POLITICAL NOTES.

Evening Post, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 121, 18 November 1909, Page 2

POLITICAL NOTES.

MR. LAURENSON ON LAND. In dealing with the land question in his speech yesterday, the member for Lyttelton was careful to point out what ho considered to be the present position. Out of fifty Government supporters in the present House, he said that only twenty-one were supporters of the leasehold. In addition, there were two Independents who were leaseholders, and two Oppositionists. This mado a total of twenty-seven leaseholders out of a house of eighty members. Under the circumstances, what position did the Radical members find themselves placed in? This : -that if they threw over the present Government, they would let the Opposition •Party, under Mr. Massey, into power— the party which had declared in the press and on the platform that their first step would be to sell every foot of tho national endowment which was created two years ago, and consisted of nine million acres. The present Government had declared that it would not part with a single' acre of this land. In the matter of the other Crown lands, the Government— and he admitted it with regret— intended to part with them, but they were doing so on terms that would at all events secure a share of j the future increment to the State. If tho Opposition party got into power it would sell these lands at what was practically their original value. Outside the land question, he added, the proposals in the Budget had his hearty support. The new death duties, for instance, rep- • resented one of the most advanced proposals yet brought forward in .this country. Every sane Radical in the country should look at the Government's proposals from a common sense standpoint. In view of the facts as he had stated them, he asked what was the duty of every reasonable man? It was to hold on to what they had got on behalf of the democracy of the country. To take up any other position, and to attempt by any means to produce a cataclysm — the into power of those who would sell every foot of the national endowment — would be an act of treachery to the democracy. When the Land Bill came before the House, he had not the slightest doubt that the Radical members would put up a fight which would .show that the question should be considered in its relation to every man and woman in this country. | To carry the amendment would be to frustrate the very object in vjiew, FULL CRADLES. Members have-, during the course of the Financial Debate, been making occasional reference to tho question ot State j encouragement to large families. On Tuesday the Opposition Leader (Mr. W. F. Massey), informed the Prime Minister that "if he required to keep the cradles full he should go 1 about it in a sensible and busine3s-liKe way." Yesterday Mr. G. W. Russell suggested to the House the desirability of equalising taxation by putting a heavier tax xtpon married people without children than on thoso who are doing their duty to the S.tatc in bringing up large families. Last night the member for Hurunui (Mr. Forbes) fired off something" of a "bull" while dissenting from the proposal to give rebates to Crown tenants with families of four or more children. "The dairy farmer in the Taranaki district, for instance," said Mr. Forbes, "is far better off with a family of four than the farmer who has a family of none." CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTIONS. A petition was presented to Parliament yesterday by the religious sect kjiown as the Christadelphians, praying that adherents of that church should be granted exemption from tho bearing of arms. They protest agaixafc-fetsving "anything to do with politics, in wordy strite or in arms "bearing under any conceivable circumstances or conditions. >J OLD AGE PENSIONS. The annual report of the ,Old Age , Pensions Depaitment shows a considerable increase in the number of participants inytho scheme — the largest in any year since 1901. On 32st March lasfc there were 14,396' pensioners, including 691 members of the native race. This represents an increase of 827 on tlxe figures of the previous year.- During the year 2113 new pensions were granted, 1112 pensioners Wied and there were 174 ; cancellations. Out of the 14,396 pensioners 11,340 draw the full pension £26 per annum. Four persons only draw the minimum of £1 per annum. Of the pensioners 7487 originally admitted to the benefits of the scheme 2173 are still on the books. No less than 105 are 90 years and over, and two are centenarians. Since the Act came into force 36,428 claims were made and of these 27,730 were granted. Only 52 of the whole are whites bprn in New Zealand. The gross payments for tho year <vere £336,759 being-an <xccss on that of the previous year of £11,560. Since the Act came into force £2,404,515 has been paid away in pensions. Last yoa^ tho cost of pensions per head of the population was 6s lid. "The cost of administration for the year was £3098. Of this sum £3990 was paid to tho Post Ofiice for services rendered. GOVERNMENT AUDITS. On Tuesday the member for Inveicargill (Mr Hanan) gave notice to ask the Rime Minister whether it is a fact v that, after the books of accounts, bal-ance-sheets, etc., belonging to some local bodies and societies have been examined and certified to as correct by certain | Government auditors, false entries, muddled bookkeeping, and in some sa»ea fraudulent misappropriations of moneys on the part of some officials have been discovered? And, if &o, what explanation is offered or recommendations made by the Auditsoi v-Genernlv -Genernl in order to improve the system of audit inspection herein and secure proper detection of the condition in which books and accounts blonging to sbch bodies or societies are kept? A LICENSING MATTER. _Mr. T. E. Taylor wants to know : What is the present position of the allegations made in October, 1903, thatcertain members of the Ohinemuri Licensing Committee had been bribed by a firm of brewers in Auckland, and what enquiry does the Government propose to make in the matter? MILITARY TRAINING CAMPS. Apropos the intention of the Government to establish military training camps in both island Mr. Jennings has given notice to ask the Prime Minister' whether he will, when considering a site in the North Island for a permanent camp, take into account the advantages offered by the Waimarino Plains for such a purpose? The Waimarino Plains already belong to the State, and extend about ten miles in length and vary from four to five miles in width. A RECENT CASE. Arthur F. Wimsett, who was acquitted without a stain on his character /on a .charge of being concerned with Hemingway in the Wellington Post Officp robberies, is now petitioning Parliament for relief. He states that the expense of defending himself as an officer of the Department, and as an individual, before tho courts, has caused him to get into d-Oit. 0 THE HOSPITALS .BILL. . The Hospitals and Charitable Insii-

