THE LAST DAY.

Evening Post, Volume LXXX, Issue 134, 3 December 1910, Page 5

THE LAST DAY.

■ <m WORK AT PARLIAMENT. SUPPLEMENTARY ESTIMATES DISCUSSED. MR. MEIKLE'S CLAIM FOR COMPENSATION. Weary and pale from loss of sleep, t members of the House df Representatives returned at 10.30 o'clock to-day to the places where they had been, kept tilJ after sunrise on the Estimates, chiefly as the result of a drab desolating "stonewall" set up by the recent "revolutionaries," Messrs. Ross and Poland. The- obstruction, after blocking business from 1 o'clock till 4 o'clock, was suddenly broken up with, dynamite. Motions to cut out trotesfor roads in Mr. Poland's electorate wrought a wonderful change. The revolutionaries at once surrendered, and their silence was monumental. They were much chaffed subsequently for the inglorious ending to their long tirade. At 5 o'clock this morning the first item of the Supplementary Estimates wai passed, and the House then agreed to take five hours' rest. At 10.30 the "Supplementaries" were resumed, bub progress was not rapid. Some members, langourousand jaded at the outset, began to find some second wind. A special stimulus came just before 12 o'clock, whon the Assembly reached the item "Compensation to J. J. Meikle- in full and final payment for wrongful imprisonment, £5000." The merits of fcho well-known case were again discussed, and thfe item iouud support on both sides of the House.' When the House resumed, Mr. T. E. Taylor referred to Bellamy's, urging that it was not right that people other than members should have access. Sir Joseph Ward agreed, and said he would have- definite regulations made before, next session. COST OF HINE ENQUIRY. Surprise was expressed by Mr.' Massey <U the item £1500 for the cost of the .nine enquiry. a*™ ose P n Ward said printing • cosh ±"300, -shorthand writing and otner attendance £350. Possibly the sum was £200 above requirements, but no more ■would be expended than was necessary. VARIOUS SUBJECTS. ■On the subject of the Vancouver mall [ service, Sir Joseph Ward said that the whole matter^as standing over until an arrangement could be come to between Canada and Australia. Mr. Herries referred to the item of &3000 for new sawmill at Kakahi. Why should such a large sum be required, he asked, seeing that the mill had only just been purchased. The Hon. J. A. Millar replied that practically a new plant was being installed. He t would issue a bal-ance-sheet nexb year, and he was sure it would show a profit. There was an area, of 17,000 acres available,( besides the actual area now being cut out. Mr. J. Allen asked the Native Minister what he was going to do about the Cook Islands in regard to recent statements concerning the administration. He thought a responsible Minister or official should visit the islands and see what was going on. The Hon. J. Carroll saidi h« ha<t already indicated that he would go to the Islands, and full enquiry would bo made into the administration. The Prime Minister, in answer to Mr, J. Allen, said he had already given instructions for the first triennial investigation into the position of the Superannuation Fund. Mr. J. Allen said there was an. uneasy feeling that the auditing by the audit officers of local bodies' accounts was not sufficient to safeguard the interests of the public. Sir Joseph Ward pointed out in cases of recent defalcations the fact that th« account* were wrong had been discovered by the audit ofiicers. Mr. Hardy made an eloquent appeal for an increase of the salary of Dr. Valintine, Chief Health Officer, he urged, had done most valuable wont for the Dominion. Mr. T. E. Taylor ur«ed that more attention should be paid, by the department to the question of pure food, and' to the issuing of low-class foods under high-class labels. If adulteration was going on the public had a right to ba protected by the Department. The Hon. D. fiuddo said there were quite a number of prosecutions under this head, especially in regard to milk. The department was also making prefiarations for instituting prosecutions in regard to other articles of consumption. Sir Joseph Ward said the Government fully recognised the valuable work done by Dr. Yalintine, but i'u was not usual to deal with the larger salaries on the Supplementary Estimates. THE MEIKLE VOTE. When the Meikle vote was reached Mr. Anderson (Matanra) moved lhat the amount proposed to be voted (£5000) be reduced by £4999. Mr. Anderson said Parliament had already struck out this vote on a previous occasion, and he thought it should not have been placed on the Estimates. Sir Joseph Ward said there was the 6nding of the^ Royal Commission to guide members in regard to this case. Two Supreme Court judges had, after full enquiry, given it a.s their opinion that, had the facts as given to them been placed before the judge and jury when Meikle was charged with sheep-stealing, there would never have been a conviction, nor would Meikle have been sentenced to a long term of imprisonment. Such being the case, he thought it was an obligation on the country to see that this man received compensation for the injury he had received. Sir Joseph admitted that Cabinet was divided over this problem, and that there was a division of opinion outside the Government. It was his opinion, however," that the matter should now be settled once and for all. The finding of Justices Edwards and Cooper was quite clear on the poiut of M*>ikle'a innocenc*, and the House should agree to the amount of £5000 being passed. Mr. Fisher said he was convinced of Meikle's innocence, and everyone who had read the finding of the Royal Commission must admit that the man had spent seven of the best yeais of his life in prison for a crime he had never committed. Mr. Hogan also agreed that the ilousa should settle the Meikle question onca and for all. The member for Watiganui took the opportunity of referring to the case of Oliphant Hughes, who has been petitioning Parliament for enquiry int-j his case on the ground that there had been a miscarriage of justice. Mr. Lang said he hoped that Parlia* ment would pass tlu 1 vote, since Meikl© was clearly innocent, and therefore aoserving of compensation. Mr. Anderson urged that, if the vote wa-s passed, the principle would be estabhslied that every man acquitted of a crime, or suffering wrongful arrest, would be entitled to compensation. Mr. Anderson reminded the House that £500 had already been granted to Meikle, and that in 1908 Parliament refused to pa«a a similar sum Mrssrs. Buchanan, T. A. Taylor, and R. A. Wright supported the vote. Mr. Malcolm took up the attitude that every time a court passed a mistaken verdict, the Dominion as a whole should not be held responsible. k Me> F- H. Daypx asked who was go-

