NEWS AND NOTES.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 893, 12 August 1910, Page 6

NEWS AND NOTES.

A PARLIAMENTARY TRAIN. i. 1)1 compliance with a petition presented by Mr. Glover and signed by thirty-eight members of both brandies of the Legislature, the Government lias decidcd to run a special train from Wellington to Auckland in connection with tlio winter show in the northern city. Tho train will leave AVellington to-night when the House rises (some time between 10 o'clock, and midnight), and reach Auckland oii Saturday afternoon. His Excellency the Governor, the Prime Minister, and the Hon. G. Fowlds and Mrs. Fowlds will not travel by the special train, but will leave by the ordinary express on Saturday morning. .SOUTH ISLANO EXPRESS TRAIN. Speaking in the House on Wednesday night, Mii. Buxton, M.P. for Geraldine, deprecated the running of. the one day through express train between Invercargill and Christchurcli. He pointed out that as a result of tho -service a number of the previous stopping places en route were cut out. It did not seem to ■ liim that there was any compensation for the disadvantages to settlers. Only a very few people who had urgent business used, the express, and he thought the matter should be looked into from a financial standpoint, and see if the present service paid.

THE FINANCIAL DEBATE. •It is generally anticipated that the Financial Debate will conclude to-night. The debate, it will be remembered, was. commonced on July 26. It was lengthened for some days, however, by tho want-of-confidence motion. In the event of the discussion ending to-night, the debate as a wiole will have occupied eleven sitting days. Up till last night there were 18 speakers who had not contributed to the discussion. They were; the Hon. A. li. Guinness (who is prevented from speaking in view of hia position as Speaker) and Messrs. Clark, Colvin, Davey, Dillon, Hon. T. Duncan, J. Duncan, Ell, Greenslade, Hall, Hanan, Hardy, Jennings, ICaihau, Luke. Hon. R. M'Kenzie, Myers, Ngata, and Rhodes. Of, those mentioned, a large proportion have intimated their intention not to make. speeches.

THE VACANT CHAIRMANSHIP. It is noiv: reported in the lobbies .that members oil the Government side will bavo a free hand in connection with, the pending election of chairman of committees. No further caucus will, it is vstated, be now held to discuss tho matter. 'From what can be gathered, the Government' members will simply be asked to support the candidate who, in their opinion, has the best qualifications for the position.

JOTTINGS. Referring to the. prevalence of informal .petitions yesterday, the AttorneyGeneral (Dr. Findlay) remarked that it would save x a lot of timo if children were not allowed to sign • petitions. He had recently received a petition almost entirely signed by children. Another speaker, referring to the same matter, considered the trouble was due in a great extent to the fact that men l were paid to get these petitions- signed.

"I hear some of my friends behind me smiling." Such is tho acute sense .of hearing of Mr. J. Vigor Brown, M.P. for Napier.

Education and an inherent, shrewdness has transformed ■ the Natives in tho Hawke's Bay from spendthrifts to saving citizens, according to Mt. J. V. Brown's observations.

, In a naive admission to Mr. Massey last evening that he had. not read the whole of Mr. Lloyd-George's Budget, Mr. J. Vigor Brown informed the House that it took him. all his time to keep in touch with the House and the wants of Hawke's Bay. After doing this, and getting his natural amount; of sleep, taking a certain . amount of . exercise, and getting a little enjoyment,-he had not time. to read the Budget referred to,' much as it might improvo his mind.- -