POLITICAL NOTES.

Press, Volume LIX, Issue 11377, 13 September 1902, Page 9

POLITICAL NOTES.

(9r_ciA_ to "th_ nau") Wi-LLINGTON, 8«pt«-ber 18. PACIFIC CABLE.

A Rill to ecttend tbe prov-io-f of the Pacific Gable Authorisation Act, 1899, wm introduced to-day. It provides for « New Zealand ca_-rbutaon to extensions or deviations of the Pacifio cable, subject to the approval of such by Pa*>_a_-nt. Sir Joseph Ward exp-uned that a deviation was proposed from Fanning Wand to Honolulu. This would give an alternative service via America in the event of the long rtreteh of cable between Fanning Island and Vancouver breaking down. REGISTERED MONEYLENDERS. A return of the number of persons in each provincial district who have registered under the Moneylenders Act of last year shows that in Auckland there were 24, Taranaki 4, 5 Hawke's Bay 8, Wellington 18, Westiand nil, Canterbury 20, Otago and Southland 17; total, 92. A WRONG RIGHTED. Mr vMassey used his persuasive, powers to some effect this evening in bringing about the righting ot wrong which has been done a_ innocent candidate before to-day. It will be remembered that when Mr Haselden was unseated for Patea last year he had to bear' the costs of the enquiry, although the Chief Justice had expressed the .opinion that he came out of it ab-\ solutely blameless. When the Electo-sl Bill was under discussion Mr H_9_de_ moved an amendment, the effect of which was that where, in the case of a mistake made by a Government officer, expenses are incurred in having the matter settled by the Supreme Court, the candidate concerned should not be called upon to pay such expenses. Mr Massey, in urging the fairness of tbe anfendmest, reminded the House that the member for Patea was unseated because a Government officer had misspelled a name, or else because it bad been misprinted. After the remarks of the Chief Justice, Mr Maasey thought it would have been a graceful act if t*he Government bad paid the costs. Sir Joseph Ward remarked that such a thing had never been done before. "Well," replied the member for -Vanklin, "if there 4- no precedent for doing what is right, we ougfht to create one." In spite of the Government's opposition to the amendment, it was carried by 39 to 20. GRADING OF OATS. In the course of his annual report the Secretary of the Department of Industries and Commerce says:—"The services of the Department have been used very extensively by tbe Imperial authorities to inspect ana pass all oats purchased by them in New Zealand for the supply of the troops in South Africa. The magnitude of the operations in this respect may be gauged by the fact that from the beginning of hurt year up to date the cargoes of thirty steamers, covering an aggregate quantity of 115,907 tons of oats, have been inspected and graded. The remuneration received "from the Imperial authorities for these services covers the outlay the Department is put to. It is gratifying to be able to report that notwi—lstanding the great quantity of oats inspected and graded, not one single complaint has been received as to ithe quality or condition of the grain that has been passed. The same remarks applied to the inspection of hay and tinned meats purchased by the 2_operial authorities in the colony, and inroeoted on their behalf of the Department.' ETHICS OF ELECTION " SHOUTING." The House was dwmssing the question of extending the time when " treating *'; is prohibited, and Mr Herries gave members a few hints on the ethics of election "shouting," which he explained, amid smiles, that he had got second-hand, and not from personal experience. The proposal before the House was to make "treating" an offence, if indulged in between nomination day and polling day, and not only on polling day as at present. The member (for the Bay of Plenty thought this was unnecessary. It was essential' (so he was informed) that the "shouting" should be done before the "shoutee" went to the polling booth, and then a glass of beer might in some districts do a lot of good. "You have to strike while, the iron is hot. If not - those best informed tell mc that anything spent before election day is simply waste money."' Mr Napier thought the law should be allowed to remain as at present. It had worked very well, and had suppressed all bribery and corruption. "Oh, oh!" chorused the House, but Mr Napier insisted that elections were purer in this colony than in any other part of the Empire. Mr Hogg did not set much store upon the efficacy of beer. "I have often heard the advice given: "Go and drink the other fellow's beer as much and as long as you like, but when you go to the poll be sure and vote for the right man." Mr Hogg scouted the idea that voters could be deflected from the paths of , political rectitude by a libation. "The working men," he added with conviction, "are not such a degraded class that they can be bought over by beer, wine or spirits, or coffee." Wt Hutcheson admitted the member for Auckland knew a lot, but raid there were a lot of things he didn't know, and one of those was the effect of a cup of tea at other times than election day. Mr Tanner, who thought Mr Napier was looking at things through rose-coloured spectacles, spoke' darkly about three gallon kegs of beer (he was precise about the measurement) being left in drains near where men were working, and of mysterious cases of selected wines and spirit- reaching the private addresses of certain electors.