POLITICAL NOTES.

Evening Post, Volume LXVIII, Issue 89, 12 October 1904, Page 6

POLITICAL NOTES.

BY TELEGRAPH. ONEHUNGA, 12th October. Sailed— Rarawa, for New Plymouth. Passengers — Mesdames Roberts, Wilson, Dr. Brown, Messrs. Nicol, Stewart, Coiner, Fcigusou (2), Wynne, Llewellyn, King, Buckelton. "GBEYMOUTH, 11th October. Sailed— Pareora (12.10 p.m.), for Wellington. PUPONGA, 12th October. To sail— Tasmnn (11 p.m.), for Wellington.

GOVERNMENT CAUCUS. A meeting of the Government party was held this morning, fof"ty-one members being present, and the balance accounted for. The official report states that the utmost' unanimity prevailed throughout the proceedings. It was agreed that it would be necessary to pass" a> short Laud for Settlements Bill. It was decided that the Electoral Bill should be passed. The second ballot proposals in that measure Tfrere not favourably received, but it was felt that some alteration of the present system should be adopted. The proposal to increase the amount of a candidate's deposit met with a mixed reception. It was stated that a Teachers' Salaries Bill will be brought down ; also a High Commissioners Bill, and that the Lands Commissioner will be appointed as soon after the session as possible. Members were informed that every opportunity would be given for the passing of local Bills. No Bills were struck off the Order Paper, but some were given preference, including Trade Monopolies Prevention, Shops and Offices, Payment of Members, Midwives, Referendum, Native Land Rating, Fire Brigades, Railways, Authorisation, Land for Settlements, Electoral, Public Health Act Amendment, Weights and Measure^ Amendment, Rating Act Amendment, Mining Companies, University Degrees, and Native Land Duty Abolition. The understanding was that the session would close early in November. A DIFFICULTY SURMOUNTED. A curious position was evolved out of the proceedings of the House yesterday afternoon. Without any .comment the House went into Committee on the Shops and Offices Bill, and the Speaker left the chair to allbw the Chairman of Committees to take charge of the proceedings The Chairman, however, was not in the Chamber, and after a wait of several minutes the Premier, in a tone that im plied "I've had enough of this," moved that Mr. M'Nab take the chair. The proposal was a reasonable one under the circumstances, and quite usual, but the Leader of the Opposition happened to be in what may best be described as a "Standing Orders" mood, and he wanted to know who was going to put the question to the House it a division was called for, seeing that the Speaker had left the and the Chairman of Committees was not in his place. He did not want to be unpleasant, he observed, but he wanted the rules of procedure to bo observed. The question somewhat staggered the Premier, but eventually ho pointed to the Speaker, who was still standing behind the chair, and suggested that in that personage lay a solution of the difficulty. It did. Mr. Speaker resumed the chair, put the question in due form, Mr. M'Nab took charge, and business went on as usual. THE GOVERNMENT 'AND LABOUR DAY. Ever since the inauguration of Labour Day the Premier has steadfastly refused to agree to the House adjourning even for the afternoon of that day, although the Council has all along deemed that the proper thing to do was to adjourn, at any rate for the afternoon. When the House was ready to adjourn this morning, however, Mr. Barber, in the interests of the employees, moved mat the adjournment be till 7.30 this evening, and broke all records by carrying his point against the Premier by 33 votes to 25. For once, therefore, the Representative Chamber is consistent, and will not sit during the hours which the Labour Party is devoting to merriment and congratulation. , , THE STATE AS SHOPKEEPER. Another phase of the State as shopkeeper flashed momentarily across the proceedings in the Legislative Council yesterday, resultant upon a motion by the Hon. W. M. Bolt for a return giving information regarding the "farmed-out" mineral springs of the colbny. Supporting the motion, the Hon. G. Jones put in a plea for the people who want to drink something lighter than whisky and who have to pay through the nose for natural mineral waters. He thought the Government sliould reserve to itself the right to supply, these waters at a low price to the public, which was often unable to afford a visit to R^otorua, and which w ; is afflicted with ailments that the waters would alleviate. The Attorney-General, who did not oppose the motion, quite agreed that the Government might preserve the springs, but that it should enter into business as a dealer in Kamo and Puriri . Well, that was rather steep, and he was sure that such a proposal would meet with strong opposition in Parliament. TOWN v. COUNTRY— A PROPHECY. The role of prophet was assumed by Mr A. L. D. Fraser yesterday, and he also uttered some strong remarks on the city labour member who affects to be the best judge .of what his country cousin ought to be provided with in the way of legislation. "We are on the eve of a great conflict,'" he observed, "on the question of whether a few narrow-minded city members shall be allowed to dictate to the country." Then he proceeded to deal with certain city labour members. Whether the subject was land, capital, or labour they posed as authorities Living in the midst of civilisation and all its manifold conveniences they knew nothing of the difficulties of the dweller in the backblocks or of what he wanted or of what was best for him. He wondered what would happen to certain members if they were carried off in a balloon and dropped down in the backblocks. "You would never see them again," interjected a country member in contemptuous tones — a remark amplified by Mr. Fraser, who drew a lurid picture of carts and horses being lost in the mud of the backblocks roads (so-call-ed), of the unbridged rivers that have to be crossed, and of the uncertainty of supplies reaching the settler when the weather is bad. Such people ought to be encouraged and not penalised by any legislation that might be passed. In conclusion he expressed an earnest hope that the country will rule the colony; otherwise, he added, "God help New Zealand." The agitation for labour legislation came from a class of men who, he declared, are "living on the game," who were "the curse of labour," and he .predicted that that fact would soon be recognised by the colony at large. Some remarks in a similar strain were made by Mr. T. Mackenzie, who declared '"We have had enough of this interference," and urged that the towns could legislate for themselves if they liked, but they should leave the country alone. It meant a country party versus a town party, for the country party's limit of patience had been reached.