POLITICAL NOTES. TIME'S CHANGES.

Evening Post, Volume LXIV, Issue 83, 4 October 1902, Page 5

POLITICAL NOTES. TIME'S CHANGES.

According to several speakers in the Legislative Council last night the work done by that Chamber on the Government Railways Superannuation Fund Bill has been received with much approval by railway employees throughout the colony, and has served to greatly increase the popularity of the Upper House. It was stated that a number of employees who had given evidence before the Council's Select Committee on the Bill had admitted that their previous erroneous impression of the Council and its work had been quite dispelled. The Hon. J. E. Jenkinson emphasized the difference between these flattering references and the opposition shown to the Council a few years ago, when petitions were circulated praying for the abolition of that Chamber, lie also read a letter .from a Christchurch worker who mentioned that the feeling had so changed thai they were "seriously considering the question of petitioning for the abolition ot the Lower House !" IMPLIED PROMISES. Complaint was made by Mr. Hogg yesterday of what seemed to him to be a breach of faith on the part of the Govern- ■ ment in not having provided the money for certain necessary works in his electorate. He said that if his view was correct, not only had settlers been placed in a serious position by implied promises to him, but he had been the subject of a cruel farce. The Acting-Premier's reply was that there must have been some mistake. If any great hardship had been inflicted, no doubt it would receive due attention. WAS IT VALEDICTORY ? A certain amount of significance haa been attached to the speech 'of the Hon. W. C. Walker in the Legislative Council last night, and there are not a few who regard it as his valedictory speech as Minister for Education. After thanking members for their invariable courtesy, in the past, the Minister said the charge was sometimes made against the Council that it had no business to do. The difficulty was to determine what business should be introduced in the Council first. He did not deny that for calm and judicial consideration of Bills, the Committee work of the Council could not be surpassed, but objection was often raised to certain measures originating in the Council. He, however, had tried to do his best. ("Hear, hear!"). Coming to his own Department, Mr. Walker said that after reading some of the comments on his administration he would have liked to have been a member of the Lower House to have had the opportunity of meeting some of his commentators at the game. He went on to detail the changes he had brought about since he took charge of the Education Department. He had been satisfied to go along in a quiet, useful way, but what he was most satisfied with was the assistance he had been able to give to the District High Schools all ovejr the colony. (Hear, hear.) He had been able to establish in this colony the beginnings of a system that had made Scotland's education system the success it was. He would also like to see Scotland's bursary system introduced in this colony, In conclusion, the Minister said he could confidently say that education in New Zealand had not suffered at his hands since he held the portfolio. NEW ZEALAND TRADE. A question of considerable importance was put to the Acting-Premier last night on the subject of New Zealand trade. The member for Waihemo wanted to know if the Acting-Premier would enquire what prospects there are for extending profitable direct trade to the west coast of England and Scotland; and, also, whether he will consider the propriety of granting a subsidy to shipping companies by way of encouraging the shipment of New Zealand produce to the ports of Cardiff, MancheAter and Glasgow. Sir Joseph Ward replied that enquiries were made on the subject by correspondence with the AgentGeneral, but no reply had been received to a letter he sent on the subject on 31st May last. RTFLED KITS. The Acting-Minister for Defence was asked by Mr. W. Fraser last night what stops he intended to take to recompense those troopers whose kits were rifled at Somes Island. The Hon. W. Hall-Jones, in reply, said the kits lost were private property, for which the Government was not responsible. He expressed the belief that the kits were rifled by the Lascar crew while the men were ashore at the lunch given in honour of their arrival. ARBITRATION COURTS. The attention of the Acting-Minister for Labour (Hon. W. Hall-Jones) was drawn by Mr. Atkinson yesterday to the serious inconvenience caused by the infrequent sittings of x the Arbitration Court. The Minister, in raply, said he thought thp position could be improved if the President of the Arbitration Court was limited to thai work only, and had no Supreme Court work to attend to. MUNICIPAL LAW. When the Legislative Council's important amendment to the Municipal Corporations Bill in regard to the width of streets in the subdivision of property came before the House yesterday afternoon, the Acting Premier said he thought the new clause, already fully described, dealt- with the difficulty fairly. Mr. Hutcheson, however, protested that it was practically a re-enactment of the most obnoxious clause in the Public Works Act. Mr. Atkinson, on the other hand, thought the clause an improvement on the law as it at present j stood, but the question was, did it supersede it? ■ The Acting-Premier said that as there was an objection to the provision, he would move that it be disagreed with, ihat course was' adopted, and as the Legislative Council .decided not to insist on the amendment it is dropped. When the Council met ngain at 8.20 p.m. the Hon. F. I[. Frasor sought to get the Council to agree to a Conference on' the matter, but it Mas intimated that he was too late— the measure ' had gone to the Governor for his sigmflure. COMPLIMENTS IN THE COUNCIL. There was rather more of the customary felicitous speches than usual m the Council last night. Members were unanimous in complimenting the Speaker (Sir Henry idiller) on the admirable manner in which he had presided over the affairs of the Council during the two quinquennial periods now drawing to a close, and in expressing appreciation of iha manner in winch the .Minister for Education had represented the Government in the Chamber, lhe Hon. J. E. Jeukinson was among those to express surprise that the }■ mister should he able to get through so much work, considering that he also had to nitencl to the many duties pertaining to the : Education portfolio. "'ln fact, it is high time the Government realte-cl that some assistance should be given." said Mr. Jenkinson. The lion. W. M. Bolt expressed gratification at the critical spirit having increased in the Council, for lie believed it vastly increased its value as a revising chamber. Every member who spoke bore testimony \o the excellent services rendered by tha Council s clerical staff, and the Hon. J lligg w;..s among the first 10 urge that the Committee Clerks should b* relieved of portion of their work, on winch they brought to ueai great ability and courtesy, thb Won. K. H. J. Reeves went further than the other speakers, and also congratulated the Lower House and the country on the manner in which the Acting-Premier had conducted its business. The Hon. \V. C. Smith was also congratiihted on his SUCCCSS in his first vmu -am Ohnirivian of

