POLITICAL NOTES.

Press, Volume LIX, Issue 11332, 23 July 1902, Page 9

POLITICAL NOTES.

(SPECIAL TO THE PRESS. ) WELLINGTON, July 22. THE UPPER HOUSE. The Government were taken to task tonight by Mr Massey for their continued neglect of the daims of the Northi Island when appointments are being made to the Legislative Council. In spite of the fact that the European population of the North Island much exceeds that of the South, the number of southern representatives is larger than that of the northern representatives. Instead of trying to equalise matters when two vacancies recently occurred, what did tbey do? asked Mr Massey. They called to the* Upper House two friends and supporters. He asked what were their qualifications to sit in such a chamb&r. No doubt, he added, the Government thought they were doing what was right, but he remarked that did not prevent members of the House from expressing their views on the question. He considered that the Government's action in appointing men irrespective of their qualifications to legislate, or their experience as legislators, was simply making the Uppsr Chamber utterly useless for legislative purposes, and not worth one tenth of the money that is expended upon it. THE SAN FRANCISCO SERVICE. More than one member enquired from the Minister in charge of the Estimates this evening whether the House would have an opportunity of reviewing the position with regard to the San Francisco mail service. Mr Wilford, who led the Opposition last session, was particularly anxious on the subject. Mr Fisher said they all remembered the memorable scene in the House last year when the tension was at its greatest, and when the House was on the point of carrying a division confining the contract to one year, which would have given the House an opportunity of again going into the matter this session. Who, asked Mr Fisher, gave the American company one year more? It was, he remarked, answering his own query, the hon. gentleman who had asked the Government whether they intended to review the question. Mr Hutcheson also blamed Mr Wilford for having given the service a longer life than was the manifest wish of the majority of members. Mr. Hutcheson was sure that not a single member of the Ministry was proud of the contract in the present state of public opinion. The present contract, it might be remembered, will not expire till Parliament prorogues, so that the question cannot come up this session.