Our Wellington Letter.

Cromwell Argus, 18 July 1910, Page 5

Our Wellington Letter.

(Fiiom Omi Own Coin; e scon dent.) July 12th. ' The event of the week in Parliament is the ending of the debate on the Address in the Lower House. In the other place the end is not in sight. In the (Representative House not much ground was covered, m fact one wonders why the debate was kept going at all. There were no burning questions, so that the air may be said to be cleared by the demonstration of the fact. Mr Hogg * led off oil Tuesday with his lavouritc subjects hut bid not swerve from bis determination to stand by the Liberal Party. He has gained much applause for his good sense. On the whole it is thought a pity that he did not have a gleam of the same when he was in the responsible position ol a Minister of the Crown. His undoubted scoop in the matter of the Native Lands in the King Country has given him a better standing than he has enjoyed since his retirement from the Cabinet. Already the question is being asked why the men who have been pounding away for the opening of the Native lands to the freehold settler should have mopped up so large a proportion of this Bnhi-Potao laud on the leasehold tenure at what are practically peppercorn rentals. They have been crying “ Taihoa ” with much persistency, girding at the delays of the wily native. But it transpires that in their case the wily Maori has been in too great a hurry to meet the Pakeha. He would have done much better for both races had he done a little more of his favourite Taihoa. Indeed this question of the Native Lands has been brought into better light considerably by the course of the debate, so that on the whole some good lias been done by the debate. The debate lias brought out the new member from Auckland who had the courage to take the first opportunity to make his mind clear on some important subjects. He is a freeholder and hopes that the Land Bill of the government will do something in that direction. Of course he was on safe ground in demanding the immediate opening up of more Native Lands and the rating of them with something like drastic vigour. Moreover he made a sound reference to the great question of afforestation. He was the only member of either Chamber who expressed dissatisfaction with the policy of the government on this subject. • Not far enough ’ was his criticism of an otherwise admirable policy. Considering that the forests arc disappearing at a rate which will leave ns timherlcss in fifty years he was eminently right. He showed where large profits are awaiting a truly extensive National policy. The land is there and there is enough knowledge in the public service and elsewhere to guide the planting of the nation on the right lines. The rest of the debate wandered from Kauri Gum to Natiouial Annuities and made discursive reference by the way to every subject at present agitating the public mind, including the light at Reno and the Indecent Publications Bill. Hie Opposition showed commendable sense in refraining from taking a part in the proceedings. Their leader made the statement of opinion on behalf of his people and as there is no hope ol any score they did well not to waste the public time. One cannot help admiring w hat one cannot but hope is a good new departure. If things are to go on In this way the session will he a record for rapid work. It was a relief all round when the Speaker called ou the mover to reply a still greater relief when that lion, gent made moderate use of his privilege. In the Council the debate covered much ground. The member who led tiff tried to throw oil on the contentious waters of opinion by pointing out that the question of tenure being pnict’cally settled by public opinion on lines of fair compromise it w ill be more profitable to concentrate effort on the great question of getting more out of the land and finding wider markets for its produce. All he got in the public press next day was chaff, from the leaseholding interest. Mr Anstcy, from Timiirn, followed with a remarkable exposition of the run question in the course of which he managed to prove at all events to his own satisfaction. that the dreaded MacKcnzic country is a really admirable place for the profitable rearing of the high priced jumbuk and its much desired offspring the fat lamb. It seemed as if the sheep of these stormy countries is of no use until he has had a liberal sprinkling of snow. Talking afterwards with men from Central Otago who know their Cromwell and their Wakatipn, and men of the west who understand the Cannibal Gorge and Manila country, and the regions about the Karangarua, I heard another side of the question. Anyhow it is pleasant to conic across an optimist in the Legislative Council. A Museum of Antiquities usually has no place for anyone but a pessimist. So that Mr Anstey by his vigorous policy may he taken to have rebutted the opinions ol the Council which have passed current for some years. The same service was done by Mr Scotland, who is ou the verge of four score and ten. He made a most vigorous speech on things in general. Every member of the Council has been lallcing about it all the week with a rcllecfcd glory. It is as if they were to say that they 100 when they come to the age of four score and ten w ill be of (he two year old pattern that races and goes strong all over the field political. The veteran spoke with surprising clearness and force. His ideas were old fashioned but then is he not a member of the revising chamber ? There we want all the ideas, even the ideas that flourished in the days w hen there were great men before Agamemnon. The Labour men had their day too with solid talk of the things that interest labour and the rest of tie world intent on observinug .the experimental legislation of this country and the manner of man that guides the same by pushing behind the democratic government. Also did we have the industrial men who toy with protection and demand an opportunity for the employment of their hands. Mr C. M. Luke the ■well known (ironmaster urged that the output of his industry throughout the Dominion had fallen in five years by one third, but he only succeeded in proving that the six millions by which the exports last year exceeded the imports have not yet managed to find investment. It is of course different from the stagnation that the president of the bank of New Zealand phraded. No doubt the money will find investment presently, all events the owners may be re-

gardcd as certain to be pressing for some channel through which there will be u iiow of interest. A rather naive statement from Mr Barr pleased the Council [as everything that falls from that hou. gent always does. He confessed to* rather a leaning towards trusts and combines on the ground that they were preparing the country for socialism. They arc doing all the organisation said the energetic and cocksure labourite, and when the time is ripe we shall have nothing to do but annex their machinery. He then advised the ironmasters to continue to save expense and the council smiled. This was half in jest, and much redeemed by subsequent remarks which savoured considerably more of common sense than of socialism of the empiric order. At all events Mr Barr set many balls arolling. The Attorney general moved the adjournment of the debate and we shall hear something philosophic from his eloquent lips when the Council meets on Wednesday. For the rest Parliament has been a medley of many things. Mr Davey, the Shearers, Old Age Pensions, Harbour Boards, Mr Knyvett, Indecent Publications, together with the Crown Land Iveport these make up the bulk of the business torched in a more or less informal manner. Add the Smith case, which really failed to show any gross derelictions of the Tammany order, and you have the week in brief. The case of the Christchurch police officer is much commiserated in the lobbies of the House. Mr Davey got him to “do something ” fora friend in trouble—run in for drink. Afcr reflection the ollicer got the friend’s name falsified in the police book. When the matter got wind as it was sure to do, Mr Davey gave the officer away and declared that that was not what he wanted him to do at all. Nearly everybody said that Mr Davey had made a splendid exhibition of generosity and true gentlemanly feeling. Moral : when a police ollicer or any other ollicer does any thing not quite 0.K., or an M.P. he will be given away as having gone altogether too far and the M.P. will be applauded as a gentlemanly victim of official ineptitude, and a courageous confessor of his own and other people’s indiscretions Further it will be declared by a large and powerful clique that the thing which is but an indiscretion in the M.P. to be pardoned as the result of open confession, is a heinous crime in the ollicer to be expiated only by dismissal and the utter breaking of his degraded career. Such is life ! The business of the session began in earnest immediately the debate on the address was over. Of the ruck before the House the Harbours Bill came out the strongest. The Prime Minister in the course of the debate on the measure declared solemnly that Harbour Boards had got too big in their ideas and he might well have added 100 small in their notions of the need for expert knowledge and consideration. He hoped that the altered method of appointment would have the desired effect of reformation. The principle of government nomination is maintained but restricted somewhat, the municipal franchise with one man one vote is the elective basis, the votes of Chambers of Commerce arc if bo ii shed while the users-and shippers are given a share of the representation. Let us hope for we need it much.