FIFTY YEARS AGO

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 144, 20 June 1931, Page 11

FIFTY YEARS AGO

ITEMS FEOM " THE POST "

WELLINGTON M.P.'S

"Last'session the Government.introduced a Bill to provide for the more* equal representation of the people ! of this Colony in Parliament. With tho main, principle on which that Bill was professedly based —the' appointment of Parliamentary representation to population —we cordially agreed and do agree," remarks "The Post" of this date fifty years ago. "But we were wholly unable to approve the system by] which it was proposed to carry out this theory in praefiee. The schedules to the Bill directly violated its fundamental principle. They, presented the spectacle of certain favoured constituencies enjoying a member to 2000 persons/ while other localities had to be content with one to 8000.' Obviously, then, the former would have fourfold the Parliamentary representation of the latter. ' Suffice if to say .that while; certain Taranaki districts were deemed absolutely to require a member to every; two or thiee thousand inhabitants, Wellington was regarded xas well off, and, indeed, liberally treated, in being awarded one to every seven or eight thousand. Tho proposed Te Aro district is to have qne Parliamentary representative, and the same number of people in Taranaki are to have three." The editorial article quoted Jrom then, goes on to point out what an injustico it would be to Wellington to divide it up as regards its Parliamentary ro-" presentatives. '' We shall content ourselves for the present with impressing upon our representatives in Parliament that a grievous injustice will be dona to Wellington if it is split up into three small constituencies, instad of_ beinij adequately represented as one important city, the capital city of ,the Colony." LICENSINO BILL. "Unless the members of the Housa of Representatives can make,up their mind to deal with .the Licensing Bill in. a different spirit and in a different manner from that in which it has so ,far been treated, the fate of this important measure may bo regarded as scaled. If we are to witness a repetition of the last few sittings, reckless cutting and slashing, the Bill is doomed. It i 3 being seemingly sacrificed to all sorts of impracticable crotchets and crazy, fads. . . At present our law relating to this matter is in a.most discreditable and unsatisfactory state. It is cumbrous, inconsistent, and inadequate to; a degree. The new Licensing Bill repeals, wholly or partially, no fewer; than fifty-one Acts nqw in force in-/the. Colony, all bearing on this one subject. It is a fact that we have one Imperial Act and fifty Colonial Acts relating to the liquor'traffic now" in operation ia New Zealand. Of these, four, were issued by the Governor and Legislative Council before the Constitution was granted; fourteen are Acts of the General Assembly, their , dates exefiding from 1854 to 1875. The, remaining thirty-two are Provincial Ordinances, namely, one of Wellington,.',two- of Auckland, and Marlboro.ugh, four of Taranaki, five of Canterbury: and Nelson, and seven of Otago.; [It is surely; time that all this variety and, inconsistency- in the law on one :of, the most' serious social questions should be dona away with,- and, at- least, uniformity.established, if nothing more is-attain-ed;" „;: . ■ • .•■••■•>■■ '.EXPRESS TRAMS! "Since the Teccnt alteration in the tram arrangements many have been struck with ;tho remarkably reckless speed at which the cars are being allowed to travel, and questions are being asked in all quarters as to whether no , measures can be adoptee! to put a stop to the practice so fraught with danger. An instance of the unusual rate . at which the trams now perform tho .iourney between Newtown and the railway, station at Pipitoa Point occurred this morning. Tempted,-by the fine weather and desirous .;' of ; obtaining a little exorcise, a gentleman -jumped off tha. tram opposite the Caledonian Hotel, Sussex Square, with the intention of walking to the establishment where he is daily employed, and which ;ia situated near tho junction of Willis street and Lambton quay. He arrived at his destination,' after a sharp walk, exactly six minutes in advance of the. tram that he had quitted. Jokingapart, therefore, it will be conceded, that so long as the present arrangements continue to exist, the tramway; will cease to attract the large number of passengers for whom, the companyj has so excellently catered in the past. Business men will say to themselves, "I'm in a hurry to-day; I can't afford to take the tram," and the proprietors of ordinary vehicles may thus in tho end bo encouraged to get up a little opposition by running cabs at regular intervals throughout the day." THE WHOLE STORY. "The air of New Plymouth has lieea thick lately with rumours of an attempt to' blow up the Town Hall. An auger hole was found under tho Town Clerk's office, carefully covered over. «by the door mat, and was doclared by experts to be just the proper diameter to admit a good-sized fuse. The police were communicated with, and. at.their instigation 'the" -matter was kept very quiet, a strict watch being maintained over the premises. Suddenly all tho excitement and mystery were cruelly: dashed to the ground by the naive confession of the librarian that' ho himself had bored the. hole in order to let tho water escape which came in v at the back door in wet weather! The Taranaki people breath freely otcc more, and. that is the whole aUity." : LOCALLY MADE CEMENT. "Impressed with the promising appearance of materials procurable in. Taranaki, an enterprising gentleman is sending a shipment of about fifteen to twenty tons to England in order to have the materials made into cement with a view of testing the matter thoroughly. If the rejiort of the manufacturer on its quality and capabilities proves to bo of a satisfactory nature, it is intended to start cement works immediately and to carry on the manufacture with all vigour. This is a very important matter for the colony, and if the results of the present experiment are favourable, the permanent estab« lishment of a local and valuable indus-. try may be looked on as certain. If so, it will be of immense benefit to New. Zealand." PEOZEN MEAT EXPORT. "A meeting was held yesterday.of the committee appointed to sfwvsisS**1 the question of exporting frozen meat. It was resolved to request the Government to instruct sheep and cattle inspectors in tho colony to procure full information as to the number of fat stock in each district', the number exported, the probable increase during the next two years, the number boiled down,1 and tho amount of local consumption. Such information ought to prove very, valuable in arranging for the export of frozen meat, an industry] which should prove to be of immense value to New Zealand." CITY COUNCIL TENDERS. "The council next proceeded to open tenders. Th%re was only one''for tha lease of the Town Hall reserve. There wore eight for the erection,of ; the fire brigade station, Newtown,'and' six for laying water mains at^ Wainui-o-mata. There were thirteen tenders for tho erection of tho Hutt bridges."