HARNESSING UP.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIII, Issue 182, 31 July 1912, Page 9

HARNESSING UP.

feOVEBNMEWT PROGRAMME.

HOW DOES THE LAND LIE? A POSSIBLE MOVE. {By Telegraph. — Parliamentary Report.r.) WELLINGTON", Tuesday. The new Ministry arc busy in preparation for the work of the session, Cabinet bring in clo?e conclave each afternoon and evening. The Financial Statement to lie brought down nest week will, it is broadly 'hinted in 'semiofficial quarters, contain proposals which -will answer the .assertions tha.t the Massey Government and Liberal progressivene_.s cannot be treated as interchangeable terms. Meanwhile members of Cabinet are exceedingly reticent as to what the pudding will or will not contain, while what members have jet foregathered display no great interest, for the general opinion, rightly or wrongly, seems to be that the Budget will not be the occasion of any serious challenge. In other words, it is assumed tha.t the immediate policy of the Government will be so proved as to avoid as many quicksands and shoals as the wisdom and experience of Cabinet i can locate, and that, while annunciating a general programme along progressive lines, the doo,r will be left sufficiently •wide to enable the greater part of any contentious proposals ..-.slip- through into next session. Allowing such to be the case, there promises to be plenty of work meantime to keep the country's representatives in Wellington for a reasonable session, for, in addition to the probability of a good bunch of private members' bills, including such controversial subjects as licensing and racing permits, the Government have already a round dozen of measures ready for launching, while a number of others are iri preparation. Chief curiosity centres around the land legislation likely to be introduced. The Prime Minister has sta.ted more or less definitely that, although a Land Bill] will be brought down, there will be no attempt to deal comprehensively at this juncture with this very complex and interesting question- It is. nevertheless, anticipated in some quarters that he will not be content with a mere glance of the subject this session, but will make a bold bid for the support of liberal votes by bringing down a proposal to dip yet deeper into the big estates through a system of graduated land tax. It. is well known that the Premier's personal sympathies are all with the small settler as against the man of large and comparatively unproductive areas, but just in which direction, or how far he is prepared at the present time to go. are matters that thoughtful Parliamentarians are awaiting with i keen interest. Tha new Government proposals with repaid to the endowment lands of the Dominion are another phase of the land question which is commanding no little attention. Some pronounced opinions ' have been uttered by members of the Government party on the endowment side of the land problem, and it is freely rumoured that the present Government will probably make an effort to transfer a greater part of the State endowments from rural to city property. It is considers! hardly likely, however, that a proposal of so controversial a nature will be (introduced this year. THE VACANT PORTFOLIO. Now that the lobbies are being peopled again, speculation is reviving on the choice for tenth member of Cabinet. Whether the Ministry have decided on their additional colleague has not yet transpired, but lobby opinion points with glorious insistency to the member _o;r Stratford as the probable one for the honour. Mr. I!im- possesses a bg store of restless energy for work and , enthusiasm for the rights of the backblocks settler, while his courage and, irrepressibility in the fare of odds have done much to advertise the claims of his party in their struggle to the front row in politics. There is, in short, an increasing feeling among a large section of members that the vacant portfolio belongs to Taranaki, and that the member for Stratford will be the chosen aspirant. IX the rorxciT.. Among the rumours that are getting I current in guarded circles is one that j ■the Government contemplates appointing a member of the Legislative Council as coadjutor or assistant to the Leader! of the Upper Chamber. and the Councillor whose name is being mentioned as the probable appointee is the Hon. J- E. Jenkinson.