FIFTY YEARS AGO

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 132, 5 June 1937, Page 17

FIFTY YEARS AGO

ITEMS FROM THE "POST"

PARLIAMENT DISSOLVED

"At a Cabinet meeting yesterday it was definitely decided to ask his Excellency the Governor to grant a dissolution." records "The Post" of this date fifty years ago. "It was also determined to inform his Excellency that Ministers would use their best efforts to pass the Hepresentation Bill into law, so ■ that the appeal to the country might be made under it. and that, to allow time for the new districts to be defined and the new rolls prepared, six months' supply should be asked for. His Excellency has intimated approval and has accepted the advice tendered. The position therefore is that a dissolution has been granted. The Premier will communicate the facts to the House tomorrow, and will ask for six months' supplies, which will enable the Government to carry on until September. In the Legislative Council the Colonial Secretary will asK" that the Representation Bill may be passed as quickly as possible. If this is agreed- to, it is expected that the elections under the new law will take place in August, and the new Parliament meet either towards the end of that month ,or the beginning of September. If the Representation Bill does not pass, however, or if the House raises objection to granting the supplies asked for, the dissolution will still take place, only it will be immediate, and an appeal will be made to the country under the present Representation Act. In that case a new Parliament could meet in July." ~. VOLCANIC DISTURBANCES. . , "There is little doubt that the effects of the volcanic eruptions and earthquakes mentioned in the news recently as having taken place in New Mexico and Arizona were felt in Wellington. ~ A day or two after the eruptions, the tide, when at half ebb, was observed to rush into the Hutt and Waiwetu Rivers to such a degree as to flood the refreshment rooms on the racecourse to a depth of several inches. For several days prior to and after the disturbances it was noticed that the tides were not only unusually high but also very irregular. These phenomena were due, according to scientists, to the volcanic eruptions. . In connection with this matter it is interesting to note that Dr. Falb, of Vienna, predicted that the first weekj of last month would most likely be distinguished by atmospheric or subterranean disturbances. It is rather unfortunate that the absence of a gauge prevented accurate registration of the tides in Wellington at the beginning of the month." THE DOUBLE HONORARIUM. "The members of ■ the present Parliament who seek re-election will have a strong economical recommendation to the good graces of their constituents, inasmuch for the second session this year they would be entitled to draw only half of the usual honorarium. The- Parliamentary Privileges and Honorarium Act, 1884, provides that when two sessions are held in any one year the amount of pay- • ment to be made to each member who j was in attendance,at.the first.-.of sueh■ ■vj sessions shall, in respect to his attend- J ance at the second of such sessions; be i only one-half of the full authorised honorarium. Ex-members who will have already drawn their £210 v/ill be able to impress upon the electors ; the fact that by re-electing them in i preference to any new candidate- the ; country will save £105. There are, however, a good many members whom it would well pay the colony to be rid of at even a much higher price." RELATIONS WITH KAROTONGA. "The Queen of Rarotonga has, we learn, written to Mr. Cadman, M.H.R., '■ asking him to forward a letter (enclosed) to his Excellency the Governor, containing a.request that the New Zea- ' land Government should appoint a British Resident at Rarotonga. It is understood that the Governor is in favour of making such an appointment, but cannot do so in consequence of the action of the British Government, who desire simply to appoint a Consul, who would, of course, be an Imperial officer, dealing only with the Home Government. The New Zealand Government would prefer this colony, to be brought into direct relations with Rarotonga." THE MIDLAND RAILWAY. "There is something very unsatisfactory in the position of the Midland railway question. Ministers admit that a new provisional contract has been entered into with Mr. Hoare, but they decline to divulge its provisions. They further admit that the directors of the company demand extra concessions, which will require additional legislation, but they give no indication as to what these concessions are. The old contract, which seems to have been practically abandoned in some respects. I in others is relied on, although it has 1 really expired by the effluxion of time, | subject to a power of revival or exten- I sion. The arrangements between the £ Government and the country appear I to be of the most indefinite character, I and unless Parliament will go further than the present law allows, there would seem to be little chance of ; terms being ultimately come to; yet. despite this, the company is importing J 1 large quantities of plant, and spending j large sums of money in construction , and survey. The Government, after much fencing, last night denied that ' the credit of the colony was pledged ' in any way for this expenditure; but we do not think that the directors of the company can be such bad men of business as to incur such expenditure without ample security for being recouped if the contract should ultimately lapse, and we fear that the colony will some day wake up to find that it is responsible for all the work that the company has done, and possibly for large sums of compensation as well, and be left with a partially-completed line on its hands, unless it is prepared to make some additional extravagant concessions."