THE NO-CONFIDENCE MOTION

Auckland Star, Volume XLV, Issue 155, 1 July 1914, Page 4

THE NO-CONFIDENCE MOTION

It is not very likely that any serious (politicaj consequences, wall result at once from Sir ,Joseph "Ward's No-confid-ence motion. But the Leader of the Opposition has at le_st secured tbe tactical advantage of giving a strong lead to his paTty: and lie has also made the

best possible use of his opportunity to submit to Parliament and the general public a severe and damaging criticism of "Reform" policy and administration. Iv .-electing the naval policy of Government as his first point of attack. Sir Joseph displayed his usual political insight and judgment. For the whole country by this time reajjises that the attitude of the "Reform" Government toward the great problem of Xaval Defence is hesitating and inconclusive in the extreme. They have destroyed the subsidy system; they have established nothing in its place: and while the leaders of the "Reform" party emphatically deny that they have committed themselves or the country to the project of a "toy" navy, they obstinately

refuse to explain their purposes or intentions in any intelligible way. We need not at present attempt to analyse the figures which Sir Joseph and Mr. Jas. Alien quoted in regard to our possible or probable naval estimates. The reply made by the Minister for Defence to Sir Joseph's attack waas extremely feeble and ineffective, for the

sufficient reason that no satisfactory answer can be offered, and this the country understands as well as Sir Joseph could deasjj-e.

However. Sir Josephs criticism of ihe curiously- inco_s'jsten.t. and illogical eon-rsra that Mr. Allen has followed" did iroit hy any means cover the full scope of his indictment.. He went on to discuss the cactraordirrary project al-readv oiitlined 1 hy the Ir<rmir.T for compelling tbe I'.ppcT House to legislate i_oK -practically out of exjciteorce, by .pafikinag il with a majority iavotiTa'ble to Mr. 7un.s. sey's scheme of reconstruction. To use the nominee principle freely in order to mark the countrys disapproval of nomination to the I'pp-r .House is in itself a s-Jrangrhr paradoxical policy. Burt, as Sir Joseph pointer! out last ■night, there is a great, deal more than this in Mr. Matasev's; proposal. When it is carried into effect the Jteformers wiH have nominated 20 members to the Legislative Council in two yea T s: and their nominees arc naturally imbued with their own views- on ail leading questions of "Reform" policy. What mill be the position of the Liberals if, -after the n-ext election, they are again in power and find 1 themselves face to face ■with aa. solidly "Preform Upper House. pledged' for example, to resists any in-" crease an the Graduated Land Tax? This is a very serious question, and the attetmpt to answer i: suggestß very grave reflections, -on .the jnoTive* actuating the "Refornmre." | n regard to the two leading controversial questions of the hour. Sir .losfph Ward waa eusilv able to show that talie -Reformers" haive trimmed and vaciilaatwi ttiroughoa.it. As Sir .lose.pl. puts it. the tJovirr.iianfsn: Itas "funked the _*_»" on the LicHmsiuo Question, the (.iambling CJuesuon, and the Bible in Schools: and ivliatom be the outcome of tiais las: .-.introverev. we .-: -yart tha ia .o\ nl-rv »•_] rcvtgnise Sir .i-usepli Wurd'n frarhlnm-i* ami vourago in openly irrvi-jring his intention of (standing lip for the rights ~f ; he teachers and supporting what, may be perhaps regarded as the unpopular side of a difficult and complicated, question. <>n the whole there can he no dmtiSt ;hat so far the honours of th- dehaio are entirely with Sir Joseph, and the course he hat. ta.kcn fame;, fail ;.-, strengthen !ii« hands ttad consolidate hiii party for the _3_ijur fftzMgl*.

The following is Mr D. C. Bates' j weather forecast for 24 hours from 9 ;

a-m. this day:—"lndications are for moderate winds, westerly prevailing, and freshening. Tbe weather appears likely to be cloudy and unsettled. Rain probable. Barometer unsteady. Tides good. Sea moderate."'

Tlie bricklayers arrived at a partial settlement of their dispute in the Conciliation Council. The clauses relating to wages, however, classes of work, suburban and country work, apprentices, and preference have been referred to the Arbitration Court for decision. Another point on which there is disagreement is the obligation of a foreman of works to be a member of the union. Tlie daily and weekly hours of work and overtime rates have been mutually agreed upon.

During the month of June there were 299 births in Auckland, making 1.640 for the six months of the present year. The increase for the month, as compared with the same period of last year, was 244, and for the half-year was 130. There were 40 less deaths during the first six months of 1914 than during the first half-year of 1913. the monthly total being 113, and the half-yearly total fiGO. Of the 134 marriages in Auckland lasr month, 32 were performed in the Registrar's Office.

