POLITICAL GOSSIP.

Evening Star, Issue 11697, 1 October 1902, Page 3

POLITICAL GOSSIP.

[Fbost'Otta PAstiujaUiTiaY BsrosTm.l ,' ' ' ■ «* . / ' WELLINGTON, October 1. ""RAILWAYS 'SUPERANNUATION FUND. Bather than ran the risk at this stage of the session of losing so important a measure .as the Government Railways Superannuation Fund Bill, the Acting-Premier intimated yesterday afternoon that he would accept "the Council's amendments in that measure.—The Bouse followed Sir Joseph's lead, though; bn'Monday evening' it had decided to resist.the amendments and ask for a conference. The amendments mainly were a slight alteration in the scale of contributions, and excluding the Manawatu Railway Company's employees from benefits of past services'should,tie line be acquired by the Government.; THE CORONATION -CONTINGENT.

The dispute between tho Audit and Treasury Departments r© tho draft of £3,000 for which Major Pilcher cabled to London provoked a discussijn occupying the wholij afternoon sitting of tho. House yesterday. The Treasury wanted the\amount charged to the. General Imprest Account in London, but the Auditor-General maintained that it should be charged to the unauthorised expenditure.' The. dispute was referred to the Public Accounts Committee, and settled in the usual way by a majority vote in favor of the Treasury. When the matter was reported to the Houso it provoked a long and somewhat acrimonious debate, which is somewhat' significant, coming in the dying days of the session when the "feeling of unrest" has taken possession of members. Many Government supporters expressed unusual independence in criticising the statement that the Coronation! Contingent's visit to the Home Country will cost the colony £IO,OOO or more. Messrs Eornsby and Fisher were especially virulent in their remarks, and the latter, in the course of his observations, said that his portion as chairman of the Public Accounts Committee had become so irksome—m consequence of his differing froni the Government over this matter and their determination to compromise with the Midland Railway debenture-holders—thot he had decided that he could not accept the position in another Parliament.—Mr M'Nab said he wished the people of the colony distinctly to ■understand that the whole disputa was in regard to whether the money should have been charged to general imprest or unauthorised. No doubt, he added, that at the elections the statements recently circulated making a. nasty insinuation against the Premier would be revived, and it should be made clear that those statements had been proved wholly unjustifiable. The Public Accounts Committee's report was adopted.— "Why were the members of the New Zealand Coronation Contingent detained in London after the Coronation celebrations were over on August 9? " dramatically asked Mr Fisher in the course of the discussion, and then he informed the House that, according to an English newspaper in his possession some members of the contingent attended the peregrinations of the Princess Eangi Pai Concert Company, and regularly danced hakas.—(Laughter.) This was no laughing matter, because the taxpayer of the colony was paying the piper. Princess Ranjri Pai, it should bo explained, is Mrs Howie, a daughter of Colonel Porter, who W3s chief of the Coronation Contingent. BULL-DOZING A MEMBER. Some weeks ago Mr Homsby though* he " smelt a rat" in connection with a £3,000 grant for Coronation Contingent expenses, and he called a secret meeting of members to consider the matter, when his plain duty, as laid down by the Minister of Works, was to go to the Acting-Premier privately, and ask him plainly about it. The member for Wairarapa told the House the result of his action. To quote his own words: "I,as a member of this House, was bull-dozed. I was met on several occasions by opprobrium and threatening. I am perfectly certain that these efforts that were made to scare me were made not at the instance of the gentlemen who sit on the Treasury benches, but so large a hold has this ' cnr3e of party' got upon a large number of the members of this House that whenever a man does what lie believes to be right, this party business rises up as a ghost in his path, and he is first cajoled, then threatened, and then bulldozed.'' , . : ,_■ METHODIST CHURCH. The Dunedin measure, of which the Act-ing-Premier has charge, to give statutory sanction to the change of name of the Wesleyan Methodist Church in New Zealand, was read a second time in the House last evening. MILITARY PENSIONS. The House last night passed the Military Pensions Bill, which amends the Military Pensions Act, 1866, and extends its piovisions to the last three contingents despatched from the colony to South Africa. The Acting-Minister of Defence, explaining the measure, said that it also extended the time within which a pension or gratuity would bo granted from six to twelve months after the date of injury. That provision would meet the wishes of several members, 33 expressed in a recent debate on the pension to Mrs Colonel Francis.—Mr James .Men expressed disappointment that the Government were doing so little to bring our military pensions law into line with tho English Act. He regretted that the promise to make this Bill cover the whole scope of the Royal warrant had not been fulfilled, and he urged that this colony should not be behind the Imperial authorities in the matter of generosity.—The Acting-Premier said that everybody was desirous of seeing' our returned soldiers treated with consideration and generosity, and the Government were doing what was generous, just, and right towards them. A second pension was now really provided, as the men also got a pension from the Imperial authorities.—After further debate, tho second reading was assented to. RAILWAY' EXTENSION. In moving the second reading of the .Railways Authorisation Bill, the Minister of Works said it was a formal measure, giving authority for the construction of the Helensville northwards, Gisborne-Karaka, and Callins-Seaward Bush' Railways extensions.—Several members urged the construction of railways in their respective districts, and against this it was urged that before commencing new lines the main lines of the colony should be carried to a payin" point.—Mr Ell thought that owners of pr£ perty opened up by the new railways should be made to pay some of the cost of the lines, which added considerably to the value , ol the estates, and in this connection it was \ stated that speculators in Southland were £**."?£ 'JP land in the neighborhood of the toes foHasajufe. there., in. the'expectation of a consequent rise in value.—On the motion of Mr Symes, tho debate was adjourned by 38 to 22.—At a later stage of the evening the second reading of the Bill was agreed to without further debate. MINOR BILLS.

