POLITICAL GOSSIP.

Evening Star, Issue 14689, 5 October 1911, Page 3

POLITICAL GOSSIP.

[From Otm Paru'amkktabi Rotobtbb.] October 5. HARD UP! . "There am ?o many vile mbatalprofnts go-big through the Dominion in regard to,, the administration of various departments, and it ie- the duty of members to nail the thing homo. ai;d see who is to blame, Vagne misstatements aro being made particularly in the outlying districts, and I don't knew who is at the bottom of-them." Thus f-pak(j Mi- Jennings, in semi-apology for having brought "before the Government's notice the" case of an applicant for an old ago pension. This man, who lived near Wanganui, after repeatedly failing to get anj' reply from the Registrar in refcrenco to his* application, got a friend (a lawyer) to make personal inquiry at Wanganui, tho alleged result being that the Registrar said he had beer-, iu.-rtruoted to hold bade aJI fresh applications for pension*, as there was no money with, which t<i pay tho pcn&ioiis. The Government denied that such instructions had ever been issued by the pension authorities. LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

At Tuesday's sitting of tho Legislative Council the following measures were read a second time:—Hutt Railway and Road Improvement Act Amendment Bill, Hauraki Plains Act Amendment Bill, Patents, Designs, and Trade-marks Bill, and the i Sir Donald M'Lean Memorial Park Bill. The Mental Defectives Bill passed its final stages. At yesterday's sitting the University Degrees Bill 'Sir 0. M.'ORorke), to give the University Senate power to confer degrees of divinitv, was rejected by 18 votes to 4. THE ETERNAL SETTLEMENT QUESTION. During "Qu-wtion time" Mr Forbes cordially patted Mr Ross on the back for having put, the following important question before the Government—viz., whether they j will make provision for proclaiming suitable districts, towns, and railways as "close settlement areas," within which districts land would be- available only iu " living" areas, and the holding of large blocks of undeveloped land would be cifectually discouraged therein. Mr Forbes mentioned that very often, when deputations asked the Minister of Railways to give better railway facilities at waysido stations, the reply was that the tratlic would not justify it. The trouble was that the land in the vicinity of the railways was held in large areas. He quoted Amberley, in his own district, us a case in point. The horu member mado this question the basis of an attack on Mr Massey, who, he remarked, when approached on the matter, said that it would be better first to cut up the huge areas of native land.—Mr Hanan declared that if the people knew the number of big holdings —over 50,000—they would effect quite a revolution by means of a referendum, if one were permitted them on the subject. OTAGO MINISTER AND MEMBER. "A conspiracy of silence, is what tho Government want," declared Mr Malcolm. " They resent criticism of any kind." Th. 6e remarks met with a storm of interjeclion at the time, and later they brought a fairly warm reply from Mr Millar, who paid the Government did not fear criticism, but wanted fair criticism. The Opposition's trouble was that they had nothing to criticise, and therefore had to set about manufacturing something. A RUN OF LUCK. Once again the Government outmanoeuvred the Opposition in the first step towards going into Supply. This time Mr Sidey was the member they put up with an intercepting motion to stall off one from the Opposition. Mr Herdman was, as usual, first on his legs, but he again made the mistake of being too soon, ior he rose before Sir James Carroll moved to go ir.to Supply. Mr Sidev timed his uprising hotter. But Mr Herd man seemed to be oven more unlucky in not catching Mr Speaker's eye than he was on Tuesday. Very possibly the explanation may be that Air SiuV''s seat is immediately in front of the Cia.K He is in the direct line of sight, v.'iue Mr Herdman is somewhat to Mr Spenk-r's left. Once again Mr Herdman's amendment goes luck, still a secret urireveukti. Mr Sidey's motion was—''That it is in the interests of both the Government and the residents of the City of Dun !i;i and the Borough of St. Kilda that assistance should be given towards the protection and improvement of the foreshore at Ocean Beach. Dunodin." Mr Sidey spoke only a few minutes to this. He claimed that it was the duty of the Government to undertake protective works at this fine beach. He informed members that two bodies controlled the 'foreshore—the Domain Board and the City Council—and that the board had done excellent work, while the council proposed.to erect buildings at the St. Clair end. Tho Hon. T. Y. Duncan seconded the amendment without making a speech, and it was put and lost without further debate, Mr Sidey not even calling tor a division. There was net even any il>-bate on the original motion to go int.i Supply, and the House thus_ got on to the Estimates again with a minimum va?t« .->t time. TARAXAKI'S HUMOR. The first Class taken was that of Agriculture. Mr Okev at once called attention to the Press Association message sent j out announcing the. Hun. T. Mackenzie's ! candidature for ixunont. in which the j Minister said that the Government medi- | tated a big agricultural programme, and | naturally he would like to represent an j agricultural constituency. Mr Okoy is not ■ the best of readers, 'but he seemed to | extract a certain amount of amusement out I of tho paragraph both for himself and his j Opposition confreres, even Mr Dive, j Members, however, .-:oou settled down | to discussion of the serious business ! of agriculture—from Angora goats and \ noxious weeds to rabbit" inspectors and i veterinary surgeons. In this connection j Mr Allen mentioned that the. Dominion ; should educate and train her own voteri- i nariacis, and that the prop.->- place, to do this would be at the Veterinary School at I Otago University. The Minister said tho ! Government had not yet made up their j mind on this departure. | A WARNING BEACON. I ''J am not- going to ask the '.Minister of Agri-culturc" to commit hara-kiri," said Mr ! Rc-i-t. "Wo till know what happened on j ■the eve of the last General Election over | tho alleged dairy regulations." The member I for Pahiatua went on to urge that the Go- j v«rument should do something in tho way of j cow-testing, gently at first, and more firmly j afterwards, with ihe object of preventing i the constant salo of useless cows, ;ind the ' constant bringing into tho world of a use- | less, worthless class of dairy stock. THE RABBIT PEST. | '• Ls it not time something was done to I absolutely exterminate rabbits from New j Zealand ?" asked Mr Wright, on the Agricultural Estimates. This"very simple, pro- | posal put forward by Mr Wright, a city ! member, caused a good deal of amusement j among country members. He explained ■ that some scheme would be worth while, j see.ing that it cost tho Government nearly j £30,000 a year to keep the pest in check, j ONE CENSUS. . | The census returns for ihft Cook and \ other islands (except Nine, I'aimerston, j and Pukapuka) show that thoro were 7,373 i natives and half-castes and 171 British- ! born and foreigners. 'Thus the total popu- | lation of the islands for which returns" havo > been received is 8,049, and if tho islands oi j Nine, PalmersioiL, and Pukapuka are taken at tho figrrres of previous census, 3,822, 82 and 435 respectively, the approximate population of the annexed Pacific Islands will be 12,388, as against 12,340 in 1906. Rarotonga shows a largo increase, which can be accounted for by tho arrival of ' largo numbers of Mangaians as laborers, and also arrivals from Tahiti and other French islands of natives who have como to Itaratonga to settle. Soma of the subenumerator's reports as to the difficulty of < getting exact information from the natives ! are rather amusing. I