POLITICAL NOTES.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 640, 18 October 1909, Page 8

POLITICAL NOTES.

;V; LAND-QUESTION; ; ■ WILL THE MINISTRY TREAT.; IT^AS;. ;:■ ;■/ .■•:.■;..'..;.: NON-PARTY? ,■:' '■■'•'■'>■: V^-' : . ; ,Ttie!'Aadfcss4n-Reply: debate ,, ie expected;nei . to- conclude in the . House - before' Wednesday; ■ evening. Exactly' 1 how. ,'many', other■ . there will ~bo cannot -be gauged, but. at l ■least' ' eight more" Have"intimated their ■ intenjao'n,,to take part;in',the:debate^':So;ffar. ; notuingr': has ;■. been "made'known as -to -the. order; of tho'bun- . ness' for the remainder of ;tho weok.. ..The, HO3pitalsand'Ch'aribbloinstitutipnsßni hasiKeija % - set. down' .for its 'second. reading' on; Thursday; It is anticipated tllat the second.rcadinff/wiU be moyed pro forma, after which .tho. Bill mil be rcf,drre4 toT'a .conimitte?: " Estimates., may. form ,the,subject ..of discussion on Iriday. In ■ some quarters the. impression , is,prevalent that some.of the.more, debatable jneaiurcs , . will be introduced early .in the session,, • tion of, tho Defence' Conference proposals is ; not , expected to tako'place immediately.' It will ' bo remembered v that, the, Prime Minister-has •" promised to bring down thp NrianciaK Statement by .the end of the mbntfei There is:much ' speculation as; b> the , attituaSVhich , - the 'Got---ernm'cnt' will- adopt in ,, conwotion with/the land question." It, is whispered- that 'it; will ~ not make the question" a party .one;\'-.,-' '-''■' ''■

WEST COAST'-NATIVE RESERVES.'

REPLr TO INDIGNATION .MEETING.,*. Aβ' a sequel'to the I 'meeting' at Greymouth. of learahAlders! of Westlarid and Nelson rJ^tire , reserves' with '.reference to' the Bill, which - the Hon. A! E; Guinness has introduced ill regard to the/properties, the member' for. Grey has telegraphed to the Mayor of Greymoutb..' ae'fbl-. lows:— ..;;'•...'/' ; ~ ■■ '.• . '-, :-. ; ■ -.■:•■;;'■;_..

\ "Am 'astonished to. read, in this morn-' ing's Dominion wire from Grcymouth cor-., respondent,' whose.identity wems..familiar, "■'. that committee held indignation meeting to:! protest "against 1 -'my 'action- in introducing;,' ■• BillVdealmg with" the mattercontrary. ■■■ to', wishes.'of. the.'committee. ■•■• I cannot,'.thinks : telegraphed.'' report ■ is'correct ' especially." when , resolution "passed admits , /committee .'.; has not'seen my resoluti6n.'-ask»»','" for copy,'which^^is'-now'posted." ;-j>; : . .i.,-:'/'■■-• Mr!\Guinness.(continuing)'says that-if therpV is- any truth' in'the' icorrespondenfe. telegram,' : that aniindijjjiation,meeting.'was.held,:he;.cannot understand the.;cause, for -such indignation , , because; ■;'as, •'■' he,: .had alroady: telegraphea, his object in .bringing'.inithe amending.fiiU'.waa , . ■ to. makewhat 'he'considered'a.'very.necessary. , - concession', to all those "persons who were , in- : terested in' the"church' , ';and' school . in. Grey'mouth' by getting -the rental, reduced \ to; a; peppercorn,' and- the;.interviews he had' with.. the 1 Public 'Trustee and some"! of .the. membern . of the Ministry justified him in.believing'that A ■ this great'concession, would; bo granted..:', Of ■ course, if the' committee. wern of opinion , : it . should-not bo-granted, and they voiced 'the opinions ' of': all ■ who • were interested -in to« i churches and schools in Grcymouth,; the" conj cessions should not be-granted, and, ho.,could • \ understand their indignation .in opposing bie, Bui. • 'v.-> ';"■ ;■•■■' '■:.. - ■'•. v.'v>;.;:* ■.■

