POLITICAL TOPICS. NOTES AND COMMENTS.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXII, Issue 28, 2 August 1911, Page 4

POLITICAL TOPICS. NOTES AND COMMENTS.

MR. MASSEY AND THE LATE MR. T. E. TAYLOR. A STATEMENT WITHDRAWN. In concluding his speech on the Ad-dresa-in-Reply last night. Mr. Mas-sey said ho would like to refer to a personal matter. Last session, in the heat of debate, he referred to a statement which had been made to him some years ago with regard to the late Mr. T. E. Taylor. He need not, Jie said, recall the circumstances. Ho intended to deal with the subject when he went to Christchurch some few weeks ago to ad* dress a political meeting, but he had not the oppor Lnnity there. "I wish to say now." ho remarked, "that 1 withdraw j the statement unreservedly, and 1 re« gret having nude it." The Hon. G. Fowlds, who followed Mr Massey, ssid he was veiy pleased iadeed to hear the statement of the Leader of the Opposition. He thought it was right that the matter should be dons with. THE DIGNITY oFthE COUNCIL. The absence of the Attorney.Genfral and the consequent appointment of the Hon. James M'Gottan, an ex-member of the Ministry and present member of the Upper House, as Leader of that Chamber was responsible for a brief explanation last evening. Mr. M'Gowan stated that he had been asked by the Prime Minister and the Acting-lMme Minister to fill the breach, and that he thought he Would haVe the assistattco of members until such time a-s the Hon. Sir John Findlay rettti-ned. The Hon. J, E. Jenkinson hastened to assure Mr. M'Gowan that he would, but the Hon. John Eigg, who is always a stickler for procedure, took the opportunity to vemark that if t^e council had been fa* voured with such £ ines&age &e'it hitd a right to expect a.»d receive from the Government, no explanations Woutd have been nectary. He was not quite certain even then that the Council should hot have some message from a Minister of the drown in relation to the matter. Apart from that, he did not think then, was a member who was more capable to lead the Council than the hon. gentleman. Then the Council proceeded to debate the Address-in-Reply, and forgot about its rights and its privileges. COOK ISLANDS ADMINISTRATION Messrs. C. M. Dawson, Rupert Husking, and W. K. Reynolds yesterday petitioned Parliament; asking that im* mediate steps should be taken "for th« removal of the "Resident Commissioner of the Cook Islands. They claim that th« commissionsr is deficient in the necessary qualifications for his office, and that he has shown a want, ot tact, dig nity, vericityj and justice. Further, they ask, in view o( the present alleged unsatisfactory state ot affairs in the Cook Islands Group in legal, social, and moral matters, that a properly constituted ( commission of enquiry should be appointed at. an ehrlydate to publiclyinvestigat* the complaints nnde against the administration of the Islands. A FATAL ACCIDENT. Ella Lyoil, widow of Mr. Horatio Lyon, who wae killed at Trentham c-n 26th January, 1911, when _ returning from a race meeting, petitioned the House yesterday for a compassionate allowance for the assistance of herself and her invalid daughter. She men' tioned that her husband 1 * estate realised only £281. The late Mr. Lyon wae .a' well-known figure in sporting circles j for many yearn. At one time he waa eecretary of the Wellington Racing Club. A FRACAS IN WELLINGTON Ex-Constable H. W. Glyiin y««!*rday petitioned the House for an enquiry into his compulsory resignation from the force as a result of 'a prosecution for allegedly roughly handling an individual whom he was arresting for unseemly behaviour while drunk on 26th January last in Wellington. He ckims that the decision in his ca«e "ie enough to frighten- any constable from doing hie duty at night in preventing drunken men from disturbing the peace." In short, he asks that he should be te* instated in the force, or provided with "a suitable poaition in the public service," or such other rodrees as' tfye House considers right and proper. REGISTRATION OF PLUMBERS. A deputation from the Plumbers 1 Federation waited on tho Minister 'for Internal Affairs (Hon. D. Buddo) last night with a request that he would paso the t Plumbers' Registration Bill this cession. Their" chief anxiety wae to ensure that a license granted a plumber in one centre should hold good in other parts of the Dominion, and that a G<>v« eminent certificate ehould be granted which would enable them to pursue their calling anywhere. They also urged that the holding of certain outside certificates should entitle a plumber to be registered under tbj Bill. The MiV ieter said that the etamblirtg block was that a plumber working in a email inland town would scarcely be- qualified to undertake plumbing in a. large centre. It appeared to him that the Bill arould have to specify the lines of a Government examination. A member of tJie deputation said they agreed that the standard for the Government examination bhould be the highest required in regard to a knowledge of technical details. On that understanding, the Minister eaJd he would submit the' Bill to the Government for consideration.