THE WEEK.

Auckland Star, Volume XL, Issue 253, 23 October 1909, Page 8

THE WEEK.

iaSPERIAX.. The battle of the Budget proceeds merrily in Britain, and at present the House of Comrrons i≤ engaged in adding amendicents to the various clauses as promised ■Rjen -he Committee stage was in progress. Lord Milner, speaking at Baling, declared that the right of the House of i-«rd= to reject a money bill was unquestionable, and doubly questionable when i; contained matter which property should be included in separate enactments. The Lords would be guided by ihe Marquis of Lansdowne's advice. The worst feature of the Budget was its intention to side-traffic tariff reform. Lieut. C. W. Bellairs, M.P., for King's Lynn, explains that he has joined the Unionists, a~ iree-trade has broken down. He urges the adoption of a low tariff, and condemns the Government's reckless socialism. Mr. lieir Hardie, M.P.. speaking at Siinder'.and, expressed the hope that it v.«~ net true that the King was intervening in the Budget dispute. Mr. Keir ILird:e added: "So lorur as the King rvrnoin? cutside party politics he can be tolerated. The moment the Throne be£nn? to interfere the Crown will follow t-he peer?' eoron-et into the melting pot." Mr. Winston Churchill I President of the Board of Trade), speaking at Dundee, and dealing with the naval expenditure proposed in the Budget, referred to the iaise sham and lying panic that had been started in the party interests of the Conservatives. Mr. Churchill "* We are not to be driven by the whidy agitation of ignorant, excited hotheads into wasting public money upon armaments o imseale clearly not designed merely for the purposes of material defence, bat as part of a showy, sensational, aggressive jingo policy." In connection with the Rural Labourers' League's presentation to Mr. Jesse M.P., ofr his services in the cause of the peasant proprietary, Mr. Joseph Chamberlain has written a letter declaring that while tariff reform will

prove the salvation of the inhabitants of the towns, the creation of a peasant proprietorship i≤ necessary for agricultural labourers. Mr. Collings wrote that jns;ead of shipping overseas cargoes of men and women, steps should be taken to colonise rural England. This policy is Tb« natural barrier against Socialism, hence the Socialists' determined opposition to land ownership. Since -Mr. Balfour'a Birmingham speech Opposition speakers and newspapers are continually advocating the creation of a large class cf proprietors of small holdings by means of land banks or methods similar to those adopted in Ireland. FOREIGN. The execution of Senor Ferrer, alleged to be the unseen power behind the Barcelona riots, caused intense indignation in Europe. Violent scenes were witnessed in the Spanish Parliament, the Government being furiously denounced for its policy during the Barcelona riots, and for its conduct of the Riff campaign, the protests eventually resulting in the resignation of Cabinet. In Italy, France, Germany. Holland and England the Socialists lield meetings of protest. At a meeting in Trafalgar Square, Mr. Victor Grayson, M.P.. in a violent speech, advocated a life for a life. He declared that if the heads of every King in Europe were torn from their trunks to-morrow, it would not pay half the price of Ferrer's life. Great celebrations were held throughout the United States on Wednesday in commemoration of the re-building of San Francisco, on which the sum of two hundred million dollars has been spent. The festivities in the city, which will last five days, were opened by a great banquet, at which President, Taft was tiu; guest of honour. Twenty-five nations are represented at the festivities. Greece is now in the throes of a grave political crisis. The Military Xeague, •which declares it is not anti-dynastic, but merely seeks to reform the administration of the country, has practically assumed control of the country, and Parliament is passing bills at its dictation undiscussed, none of the party leaders caring to. This policy of silence has continued! notwithstanding an order from the League to the Chamber to talk upon the measures. Jack Johnson i≤ still the boxing champion of the world, having knocked out Ketchel in the twefth -round in San Francisco on Saturday. Jeffries is on his way back to New York to train for his fight with the negro, while Burns is out with a challenge. TS THE COMMONWEALTH. The most notable feature of the week in the Commonwealth was the defeat of th«? Tasmanian Government on a censure morion, proposed by Mr. Earl, the Labour leader, who subsequently formed a Ministry. An attempt i≤ now being made to consolidate the anti-Socialist parties, which, if successful, will mean the immediate defeat of the Labour Uinistry. The Empire match in connection with tie X-ational Rifle Association's meeting ■was concluded at Sydney on Wednesday, the Commonwealth putting up a grand total of 20SS to Neiv Zealand's 195SLord Kitchener is to arrive in the Commonwealth, at Port Darwin, on December 21. After inspecting the defences at Thursday Island, Lord Kitchener will visit the different States of the Commonwealth in succession, arriving in Melbourne in -January. Subsequently he will go to South Australia, West Australia, and Tasmania; and then prepare a report for the consideration of the Commonwea'th and Imperial authorities. The report will deal with organisation, equipment, and the technical administration of the forces, but will not touch en policy. TSS DOMINION. Parliament during the week was largely occupied with the debate on the Address-in-Reply to the Governors Speech, which was, as is customary. utilised for the ventilation of various matters possibly of great importance to members and their constituencies, but of little general interest. The more solid werk of the session has now been entered upon- On Wednesday night the House of Representatives discussed at some length Mr. Sidey's Local Time Bill, which is based on tie Daylight Saving Bill, introduced in the British House of Commons, and proposes to put time forward one hour in spring and back again in autumn. The Prime Minister s-aid hp was disposed to think that there was a sreat deal in the bill, and the discussion