As already: telegraphed, .it was .his desito -to \. get the Billon the Order Paper as early as-po*-; sible,'so as'not to'miss'thoopportunitj of getting 'it placed on the-Statute; Book. ,He was also justified in eayitig; after/talking to eoyeral, members who are-supporters of tlio , movement for the freehold, that tho. introduction, and pas-: sage of his Bill to; amend tho present Act would in no way interfere:with, or'.jeopardi6e,- the . nmemeht they were making, to obtain the freehold. He.trusted, that tho;. 'saine- ■publicity.would be given to his telegram and the letter, as-had been given, to'what : had'been terme*-; the"indignation nieeting" over, his actipa.. ....;?■. .

THE ELECTIVE EXECUTIVE. BILL . ' Once again Sir'Wmiam- Steward ;i« : 'to;;t]» , front with his'-'Eleotiye Executive-. Bill, tlu second'reading ■■■ of-■■.which;has-been fixed, for October'-.27. Inquiry in" theMofcbies Vindicates. ■ that the measure will support'on this occasion than it has hitherto : :received,, and" that its'6upporters' r wiir inplude members who have', spoken: strongly 'agaiiisV. the ',pnn-< ciple in the.past.- . One .of: the reasons essigned for this change' of opinion is that difssatisffto. • tion exists "in, connection With'Bo'me ,of . the - •more- reffint">appbintments' j lo. rank, ■ The presont; selection is held, to have signally failed to 'wonre" those members"whoi-are 'best' fltfidyfor the; obsition/ Especially. is,this considered to be .the oise' in regard t6i'teme.oi--the,appcintittentav: made by the prerent Prime Minister, wh0,.."-' is held; overlooked' members who, in odxtition ■ / 'to being had: rendered Bernoo. to the party/for a- .longer-term .than.-.the; ap- '. pointees. ; The elevation of Mr. - Hogg '.in _par-; ■■• lioular is quoted as oiie.: of-the examples o£ ( th« unsuitablcness. of reoent appointmenfa. . if. ■ said- one member," , ■■6pme-v,of. the; re- .- cent appointees ' had-' been nominated under '■ the'■'•■ Elective .■ Exocuhve ..-.sye- ' tern, : they.'would'not have received. ae many votes as bonW' be-counted on •one's; fingers. Under • the '■' preserit/system-. of -.-.provincial re. •presentation, • a -'member ■ (it is arguety maj. 'reach Cabinet rank' irrespective'.of .his 1 fications-for the position.'. According, to'another of the converts, he has seen enough to lead him to'believe that the advantages under the' proposed' .'eyetem; will outvreigh its' dis- . advantages..-. -'. " ''. - ; -v V'V, : ','..;..

• On the Prime Minister's motion it has .heen decided that all petitions held over, from, the session of 130? 6taad-referred, to the same committees to which, they,.were then referred, and that' petitions not dealt' with,, during_the. short session be referred.to the-PctitionsVClae. sincation..Conimittee... ~. ; ■~,•■;.'•, ..- : . .• .>.■.- v "It is my; opinion that Sir ..Joseph' ;Ward has been the.most popular man in the. word during the.-past six. months."-?: Hon.;' IVTrask. of "Nelson. , ' ,'■'■■'■;■ .;. ..■.'■■■■■'■■'.,.■ .■■.'■ ''■■■'■ ■'The'real reasons' why timber "Vas deari'de-. clared Mr. , Ell' (Christchurch .South.)',-who: wm, imfember of the Timber Oommiesiori, wereth* growing, inaccessibility'.: of .the'- mills,, increasi in royalties, and'the Undoubted fact 1 : that then, had "been a xsombinatibn to .harden prices >n:* good many districts.;: .V; .•:;'.',■> .v-i'V-.-v I, '; ■•V^