The Pharmacy Act Amendment Bill, ■which provides for a fee of 10s a year being contributed by these registered by the Pharmacy Board, U> enable the Board to carry out their functions, was a second time, as was the Tauranga Educational Endowment Eeserves Bill. The Inebriates' Institutions Amendment Bill was read a secand time without debate. The committal of the Native and Maori Land Laws Amendment Bill was agreed to a short debate. COMPANY DIRECTORS.

IS was decided to disagree with the amendment made by the Councd in the Cojnpanies Amendment Bill whereby a director m arrears in his calLs for fourteen days ceases to hold his office. THE PUBLIC HEALTH.

Ihe Acting-Premier, in moving the second reading of the Public Health Amendment Bill, explained that he intended in committee to_ strike out clause 81, giving the Governor-in-Council power to order vaccination on outbreak of smallpox. Mr Bollard protested against the increased rates cast'on the contributing bodies by the Publia Health Department.—Mr R. Thompson, speaking to the rate imposed under clause 6, said the Health Department must have gone mad, and he urged the Minister to chop the BiH—Mr Wilford also strongly objected to thefretting power allowed under the clause (2d in the £) for the purposes of the Public Health Act—Tie Colonial. Secretary,: " ITI i reduce '% to a halfpenny.'

Several < members objected to the Bill, Mr Collins sayinpr its tendency was to depopularise the Public Health Department.—Sir J. G. Wafd, in reply, said he was willing to accept reasonable amendments in committee, out if there were serious objections hi w,ould have to hold over the,Bill till next session. It was an important measure, and ought to go through.—The second reading was agreed to. MUNICIPAL REFORM. The Acting-Premier, in moving the com mittal of the Municipal Corporations Bill, said that when-the measure was in «remittee he would propose an alteration in svbsection Bof the clause; A .-mistake had occurred in that clause whish would be disastrous in its effect. It related to the providing of air space, but as the subsection would operate it would involve in mipji a case of that of the Empire Hotel m Wellington an expenditure of £IO,OOO or £ls,ooo.—Mr Ell intimated that he intended to move in committee to give compulsory purchasing, power to boroughs and cities in regard to gasworks.—Mr Willis j also intimated that he would propose an I amendment in committee to the effect that any surplus profits from gasworks owned by municipalities should'be transferred te> the general. account.—The motion for the committal of the Bill was agreed to, and the House adjourned at midnight. TIED HOUSES. The debate on the Tied Houses Bill in the Council was brought to an end by the application of the closure, which -was carried. This is the first time the closure has been applied this session. ' Before the motion was put the Council was nearly counted out, only one in excess of a quorum being prtsent when the Council was counted by the Speaker, though several were about in tho lobby. Shortly afterwards Major Harris moved the closure resolution, which is—"That the question be now put without fi-rlher debate." This was carried, and the mam resolution—" That the Council no now go into committee on the Bill"—was promptly negatived by 12 to 17. JOTTINGS. " What is that dread which prevents people saving what thev want to say whenever the name of the Right Hon. Mr Seddon is mentioned?"—Mr Fisher, who has thioughout the sesrfon shown a decided aversion to the Premier. "Tho hon. member is suffering from an incurable bias."—Tho Acting-Premier on the member for Bruce,' owing to his invariably hostile criticism of Government legislation.

"It would have been better for Mr Seddon if he had never made that fatal visit to Sou hj Africa—fatal, I mean, to bis Eng'ish projects, whatever those projects may have been."—Mr Fisher on tho Premier's Coronation visit. The Petitions Committee of the House have referred to the Government for consideration a petition praying for the prevention of the publication by newspapers of the winners of sweepstakes and of "tote" and street betting. A further batch of anti-gambling petitions have been referred by the Petitions Committee of the Houi« to the earnest consideration of the Government. The Public Accounts Committee have no recommendation to make on the subject of the dispute between tho Auditor-General and the Treasury regarding a propositi to increase the appropriation for working railways, and as to the form of accounts of the Government Advances to Settlers Office.