on it would be beneficial. The proposals were well worth consideration from tie point or view of caving 'right, and would be of advantage bo all classes. He considered it only a matter of time before the proposals contained in the bill would be in force all over the world. "Various other members were favourably disposed toward the measure, which was read a. second time and referred to a select comtrttee. The Isjpclaxive Amendment!

Bill, introduced by Mr. F. M. B. Fisher (Wellington), gave rise to a lengthy debate. The bill proposes to repeal the Second Ballot Act, 1908, and grant a. preferential power to the elector, a power which he must exercise if he votes. Should an elector have to decide as to the merits of four candidates, he must indicate by figures—l, 2, 3, 4 (or as many consecutive figures there are candidates) —his order of preference. Having done that, the elector's work | is finished. The votes are then counted by the returning officer. The elector's first preference vote is multiplied by the number of candidates, so it cannoc be urged that each of his preferences is of equal value. Mr. Fisher said that the adoption of euch a system of voting would mean taking a second ballot along with the first, and would obviate the trouble and confusion attendant on the Second Ballot Act. at present in force. Mr. Massey supported the bill warmly, if only, as he said, to repeal the Second Ballot Act, but on the other hand the measure met with a good deal of opposition, and the Hon. Geo. Fowlds pointed out that Mr. Fisher's bill rendered it possible for the candidate having the lowest number of vows to be elected. The debate was continued till an early hour in the morning, and then a motion for adjournment was carried, despite strong protest from the Opposition benches.

There appears to be some prospect of the San Francisco mail service being reinstated. In reply to a question in the House of Representatives, Sir Joseph Ward stated that he was seriously considering all aspects of the question, and -was negotiating for a mail service by that route.

The "Financial Isews" declares that the New Zealand Government's announcement that in future it will not construct railways which are unlikely to pay is an eminently sensible pronouncement, and quite characteristic of the new spirit which is apparent in colonial administration generally.

Marion Greville, a married woman, 61 years of age, committed suicide at Parnell on Tuesday morning. Deceased, who had been residing with her sister, Mrs. Saunders, in Moore's-avenue. seemed to be in her usual health and spirits at breakfast time, but was found some 20 minutes later hanging in one of the outhouses, with a clothesline round her neck and over one of the rafters. The body was cut down immediately, but life was exinct. Mrs. Greville had been in excellent health, but had been worried considerably by the disappearance of her husband, who had. not communicated with her since he left Auckland seven weeks ago. A fatal fire occurred at Napier early on Thursday morning, the victim being Thomas Ker, a single man, aged about 30. The fire occurred at "Westcourt," a large boarding-house formerly known as the Occidental Hotel, which lost its license when'reduction was carried nine years ago. The proprietor of the house roused the inmates, and it was thought all had escaped. When the fire was got under, however, Ker's body was found on the floor of his bedroom. He had apparently been overcome by smoke. Ker was well known in rowing circles, and was a native of Christchuxcb. At 1.30 o'clock on Friday morning the Commercial Hotel at Xormanby, a two-storied building of 13 rooms, was burnt to the ground. Thomas Gred!«y, a labourer, aged 33, was burnt to death. His remains, mere cinders, were found amongst the debris. A sensation was caused in Christchurch on Monday night by the murder of a servant girl named Alice Edith Xevrman, who was shot three times by a man with whom she was previously heard quarrelling. Subsequently this man. whose name is Arthur John Wilson Roberts, a native of Scotland, who came to New Zealand, via Australia, was arrested at Prebbleton, a few miles from Christchurch. Jealousy appears to have been the cause of the crime. The girl was talking to Roberts and a boarder named Warwick at the house where she -worked, and just after she left them Warwick heard three revolver shots fired. He ran to the door, and it was opened by the girl, who ran into his room, bleeding from her mouth and face. He rushed out, calling "Murder!" and "Police!" and secured the help of a constable, who brought Dr. Thomas. The latter pronounced life extinct.