Committees. In due course the Speaker, the Minister, and Mr. Smith replied, and thanked members for the assistance given by them. When the Council met at 10.5 p.m., the Hon. Captain Baillie, speaking with forty-one years' experience of the Council, congratulated members on the decorum and good feeling that had characterised the session just ending. Though he could not see members he wished them all a hearty good-bye. The Minister spoke of the great pleasure he felt at finding Captain Baillie so brave and cheery in <he face of his one great affliction, and he hoped the hon. member would be with them for many sessions to come. ROADS DEPARTMENT. The Chief Engineer of Roads (Mr. O." W. Hursthouse), in his first annual report, states that the expenditure on. roadworks has increased during the past ten years from £99,920 in 1891-2 to £367,325 for the year ending 31st March, 1902, which, was an increase of £62,600 over the expenditure of the previous year. This increase is due to the continuous extensi- c land settlement during the period, and to the fact that the construction of roads to give access to lands is far more expensive than it was in the earlier part of" the period, because the lands now going on the market are as a rale in very much more hilly country than at earlier dates, anfl therefore are more expensive to road. One of the most difficult problems the Department is endeavouring to solve is the economical metalling of roads in places remote from hard rock or shingle. Attempts have been made with bumfc clay and burnt papa rock, with the result that a material fairly well suitable for the purpose has been produced, but tho cost in most cases so far has been so great as to prohibit the extensive adoption of the system. The number of men employed on the roads of the Depai-tment at Ist April, 1901, was 2950, and at 31st March, 1902, ifc was 832. CLOSING SCENES. The closing hours of the session last night were the. dullest on record: While the House was waiting for the Appropriation Bill to be passed by the Legislative Council, an attempt was made to carry out the time-honoured "mock Parliament." Mr. Napier assumed the role of Speaker, and for two or three minutes members made some feeble attempts to be funny, but did not even succeed- in amusing themselves, much less the occupants of" the galleries. Then the " mock Parliament" died from sheer inanition, and members wandered out into the lobbies. While the # House was waiting for ther Bill to come back from Government House, Mr. Pirani was put in the chair, and he succeeded in livening things up f6r a bit. ' His example infused a little life into members, and Mr. J. Stevens was so infected with the general hilarity that he sang a very lively "dirge" in Maori. An invitation to the Minister for Lands to sing' a song led Mr. Willis to object that "We have enough to put up wit"h without that." Mr. E. M. Smith attempted to give a lecture on II 11I 1 a mineral resources of New Zealand, but he was promptly interrupted by the ringing of the bell for the House to resume for its final duty, and Mr. Pirani vacated the- chair amid applause — a tribute to the smart way in ■which he had carried out his onerous duties. The Appropriation Bill having been received from the Governor, complimentary speeches were made regarding Mr. Speaker and the retiring members, Messrs. J. Hutcheson, Pirani, and Carncross, all of whom made appropriate and happy speeches in reply, and at 10.35 p.m. the curtain was rung down on the session of 1902. JOTTINGS. A number of petitions from returned troopers asking for grants of land for military services have been referred to the Government for consideration. The House yesterday -agreed to the amendments made by the Legislative Council in the Workers' Compensation for Accidents Act Amendment Bill and the Public Health Act Amendment Bill. Tenders will be called for the Mangaweka Bridge as soon as plans have been prepared. The low-level bridge at Mangaweka -will, it is expected, be finished about the end of this month. It is hoped that the revised syllabus of instruction for the standards in the public schools will be put into force in January, They will be previously circulated among the Education Boards and tho Teachers' Institute. • Reporting on the petition of E. 6. Jellicoe, who prayed " that the evidence of J. H. Brown be taken, re maladministration of the Prisons Department, as he is leaving the colony," the Public Petitions Committee says it heard the evidence produced* by Mr. Jellicoe, and after a personal inspection of the Wellington prison and brickfields at Mount Cook barracks, is of opinion that Mr. Jellicoe has failed to establish his charges. Therefore, the Committee has no recommendation to make. The eight stud horses of the Government earned £355 17s in fees in the season ended 31st March last. The petition of R. Crawford, of Palmerston North, for compensation for the shooting of his son at the Feilding volunteer encampment in January last, has been referred to .the Government for' favourable consideration. '. The Petitions Committee has no recommendation to make on the petition from some fifty persons for a license for the sale of spirituous liquors in the Kawhia district. In the past ten years, 335,564 acres of Crown land in the colony have been sold for cash, and 639,677 acres converted into freehold, the revenue received being £701,358. The largest area sold for cash in any one year was 58,725 acres in 1901, while lasfc year's was 27,300, ranking amongst- the lowest. The largest- area converted into freehold in any one year was 85,492 acres in 1899, and it was in lhat year that the largest revenue was received, £81,384. Last year the revenue had fallen to £59,576, the lowest since 1893, when it was £52,164. So much had been heard in the Council earlier in the session in condemnation of the Hansard work, .that it was quite refreshing to hear the Hon. H. Feldwick pay a very high tribute last night to the' smart and accurate reporting of the Hansard staff this session. ,