a feeling against ib. In the same way ib was nob possible to obtain a correct idea of the impression which the proposed issue of consols made, as it was nob thoroughly understood, and, with regard to this and other proposals in the Budget, sound financial judges reserved judgment ponding receipt of fuller information. Now thab he has had an opportunity himself of understanding the exacb nature of the proposals, he is decidedly of opinion thab they are not calculated to be beneficial to the credit of the colony. BANKING LEGISLATION. Banking legislation being in the air, the question naturally suggested itself how the actions of the Government in thab direction had been received in England. Brief telegraphic information of the step Parliamenb bad taken camo, ib appears, nob altogether unexpectedly on financial circles at Home, for a falling in the price of shares warned them that something was wrong. The general public, however, were. completely taken by surprise. At the time Sir John Hall left?, opinion was rather favourable thon otherwise to the sbep taken, although the precise nature of the step was nob known. Information which would reveal j;his was eagerly looked forward to, for, as Sir John says, there appeared to be involved the whole question of the extent to which the Government by its acbion had committed itself by granting help to other banking institutions when they were in difficulties. ■ ' ' ■ THE LOAN AND MERCANTILE. Speaking of the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Company, Sir John said he considered that ib was now out of deep water. He places :greafc confidence in those who are now at tho head of the Company, and considers that now thab liabilities are all consolidated, with care and prudence the businees should go ahead. One of the board of directors and a gentleman who is an experb in these matters, will shortly vieib New Zealand and thoroughly investigate fcho Company's business. ■,: The question of whether the new Company should bear the costs of the late proceedings was not decided before Sir John left for New Zealand, the law vacation having interfered with further consideration of the matter. The new directors considered that the suggestion of the judge was nob fair, and could nob benefib the Company, Sir John spoke on several other matters connected with the colony, bub his remarks need nob be specially referred to here.