sng to receive this money if ifc was passed— would it go to Mr. Meikle, or to a syndicate which was alleged to have come on the scene to make a profit out of Mr. Meikk's trouble? My. Luke said he did not .believe that the money would go to a syndicate. However, to allay all suspicion, it would .be advisable to invest the £5000 in Government bonds, and give Mr. Meikle the income. Mr. M'Laren mentioned that he was a member of the first committee set up in Wellington to assist Mr. Meikle to get justice, and he had not heard anything about a syndicate. Mr. Buick, while admitting that Mr. Meikle was entitled to some compensation, held that £5000 was too large a» sum. The motion to cut down the item by '£4999 was lost by 28 votes to 15. Mr. Anderson then moved a reduction by £4500, and was defeated by 29 yotes to 17. Mr. Nosworthy moved the reduction of the item by £2500. Mr. Malcolm said he was opposed to any recognition of such a claim. There were other claims of a similar kind which had not been met. He would .would absent himself and take no part jn the division. The motion to reduce the item by '£2500 was carried by 26 votes to 18. The vote to Mr. Meikle will therefore be £2500. The division-list was as follows :—: — Noes— Buddo, Carroll, Ell, Fisher, 'Guinness, Hervies, Hogan, Jennings, Lang, Laurenson, Lawrv, Luke, Macdonald, M'Laren, Millar," E. H. Taylor, {Ward, Wright Ayes. — Allen, Buchanan, Buick, Clark, Craigie, Dillon, Hon. T. Duncan, Field, Fraser, Guthrie, Hall, Hardy, Hogg, Eon. T. Mackenzie, ' Massey, Newman, Nosworthy, Pearce, Phillips, Reed; ■Ross, Scott, Smith, Stallworthy, Steward, T. E. Taylor., , RAIN-MAKING. At the item £50, in connection with rain-making operations at Oamaru, Mr. Massey objected to the Government lending itself to this "tohunga business" in an enlightened age. Sir Joseph Ward said that on the last occasion dynamite and other explosives had been used, the experiment had been successful. Mr. Massey : Why, it was raining before the experiment was made. The vote was passed. OTHER ITEMS. Mx ! . Herries asked who was the medical officer, London, for whom. £100t> was Voted. Sir Joseph Ward said that was the ealary of the ex-Chief Health Officer who tad been retrenched on the arrangement that he should .for a year examine the immigrants for New; Zealand. In answer to Mr. T. E. Taylor, Sii Obseph Ward Baid the sum of £2000 on Ithe Estimates would be divided beWetn ifche free art galleries of the four centres. Mr. Anderson moved to reduce the jtotal vote for the class by £5 as a protest against the proposal to pay Meikle |£2500. This was lost on the voices. Mr. Hogan then moved to reduce the (vote by £1 as an indication that the .Government shpold 'introduce Itgislatum (to provide for appeals in. such cases, as (that of Oliphant Hughes, of WanganuL Sir Joseph Ward mgreed, and the reduction was carried. Some members are doubtful as to the termination of the session to-night. It 5s expected there will be a fairly lengthy debate on Imperial matt-era when the Appropriation Bill is introduced. When The Poet went to press tbe House was etill discussing the Supplementary Estimates.