POLITICAL GOSSIP.

Evening Star, Issue 14413, 8 July 1910, Page 2

POLITICAL GOSSIP.

[From Ora Pabliamentaey Rr.ronxEK.J

WELLINGTON, July 8,

THE WAY CLEARED

The Addtcss-in-Reply debate was speedily under way again in the House yesterday; There were .no discussions raised during the preliminary proceedings, as had bean the ease on Tuesday and Wednesday. Messrs Bollard, Pearce’ Jennings, Buxton, Hogan, Lang, - and Wright all worked in speeches, before the 5.30 p.m. adjournment, from which it may be judged that, none of Them sought to explore the extended time limit of an hour allowed in this particular debate. Mr Wright was the lengthiest, and ho finished off his remarks _ during the evening sitting. The Opposition's re-entry failed to’draw a Minister to his feet, and when Mr Wright sat down no one stirred, and Air Macdonald entered on his reply, which ho concluded at 8.20 p.m., and the first milestone of the session was passed. TWO LEASEHOLDERS.

“What side are you on?” interjected Mr Laurcnson when Air Wright was chatting Government Leaseholders about getting left an isolated squad when the Government changed front on the Land Question. Mr Wright is a Leaseholder, although an Oppositionist, and he said he was on the same fddc before, and noticed that Air Laurenson was on the same side as he used to ba. “Notwithstanding that his leaders have deserted him and left him as the voice of one crying in the wilderness," continued Mr Wright. “ yet he lias returned to the charge like a modern Jeffries, aud baa determined to carry on the tight, even if the odds are against him. 1 hope he will long be in the House to stand up for Ids principles. 1 wcifer whether his resignation as Whip had anything to do with the Land Question, and if he has seen that he can no longer associate himself with the Government oceans*! of their strange caprices on this question!” BARIT “TIES.” Air Hogan, like Air Clark, is evidently not too much enamored of the party system of government. In the couise of his speech on the Address-m-Reply debate he said that one of the uses of that debate was tint the Government might consider it as a

feeler to get an indication of the views ol members, and frame their policy accordingly when they brought down rheir -Financial Statement. “I hope,’ he continued, "that the Government will take some little hints from ms of the policy they should pursue. Though I do not arrogate to myself any right to dictate to the Government, I reserve to myself the right to vote as 1 think lit upon any measure brought down by them. LAXD ASSOCIATION'S. Many members, said Mr Buxton. were jubilant because they thought the Government's Land Settlement Finance Hill was a failure. He hastened to assure them that that was not so. "Yesterday.'’ said Mr Buxton. “I succeeded in putting through an association under the Land Settlement Finance Bill. I know two places where the money can be obtained, the survey is ■proceeding, and I hope that within the next fortnight the whole thing will be completed.”—(Hear, hoar.) NOT SUPERSTITIOUS. After tiie AddrcoS-in-Ileply debate had concluded the business of setting up committees began. Matters proceeded smoothly until the constitution of the Native Affairs Committee came up lor consideration. The Hon. Mr Carroll proposed to inctonse the number from ten to twelve members. Mr Herries said that this was not a ” party" committee, but he noticed that the proportional representation of the two sides of the House had not been maintained. Last session the Opposition had three members oat of ten : now they had only three cut of twelve. Mr Massey' followed' with the remark that same of the most industrious members in the House were not on the committees at all. Me Malcolm was only cn one committee, and it was an unimportant one. The Leader of the Opposition suggested that Mr Malcolm's name should be added to the Native Affairs Committee. Mr Carroll suavely suggested that twelve and one made thirteen, which was an unlucky number. "I am not superstitious,” said Mr Massey. Mr Carroll capitulated, "and Mr Malcolm was put on the Native Affairs Committee. AN UNPOPULAR TASK. The Petitions Classification Committee never attracted members, being unpopular with loth sides. The duty of the Committee is to go through the petitions presented to Parliament. "Send Jones's prayer to the A to 1, Petitions Committee, and Robinson's to the M to Z, or if a petition deals with railway matters to send it to the Railways Committee, and so on. Mr MT.ar'-n was- among the ten nominees suggested by the Hon. ]). Buddo. He objected, and li.nl ids name removed. Then Mr Wright also a died to be excused from doing duty on the Committee, which he described as "a farcial committee.” He said that the man who invented it should have been gibbeted. ”1 would rather go into the kitchen in Bellamy's and peel potatoes than go on this Committee.” ho declared with disgusted emphasis. "Any man who goes on that Committee belittles hi>s intelligence.” Mr Beddo roce and protested that it there was nothing to do Mr Wright could stav away. "1 want to work," said Mr Wright (with a strong emphasis on the word “work"), " nol to loaf.” Mr Buddo persisted that other members went on this Committc*'. "Put yor’r own mem bets on," curllv replied Mr Wright. A division was called for by Mr Buddo, and Mr Wright's j name was retained bv 39 votes to 26.

SOME PERSONALITIES.