A claim for damatre done by a number of horses to timber in a paddock was brought in the Auckland 5.M. Court ycs>tea-day afternoon by Thomas Fordyoc, builder, of Mount Eden, against Theodore 11. Casey, contractor, of Ponsonby. The amount of the claim was £10 11/8, which was said to have been the result of the defendant putting fifteen to twenty horses into a paddock, on which there was a quantity of building timber, without authority. The timber was knocked down by the horses and considerably damaged. For the defence it was contended that, authority was given for the horses to be turned into the paddock, but Mr. C. C. Kettle. S.M., held that there had been a trespass, and gave judgment for the amount claimed, less £3 10/, the estimated value of the damaged timber.

The Auckland Harbour Board has announced that it cannot support the Waikato River Boards suggestion to the Minister to extend the order of reference for the Inland Waterways Commission to include certain Waikato lands. The scope of the Commission, the Harbour Board chairman said yesterday, was thoroughly representative of the wishes of delegates expressed at the Conference held to consider the position.

Money orders issued by the Xew Zealand Post Office during the year ended March 31st amounted to £3.357.774, as compared with £3,231.349 for the previous year, an increase of £126.424. Money orders, amounting to £ 3.(103.4110 were paid as against £2,870,523 during 1912. an increase of £132.877. The commission received for money orders amounted to C 10.572. as against £16.399 for 1912. an increase nf £474. Xotes. representing a value of £721.743. were sold, as a-o-ainst notes for £036.473 sold during the previous year, an increase of 13.61 per cent in number and 13.30 per cent in value. The 'postal notes paid numbered 2.213.100. nf the value of £704.553, as with 1.057.576. of the value of £624.057 paid during 1912----13. The postal note commission amounted tn U 10.22.5. as against £9.0.10. an increase of £1.195 or 13.23 per cent.

The total value of the New Zealand telegraph and telephone .business for the year ended 31st March, 1914, including miscellaneous telegraph receipts and Government telegrams, was £.i7o.Slli. as contpar.Ki with _525.120 for the previous year, an increase of £31.696. or 0.70 per cent. In the cable services the Pacific last year carried 104,634 messages, as against 34.023 carried by the Eastern ■Extension service. During the yeaT Xew Zealand gave the Pacific r0ute"74.38 per cent of the ordinary Inisiitcss to Australia, us against 71.42 per cent Inst year. Some 1 .SI 1 Tress telegrams were "sent via Pacific, and 2.0.1.1 via Eastern, compared with 1.106 and 1.574 Tespoctivelv last year. The number of cablas sent as '• deferred" during the year shows an increase of approximately .15 per cent ove r the previous yearis figures. Durin-o-the year. 4.057 messages, at a total value of aC4.aiO. were forwarded from Xew Zealand. The increase in the number of radio telegraphic messages over the previous yeaT was r>4 and S7 per cent for the forwarded and received respectively.

A formal meeting of tbe Grey Lynn Borough Council was held at 5.30 p.m. ye-sterday for the purpose of confirming the minutes-, which were duly confirmed and signed by the .Mayor, who remarked:

"That ends the separate Borough oi Grey Lynn." Eulogistic reference was made to tbe Mayor by Mr. Garland. Mr. Raildon. in replying, said any success he had achieved was due to the henelit of being supported 'by a. good Council, and assailed with n. cars—le town clerk, with a loyal staff of workmen. !

Mr. Dan Crawford, F.R.G.?., the African missionary, was welcomed at a la-igcly-attended meeting of the Auckland Minister,.' Association this morning. The Rev. Steele Craik. president. was in the chair, and extended a henrty welcome to tbe visitor. Mr. Crawford gave a breezy, interesting, and inspiring address, which wtus rmich appreciated, and he was accorded a warm ro t e 0 f thanks.

The sun-committee set up by the Auckland l ity Schools Committee to inqiire and report upon the subject of the beautificat.on of the playgrounds of the public schools presented a report to a meetin" of the committee last night over whici, Mr. J. Trovothick presided. The report suggested that the efforts of the committee should be concentrated on tbe ground of the Nelson Street School. The meeting endorsed the recommendation. and the sub-committee was en-powered to act.

So many of «ie nice things that have been said about this small Dominion of ours have been deserved, that it is with some reluctance that we m-ust d'uscl-avm the latest addition to the li.-t. In a recent number „f the •• English Mechanic " we are told that the longest stretch of absolutely straight lin P in the world is to be found in New Zealand, namely 13<i amies, and the paper goo* on to eav that the fact is all tlie more remarkable on account of th,. exceptionally difficult mature of the railway construction due to the contour of the country. There must be a mistake Bum.-wbere—posdblv a decimal has slipped out-for w 0 -have nothing Uke ttaa,, length of straight line Vve m show about twenty __«. but that is -.all.

