THE WEEK.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIV, Issue 183, 2 August 1913, Page 8

THE WEEK.

THE DOMINION. ■Members of the (Legislative Council have, during the week, been debating the Legislative Council Eeform Bill, by which it is proposed to substitute for the present nominated body a revising chamber elected by the people. Very diverse views were expressed by members, and the Hon. O. Samuels proposed, as an amendment to the motion for second reading, the appointment of a committee with a view to suggesting amendments or alterations in the constitution of the Council, and report in three weeks. The proposal was seconded by the 'Hon. J. D. Onnond, and was not objected to by the Minister in charge of the bill, who, however, declined to accept it as an amendment to the motion for second reading. Sir Joseph Ward, wko has been on an extended visit to the Cfld Country, returned to Auckland by the Kiagara yesterday, and he was accorded an enthujsiaetic welcome home at an informal, j but representative, gathering at the Star I Hotel. Replying to speeches of welj come, and particularly to a general sug|gestion that he should again ae- ] cept the leadership of the LibeI ral party, Sir Joseph said he would be wanting in a sense of selfrespect if lie did not acknowledge gratefully the communications received by wire, and thp expressions given utterance ito by old friends in connection with the matter. He took the opportunity of saying that he had never at any time in public life forced himeelf on any party or attempted to extract from anybody a personal favour or assistance —which he had always appreciated when given— : unless it was freely made. (Loud applauee.) It had been 6tated by one or more of the speakers, that the present gathering wae really anticipatory of a larger one to take place in Wellington in the course of a few days, but he did not see that even then he would be able to make his position any clearer than he could that day. He added that the future was absolutely unknown to anyone. "1 have not," he declared, "to force myeelf, and I do not 'want to lead any member of Parliament to suppose that I want to take up the position of leader, or a position of Minister of the Crovrn in connection with the party, unless that party is absolutely true to iteelf. (Applause.) A house divided will never stand. Sections of the party split up as it ie cannot expect to make a solid defence, nor anything like effective progress."

With the single exception of timber, the exports from the port of Auckland during the month of July just ended show a marked increase upon the commercial operations in the corresponding month of last year. An even greater cause for satisfaction is given by a study of the exports for the first seven months of the year. Up to and including July last, the value of our exports exceeded hy close on half a million (£444,551 to be exact) the value of the staple products shipped away during the corresponding period of last year. The most notable items in this satisfactory list are butter, with an increase of £37,000; gold, an increase of £42,000; wool, an increase of £72,000; kauri gum, an increase of £93,000; phormium, an increase of £83,000; and frozen mutton, lamb, and chilled bucf, an increase of £75,000.

When the Local. Bodies Loans Bi.l,was introduced in the House of Representatives, the Minister of Finance explained that the measure was mainly consolidating. An important new provision dealt with the power at present existing to borrow for lending to local bodies a sum not exceeding £60,000 per annum. Thus, little or no provision was left for the larger local bodies which were able to borrow from the State. The Government could not undertake this responsibility, and proposed to get rid of it by offering local bodies the backing of a ; Government guarantee when they went upon the market. The total loans in this way would be limited to £500.000 per annum. He made inquiries in London as to what would be the effect of the system, and found that large local bodies might benefit by* the guarantee to the extent of a quarter to half per cent reduction. A grouping of small loans was provided for. and the effect of the guarantee in this event would range from half to one per cent reduction of interest. j The Prime Minister, in a speech delivered at the opening of a conference of the agricultural and pastoral societies of the Dominion, at Wellington, said the outlook for farmers was never better. At the. same time, be sincerely hoped farmers would see. their way to grow more wheat. There had been a reduction in the production of cereal crops, and this meant a further rise in the cost of living. He noticed that a remit would come up for discussion urging tbe Government to construct light railways : for the development of the country. j "There is no doubt," he added, "the present railway system is not keeping abreast witrT the progress of settlement. Some means is required-, and should be devised, whereby facilities can be provided for the people on the land to get their produce to market. This, in my opinion, can only be done by a system of light railways." In the Sugar Trust case appeal the Court of Appeal affirmed all the convictions recorded by the Chief Justice in the Supreme Court, and the appeals were dismissed. The coronial inquiry into the circumstances attendant on the) burning fatality at Henderson on July 17th. whereby Ellen Ahlgren succumbed to injuries sustained, and in connection with which Alice Sarah Williamson is in custody, was concluded on Tuesday. The jury returned a verdict that death was due to shock from burning, but there was no! evidence to show in what manner the | clothes of deceased became ignited. As the result of an inquest on tho: death of Ida Bradley, who died in Christ-; church as the result of injuries sustained in a collision between a taxi and a tramear, Philip James Kelly, the driver of the car, was arrested on a charge of manslaughter.

_3a_P.SK.TAT-. Little of Imperial importance hafi hjcppened during the week. An acttem.pt was made on Thursday to defeat the Government by a snap division on the Army vote, but the Nationalists scented danger, and by posting men at the London stations, discovered that the Conservative-; were rallying their forcer-, and thus enabled the Government to beat up a enfficient foUowdng to win the division by 280 votes to 247. The vote was nominally taken as a challenge upon the Government's air -fleet policy, it being contended that this was inadequate. At the Bisley rifle meeting the King's Prize was won by a, Canadian. Private Hawkins, vsho got into the team at the last -wment as an emergency. Black-

The United States team won the Davis Cup for England, -winning three matches out of five. McLouehUn and i ( tsf ica) bert (England), but both were beaten by P M fc e (England ) America's win "in the doubles, Hackett and McLoughlin beat ing Barrett and Dixon, gave them the trophy. c ™ THE COMMONWEALTH. Negotiations for reciprocity with Canada have been reemned. Mr. (Canadian Trade Commissioner for Aiistralia) has submitted proposals. Nothing has been settled, but Mr. Rea s i, optimistic. The annual report of the Sydney Chamber of Commerce pointed out that the matter wae eerious for Australian traders. The whole butter trade had been lost to Australia After a lull, smallpox has taken on a new lease of life in Sydney, aud- an average of about ten caees a day have been reported.

FOH.EIGN AFFAIRS. Bulgaria has been eiTectively crushed by her former allies of the : Balkan League, and an armistice of five date lhar; now been arranged to enable*a settlement to be made. The chief difficulty now rests upon the ownership of the Aegean sea coast, Greece claimiii" nearly the whole of the area, while Bn£ garia demands a frontier line which will give her Kavala as a seaport. The matter is now being discussed. Thi Turke are in Adrianople, and declare that they will never leave the city. The Chinese revolt is being Bt°adilv crushed by Yuan-Shih-Kai's troops, anil it seems probable that the trouble' will come to an end shortly, owing to the rapidity with which the rebels are transferring their allegiance now that they have discovered the etreneth of the Northern party. A fierce thunderstorm in Weshiacton on Thursday, after a heat wave did enonnoue damage in the city, and killed three and injured ecores of people