POLITICAL NOTES.

Evening Post, Volume LXX, Issue 37, 12 August 1905, Page 5

POLITICAL NOTES.

PUBLICITY v. SECRECY. The p"oinl was made by Mr. Taylov during the debate on the Estimates last night that members of Parliament were practically the auditors of public expenditure, and he urged that they ought to have the right to see all vouchers, instead of being absolutely refused all in« formation. The Premier replied that, one reason against Mr. Taylor's request ■was that one of the public vouchers hud been lost, and that its loss caused great consternation and trouble. It was, he added, discovered in the possession of a member of the House, having been taken out of the Government Buildings. (Laughter.) "How long ago was that?" asked Mr. Hawkins; who was informed by the Premier that it was "not so very long ago." He did not think it would be safe if members could have access to public vouchers at any time they liked. CAREFUL SUPERVISION. An attempt was made by Mr. Taylov last night to make the House fully acquainted with one feature of the careful supervision which the Government exercises over members of Parliament, and the remarks they make in their publio speeches. Freely paraphrased, Mr. Taylor's information given to the Hou.su (which, by the bye, has for long been a matter of common knowledge) amounted to this, that in the Government Buildings there is what is known as an Executive Library, the sole purpose of which in to keep a record of what members say to> their constituents, as recorded in the public prints. The usefulness of this Depart, ment, as explained by the member for Chnstdiurch, is often made apparent in the course of the proceedings of tho House, and the records there kept are available at a moment's notice for Ministers, who are able to confront a member M'ifh what he actually said, and also serve to inform the Government of the attitude of every member on practically every subject which is likely to come before the House. . Mr Taylor made a bigeffort to discover from what vote tho people who run this department are paid, but the Premier successfully bowled him out on points of order, and no information on the subject was forthcoming. The Victoria Quadrille Assembly Trill meet on Monday, 14th August, owing to the Hall being engaged on Tuesday. In connection with the Licensed Victu. allers' Association's annual ball, next Tuesday, a. tramcar will leave the Hotel Cecil station for Newtown at 2 a.m. oni Wednesday, and a later car at 2.45 a.m. Mr. J. S. Kelly, of the Christchurclx Press literary staff, has been appointed editor of the Grey River Argus. ■The assertion of Mr. R. J. Jeffrey, Board of Trade Commissioner, at oreBent on a- visit to the Commonwealth, that he regards Melbourne as ithe business centre of Australia (says ;tlva Australasian) has profoundly moved the Premier of New South Wales (Mr. Carruthers). On recovering from his surprise, Mr. Carruthere proceeded <to 6et Mr. Jeffray right. Ho pointed out that the population of Sydney at die end of 1904 was 518,570, or 10,000 in excess of that of Melbourne; that Sydney's oversea, export, and transhipment 'trade wat greater; that Sydney's banking clearances were £181,000,000, as against/ £167,000,000 in Melbourne; and thai •the capital value of property in Melbourne is £82,000,000, as against £96,000,000 in Sydney. In the absenoe. of statistics bearing on the mutter, Mr. Caixuthero cites the opinion of "quali- : fied persons " to tho effect that there I is more activity and that more money is being invested in Sydney in real pro> I perty, 'buildings, and in business gen> crally than is .the caso in Melbourne. A deputation from tho Sydney Labour Council lately waited on the Premier of! New South Wales (Mr Carrutheis) in reference to tho proposed Arbitration Act Amendment Bill. Mr. Hughes, M.H.R., stated that tho effect of the High Court judgment was that in nine cases out oil ten the preference clause was absolutely useless to employees. The members of a union could know nothing except through their secretary, while non-unionists were continuously notified when employee! were wanted. Mr. Carruthera, in reply, said that on common grounds of citizenship unionists should have equal righta with everybody else. It was intended Ig exclude from the Court petty and trifling matters that had brought arbitration into disrepute. At the same time, unionism ought not to bo 'allowed to create a privileged class, mid to create another clas* which would practically be oitr.tcised. He would not go to the extent of saying that because one man joined a union lie should have the privilege to work while tho same privilege should bo denied to another man. ■ On the occasion of the anniversary oi the Prahran branch of the Australian Natives' Association, tiie Prime Minister made an important speech. At the outset, he said that he noticed that great attention was being devoted by tho Association to the question of defence. This was forced upon them by the events taking place in their neighbourhood, which would result in a call upon them in a short timo to give a careful and cautious reconsideration of tho whole of that excellent system they now possessed, with a view to making it adequate to the necessities of tho early future. That was afcisk which ho Hoped they would np« proacb. in the same way as had a people of a kindred Btrength. in circumstances oi greater danger— tfio gallant peoplo of (Switzerland*