The .members of {fie Auckland inirain" division ol the St. John Ambulance Br■' ° arte met on Tuesday evening at the .nibulan.e Station. Dr. McDowell <r a -e -a most interesting lecture on '• FTe- as Disease Carriers." atiA impressed' upon tne iaji.es present the i.ecessitv of n»in« y fl s Mne to «-irm_*tc the homsc"

At last night's meeting of ».*«£ «ote Borough Council made by several councillors ot destroying the seats andlg. - Gully scenic reserve, * mcv , ... wns some very fine kauri trees, and it resolved to offer a reward ot oiiineas for anformation tnat to the conviction of the °« etA °!*x" was also decided, on the motion *<*™ cilior H. 11. Hunt, to _BWB8 WB the Department of __<* and Survey for an' adequate grant towards the maintenance ■* J* <— on previous grant havmg oeeu v. improvements. Slowly but surely the attack upontahe seaward side of Revel Street HoK.hU, is presenting a more and more^ MTioua and where it will end «™ £ vond all comprehension. »'" , .' morning a Quong On. fruiterer, wire c - undermined, until at last * slipped into the breakers, and became a floating mass of boards in a few minutes. About midnight the same evening • large shed owned by Heenan and Co., boot importera, which appeared the «7,*° be perfectly safe, was reached by the waves. Tho bnading slipped into the ocean, and the next heavy breaker smashed it to atoms. It M * heart " rending sight to see the owners of property, together with onlookers and willing hands, being absolutely helpless in such a .predicament. The most northerly grevne is now completely wrecked! and in one day over a chain of bank has been swept away between it and the street, leaving a straight bankfull v ten feet deep and every wave taking'a considerable amount away each time it reaches the bank. Messrs. Andrew Bros., butchers, have a fine twostorey dwelling behind their shop, with the sea awash on the rear portion of it, and they are now endeavouring to have it pulled to pieces -before it is swept into the sea. Even if this is accomplished, the owners will be very heavy losers.

The New Zealand Freedom League has received a letter from Gen. Sir A J. fk>dley, Commandant of the Xew Zealand Forces, acknowledging the receipt of the League's complaint with reference to the disturbance of the Devonport antimilitarist meeting by uniformed cadets, and stating that the matter is receiving attention. The League is holding a further meeting in the Parish Hall to-mor-row night.

The attitude taken up by certain members of the City Council in antagonism to the scheme for permitting certain concessions regarding buildings on the Domain has aroused considerable interest. At the last meeting of the Newmarket branch of the liberal and Labour Federation the following resolution was curried unanimously, on the motion of Mr H. Kinder, seconded by Mr Luxford: "That this branch offers its hearty congratulations to Mr R. T. Michaels for protesting against the alienating of any part of the Domain for any purpose whatever."

There was a lively ending to a football match at Ngaruawahia on Saturday, when the game between the Huntlv and Moehaki junior league teams resolved into something of a free fight. The match only lasted for 30 minutes. From the beginning play was of a very rough nature, and the referee ordered one man off the field soon after play commenced. This had no effect, and finally both teams were ordered off the field. Then a second match, between Taupiri and Xgaruawahia, was started. Almost immediately a fight took place on the line, an.l this resolved into a general melee. Constable Cavaitagh had to assert his authority, and there will probably be a sequel in the Police Court.

Tbe XoTthcote Council la6t night decided to enlist the sendees of the Key. Mason, of Otahuhu, with a view to ascertaining whether there is a possible source of water supply in the district independent of Lake Takapuna.

A neat, little souvenir booklet, containing an account of the trip with views of Rotorua and other places, has been issued by the Australian bowlers who were over here at the beginning of the year, and a number of copies have been sent across to Mr. A. M. Rryden for distribution to the Auckland clubs, whose hospitality was so keenly appreciated by the visitors.

Entries close to-day for the Alcock Crystalate Cup and Gold Medal Tournament at the offices of the firm.. Strand Arcade.

During the past financial year the excess of post and telegraph receipts over expenditure totalled £06.006.

The new issue of King George postage stamps is expected to be ready about the end of the present year.

The Colonial Sugar Refining Company has reduced the prices of all grades, of refined sugar fifteen shillings (15/) per ton.

The 51st anniversary of the landing of the 18th Royal Irish nt Auckland is to be celebrated on Saturday next by a gathering at 11 in Alabcrt' Park, and lunch for the survivors and their relatives later at the Strand cafe.

At Messrs. T. Mandeno Jackson's auction mart this morning three fourroomed cottages in Lnion Lane were offered for sale for removal. The prices realised were £11, £12, and £13.

For value that is valuable and quality that is lasting, our underwear stands high. Leading weights and makes here. Geo. Fowlds, Limited.—(Ad.)