POLITICAL NOTES.

Press, Volume LVI, Issue 10886, 1 July 1899, Page 8

POLITICAL NOTES.

q — , [By. Telegraph.] (tboji ot/r special correspondent.) WELLINGTON, June 30. : MR HUNTER AND THE PREMIER. r Mr George Hunter, the member for Waii pawa, took the opportunity last night to ' refute certain statements made regarding • himself by the Premier during the recess ;• in Auckland, and other parts of the colony. [ Mr Seddon had declared that he (Mr Hunter) I had recommended a person as valuer for a i Hawke's Bay county district (Waipawa) who ' had undervalued the property there to the ; extent of £400,000. In explanation, Mr \ Hunter said that he had merely given the . man in question an ordinary reference, be- [ Having him to be a perfectly competent > man, and assuring him at ,the same time that such a testimonial would be of very little use. The man thoroughly understood the values of land, and unmaking his assessments was under tho impression that ■ they were to be used as a basis of values ■ by the Government lending departments. ' The valuations did not in any way affect 1 local, rates. If the values were low, the rates were increased, and correspondingly " if they were high the rates were lessened. ; The Premier had also told a deputation in " Danneyirke that'their rates were high, in consequence of the valuations made by Mr I Hunter's nominee. As a matter of fact l the valuations there were made by a totally ' different person, who was a supporter of i the Government, and had since been made - a J.P. Mr Seddon had further stated that i he (Mr Hunter) had bought his way into f Parliament. (The Premier— " What about > the promise of £50 to a library if you were ! elected?") The statement was a deliberate ; insult to the people of Waipawa. , If he had '•■ dome so, t_e electors must have sold them- '• selves. (Mr Seddon—"Hear,, hear.") They i had, however, refused'to do so. Almost ' immediately prior to last election the Premier announced that £250 would be granted > for the benefit of sufferers by the Makaretu ' fire, but after the result of the polling was made known refused to give the money. I He hurled the insult levelled at his con- ' stituents back at the teeth.of the man who 1 made it. The Premier, in a personal ex- , planation, stated that what he did say was 1 that undervaluations had in the ■ Patangata county'to the extent of £400,000, > and on Mr Hunter's, proplrties of £22,500. i The member for Waipawa had recommended a person as valuer, and the Valuer-General had informed him that that recommendation f "was acted upon. Mr Seddon, who quoted from the notes used by him in his speeches, '.< said it was impossible for him to have made 1 any confusion between "Waipawa" and • "Patangata." (Mr Hunter— "l am going by the newspaper reports.") j LIQUOR LEGISLATION. Mr Taylor's Local Option Bill consists . of several clauses from the Alcoholic Liquor | Sales Control Act of 1896, which passed the Lower House, but was rejected by the Legis- [ lative CounoiL It provides in effect, that should a three-fifths' majority of the total ' number. of votes recorded at the local option poll throughout the k wlaole colony be cast in favour . of no license, colonial prohibition will be [ deemed to have been carried, notwit-hstand- . ing the fact that in some electorates the vot- . ing may be in favour of the existing condit tion of thongs continuing. A Bill is being . introduced by Mr Gilfedder to enable a straight-out vote to be taken..for' 'Restora- \ tion" in Clutha, or any other district that . has carried prohibition. Any alteration of [ the boundaries of a prohibition district, by which a licensed house is included in the district, will not debar the "Restoration" vote from being taken. -■'''* . ,JOTTINGS. Mr Hogg wants the Government to pro- ' claim a close season for native game next 1 year, and extend the present season for ' shooting till the end of July. ! 'Mr Taylor intends to move that in view ' of the fact that five-sixths of the passengers 1 on the New Zealand railways travel second ' class, and that the bulk of the total pas--1 senger revenue of £399,261 is derived from ' second-class passengers, this House is of ! tho opjnion that very considerable improve- ■ ments should be at once effected in the construction of second-class passenger cars. Mr Meredith, a strong Seddonian, to-night 1 paid a nigh compliment to Mr Rawlins, the ' new i member for Tuapeka. He adnitted ' that he had made a very favourable impression on the House, and said he looked upon him as an acquisition. Mr Thomson, the member for Clutha, ' raised a laugh at the Premier's expense in r regard to his peregrinations through the » colony, from Auckland to InvereajgilL He ' (Mr Thomson) had been in several towns ! where the Premier had spoken, and he - found that he had not made much of an impression. At Gore, a farmer gave him | his idea of the Premier. "Why," he said, ' "he's only a blatherskite." (Laughter). ' This farmer was a Scotchman, and he (Mr 1 Thomson) was also a Scotchman, so he was ' able to understand and appreciate the comJ ment. He would ask the Premier to take a mental note of it. (Laughter.) I " WHEN YOU HAVE A BAD COLD, L You want the best medicine that can be • obtained, and that, is Chamberlain's Cough i Remedy. , You want a remedy that will not only ' give quick relief but effect a permanent cure. You want a remedy that will relieve the ■», lungs and keep expectoration easy. want a remedy that will counteract toward- preumonia. YouVwant a remedy that as pleasant and safe to t&-&. ,-,,-, , . ~ , CSiamb€rf_«fc_9 Cough Remedy. ««the only medicine in usaS**"* ***** *" « ™» requirements, ThiTr«^y^ f^ U8 T f o r . ifc ? cures of bad colds tHWfflP*" 0 * *"*. United States and in many fordgg* countnse. It has many rivals, but, forl£^_* ,dr ™ V* maneht cure of bad .colds, sta_EF* Wlfcho ? t a peer and its splendid qnaUtf esard| eTei 7 W „ admired and OTai-ad... Vn» -&° hy all