tutions Bill has made good progress in committee. So far the discussion has advanced as far as clause 106. The amendments made- so far have not been of a very important character. Clause 71 was altered to provide that d Hospital and Charitable Aid Board may lawfully grant relief to any person, and may contract to grant such relief in any : sanatorium it sees fit. The. Minister, in response to a request from Mr. James Allen, promised to introduce a new and less drastic clause in lieu of subsection 5, clause 77, which gives the Governor in Council wide powers to deal "finally" with bodies that have "failed to perform" their duties. In the course o.f the discussion, the Minister mentioned that he expected to introduce an amendment tips year, providing further safeguards for boarded-out children. He also proposes to draft a Bill providing that in out-of-the-way districts licensed hospitals should be permitted without a registered nurse. JOTTINGS. _ It seems that the declared leaseholders in Parliament are generally dissatisfied with the freehold and re-valuation proposals of the Government. Some have personally remonstrated, and many, if not all, may be expected to record then protest when the Land Bill reaches committee. "I am always in favour of taxing wealth when it gets above a certain amount." — Mr Herries. "I don't blame the Government in connection with r the land proposals. I .believe they have been forced upon them by public opinion, but I don't say that public opinion is right." — Mr Forbes. "He sees the worst side of everything. It's a craze with the hon. gentleman." — Sir Joseph Ward on Mr. J. Allen. "I am beginning to suspect every one," remarked Mr. Fisher. "Oh, no," promptly interjected the Hon. E. McKenzie, "that is not your nature." "Canterbury has always been to the forefront of the battle for the retention of the Crown lands. That is brought about by the fact that we have seen the wisdom of the reserves of land made in the early days of the province." — Mr. Forbes. ' "At the next general election a large number of men will be returned to this House who will say that the (leasehold is not to be snuffed out." — Mr G. W. Russell. "I believe that if a want-of -confidence motion were carried in this House it would even then be difficult to eject the Government from office."— Mr. Herdman. "What a splendid opportunity Ihe Government had in recent years of laying the foundation of financial stability." — Member for Wellington North. "I regret that the time should come when freehold should be the dominant note in the land legislation of this country." — Mr. Forbes. , "The influence of enthusiasm has been behind the Liberal party of the past. The Liberal party of the future wil' have to face- its election without that enthusiasm behind y it." — Mr. Forbes. Mr. G. W. Russell : "Maori land should pay its fair share of taxation." The Hon. A. T. Ngflta : "It pays more than its share now." "The perdition of political wrongdoing." — Mr G. W. Russell's epitome of the proposal to give the freehold to the Crown tenants.