POLITICAL GOSSIP.

Evening Star, Issue 14988, 23 September 1912, Page 8

POLITICAL GOSSIP.

[From Our Parliamentary Reporter.] WELLINGTON, Sep! ember 23. NOXIOUS WEEDS PROBLEM. ;. According to the Prime Minister, the Government have no intention of repealing the Noxious Weeds Act, but wish to see it administered fairlv, not with severity. During ihe past year £3,C00 was voted oy Parliament for the purpose of eradicating noxious weeds, and £543 was expended. A great deal more ought to be done than had been done previously, and the Government were accordingly asking for £O,OOO this year. The Prime Minister also stated that it was intended to get Crown land rangers to undertake the duties of noxious weeds inspectors, their salaries to be jointly borne by the Agricultural and Lands Departments. TELEPHONE ADVICE. Country settlers who are enterprising enough to provide themselves with private telephones will appreciate the action of Mr G. W. Russell in asking the Post-master-General if the P. and T. Department would approve of its telegraph linesmen advising settlers upon the erection of lines. The Hon. My Heaton Rhodes has replied that the department has no objection to linesmen giving advice to those desiring it, but it cannot, of course, be held responsible for the - advice given. "Officers of the engineering branch generally, •' added the Minister, "are at all times ready to advise settlers on matters connected with telephone lines, provided their duties are not interfered with." SLOW PROGRESS. Prospects of the session ending accord*-" ing to the date fixed by the Ministerial prophets are becoming more and more remote. Ahead are many important Government Bills not yet introduced; al«o the Public Works Statement and the Eduon y e P artm , ent ' s ™tes, totalling £1,106,201, on the main Estimates. The Land Bill and Defence Act Amendment are expected in a few days, but there is a feeling that until the crisis is over at VVaihi the Labor Bill will not be circulated llie Legislative Council resolutions have also to be discussed. How this big programme can be carried out in six or seven weeks .js a problem. Probably the Prime Minister will find a solution in abandoning the idea of short sittings, and carrying torward a good deal of the legislative work to the middle session. SETTLEMENT OR RABBITS. " I admit that there is a heavy expenditure going on in connection with the destruction of rabbits," remarked the Minister ot Agriculture, in response to inquiries, but he went on to say that rabbits had to be kept down, and they had to pay for the work. He was strongly of opinion that the proper way to keep the pest down was to encourage the settlement of land, .and he was out to settle all the unoccupied land possible. SPEECHES FROM THE TRIBUNE. The difficulty which even members themselves experience in hearing correctly the remarks made bv manv of their fellowmembers across the House and the double difficulty which members of the Press Ga lery experience in hearing anything intelhgiole whatever on numerous" occasions were again emphasised bv a suggestion made on Friday by the Hon. Mr Buddo whale speaking on the Estimates. "I think the House," said the member for Kaiapoi, " would do well- to adopt the French system, in which even- member goes up beside the President of the Assembly, and delivers his address from a position where he can be well heard by everyone in the Chamber. Under our'system, by which every member delivers his speech from his own place in the House, it is often well-nigh impossible for the greater number of his fellow-members to hear anything intelligible at all, especially when there are any interjections being" made, or, as is now' often the case, other members are engaging in conversation amene themselves." Alt hough at the time no other hon. gentleman added his voice to the suggestion, t*is is not the first occasion on which a similar sentiment has been expressed: in fact, in the present session members have expressly asked per-I mission to address the Chamber from a central position, so that their remarks might be heard, and not continuously- be interrupted by cries of '• Speak louder" and " Can't hear a word." which froquenlly form a running accompaniment to a