WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVII, Issue 169, 17 July 1916, Page 8

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

A RAPID PASSAGE. (Special Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, July 14. ! Sir Joseph Ward's readiness, to accept what lie regarded as reasonable amendments in the Finance Rill ensured an easy passage for the measure through committee, and a few minutes after two

o'clock this morning it was reported ill its much improved form to tile House. The .Minister's tactful piloting of tlie bill during its later stages, without the assistance of Mr. Massey and Mr. Allen, who are still kept away from the House by inilucuza, has made' amends for the somewhat crude shape in which-it was lirst introduced. .Sir Joseph did not wait for members to quibble and haggle over the various ilnuscs in committee, but dealt himself with the various amendments suggested during the second reading debate, accepting those lie thought desirable and firmly irejeetimr those, lie i-oulcl not entertain, with the result that the critics were left with little inclination ami less eNcuse for obstruction. He indicated in those dulcet tones he invariably employs when he has made nji his mind to a set purpose that he wished the bill to go through committee at one sitting, and to the mild astonishment of a House which, twelve hours before had expected the discussion to occupy a week, he got his way. It was a line example of felicitous leadership. NATIVE LANDS.

Xative lands do. not. in these days,-' occupy the attention of the liouse so often as they should, hut th e presentation of the annual report of the Native Lane.? Department yesterday afternoon gavr several members an opportunity to relieve iheir pent-up feelings on the sub-i ject. Mr. Jennings, the member foi Taumaruinw. told of a transaction in the Ongaruc district, where, he alleged, within the last three years a man had been allowed to acquire l;i,000 acres of Maori land for purely speculative purposes in defiance of the first principle of all the recent land legislation of the country. Mr. Ell pointed to the danger lurking in the law providing for Europeanising Maoris, which, he said, was more likely to be used in robbing the natives than in benefiting them. Mr. Parata 4 the representative oi the

Southern Maori. district, framed his indictment of the administration of the Department on more, general grounds. He asserted that natives had been wrongfully removed from" their lands by the late Government, and that many of them had ■ been reduced 'to abject poverty. The Minister's reply -nas not quite so reassuring as his friends would liavp liked it to be. He would make inquiries concerning Mr. Jennings' allega lion, and lie would consult tlie Attorney(•eneral about -'"the Kerehoma affair,'" in respect of-which Mr. .iTorasby had made serious allegations, but the only comfort; he'could offer to the House at the moment was his own .belief that "fifty years hence the Maoris .will have ■become completely merged -Mvitli the pakebas, and there will be no need for different laws for the two racea.' , I'nfoitunat'oly the Minister's" : iejnarks were cut short by the flvo-thirty. adjournment. and he certainly should-be invited to

return to the subject.. WH&t.lie did say was calculated ratlier to aggra vat3 than to allay the prevalent feeliiigiof dissatisfaction. ."'■•- ■■- ' iUNISTERIALr REtATJOXS. In an article '-cbiuraeiitlng upon a speech delivered by Mr. Russell at a luncheon given .to the- officers ot the Japanese warships : in' Auckland, the '"Xew Zealand Times" pokes ■ more or loss pointed fun at tUe Minister of. " Internal . Affairs for ha\'mg told tlie . country's dk.tuiuiiished guests of the harmony pre- ■ vailing between tlie members ot the Xational Cabinet! .Perhaps • the subject is not one of any great public intercut, the average person taking it for granted that both the Liberal and the Reform 'Ministers are observing the compact with vlich tbcy entered tlie Cabinet. but some people are. industriously spreading stories of Ministerial dissensions which are a& unfair to the genticnlen immediately concerned they are discreditable to their authors. There are differences of opinion in Cabinet, of course—very marked differences—and the prospect of a permanent coalition between Liberals and Reformers is even more remote than it was when they were strenuously fighting the Bay of islands and Taumanimii second elections. But the purpose for which the two parties joined forces is just as urgent to-day as it was a year ago, and Ministers, recognisinjr this fact, are , scrupulously observing the spirit of the' party truce.