Mr Massey ab once rose and said that

never in his experience had he seen a division called for to compel a man to go on a committee against his will. “We must put it down to want of experience on the part o; the Hon. Mr ISucklo.” said Air Massev, Another view was taken by Mr Rrasell, who said the division ' was duo to Mr Wright casting a slur on the House by saying he would rather peel potatoes in Bellamy's than go on a dulyconstituted Committee.—(Hear, hear.) M:

Wright began ins reply lav saying that he

had been aimtsed by Mr Russell's remarks. “You don’t look it,” said Mr Laurenson. grimly, and the stilly raised a burst of laughter. Mr Wright went on to say that he took the vote as an insult to him-

self, but ho would no to tho Committee and continue to do nothing. The Prime Min-

ister ])oiified nut that it was not unprecedented to cull for a division on such a <-t matter; also that the Opposition, and nc! f. the Government, iml called for the divit? 1 si on. “After all, what is all the row fy about?” he asked. Meantime, the Hon. CR. M'Kenzio hud made a reference,^.to Mr Massey's memory, which he declared was “short.” “I am not likely to forgot von,” wuu Mr Moiseev's retort. Tho rest

of the business of setting up committees was carried out smoothly, and after touching one or two other matters the House rose at 10.30 p.rn.

A niCKKRTON DISCIPLE.

Being given the opportunity before tho House rose, Mr Massey moved last uiirht —“That there be laid before this House all the correspondence that has passed between members of the Government and

persons either in this Dominion or resident

in other countries with refereiUA to the : Bickerton fund.” Mr Massey said'that he had been written to by a .'Queenslapd ' gentleman, a Mr H Aplin, who hud offered to contribute £1.009 to the Bicfcer--11 ton fund on condition that another £I,OOO j was given cither by the Parliament or the

; public of New Zealand, Mr Aplin was a total stranger to him, but claimed to bo a friend of Mr H. Rhodes, M.P. Mr Massey ■ said that he was anxious to see any corres-

pondence produced that dealt with sending Professor Biekcrton Home to obtaic recognition ■ for 1:U theory of partial im-

' pact. Tho Hon. G. Fowlds remarked that he : had received some letters from Mr Aplin, • but they were barely decipherable. Tho , Ministers asked if the letters Mr Massey , had received referred to an imaginary claim for ■ several thousands of pounds

against the New Zealand Government In . connection with wrongful arrest, or something of the kind—a.claim which was not at all likely to be successful.

Mr MaJssoy eaid that ho knew nothing of that: and Mr Powlcls informed him that this Queensland correspondent wanted to contribute his £I,OOO out of his claim against our Government. The Prime Minister said ho would place the correspondence on the table, and after mentioning that the only • other correspondence on this matter was with hhe'collectors for the Bickorton fond, he stated that a contribution of up to £3OO had been authorised by the Government, and would be remitted on the following day. JOTTINGS.

" I don’t expect the intelligence of the member for Auckland West to understand this,” said Mr Massey when Mr Poole exclaimed “Oh ’ while Mr Massey was explaining a technicality in procedure. “One of the greatest drawbacks to the railway service at present is the unfair method of promotion.”—Mr Hogan. “Wo don’t mind being blamed; we are used to that. I know wc are a bad lot; but wo don’t want you to pile up our sms and transgressions more than wo deserve. —Opposition Member Wright in reference to Government criticism. . “ There is not very much sense in debating any Addresa-in-Reply at any length on any occasion.” —Sir Joseph Ward. “ Anv promise made by the Prime Minister will be carried out unless the necessity for such a promise being given effect to ceases to exist.”—Diplomatic answer by the Hon. T. Mackenzie to Mr Buicks references to past promises of a dairying instruction school at Palmerston North. “ The time has come to stop the sue of lands, but not for us to stop borrowing, and so long as wo continue to borrow 1 shall favor the proposal to extinguish the debt by the establishment of sinking funds.”—-Air Hogan. _ "If there is anything Auckland requires which will pav, and there is money for it, I will vote for it; but 1 am not going to vote for a thing unless it will par. —Air WVurht. , . , . . “There is no reason for_ interfering further with our land legislation for some time to come. I did not see any necessity for introducing a Land Bill last session. Mr Hogan. “ 1 have been here for so many years that I begin to feel like a veteran.”—Mr Maaser.. “The Land Question is the question, whatever side of politics wo take. All Buxton. , ~ • t, i “As to the uses of the Address-m-Reply debate I am somewhat puzzled.”—Ms H "'What is the use of the Government r»uitin£ r money on the 1 estimates for backblocks "reads unices it is spent during the fine weather?" —Mr Hogan. " The Government arc largely respotismte for the unique position in which they find themselves on this Lind Question. —Air Wriuht. . " That hon. gentleman has been notorious in this country for a number of yearn for having a defective memory. ’ —Hon. K. M’Kenzio on the Leader of the Opposition. “ft is not necessary to bring people out, from the Old Hind to take up our land, as we have any amount of our own people ready and willing to go on the laud. Air Hogan. , , . The Address-m-Reply was spoken to in the Legislative Council yesterday by the Hons. W. C. F. Carncross, Scotland, and W T . F. Wigrani, who expressed the hops that the licensing of bookmakers clause would be repealed from the Gaming Act.