POLITICAL APPOINTMENTS

Evening Star, Issue 18669, 25 June 1924, Page 6

POLITICAL APPOINTMENTS

Mn A, S. MAi.roi.3r, of Clutha, and Air Vernon Reed, of the Bay of Mauds, arc the new members appointed to the Legislative Council. Vo one will bo surprised.

The appointments are entirely conventional. Thev are in accordance with the oldest traditions which have governed such preferments in tic past. Loth new Councillors were rejected by the electors at their last appeal to them. Both of them, however, had given lengthy service previously in the Lower Llonse. Mr Malcolm was the more unlucky in his rejection. After he had filled ter yev* use. position of Chairman of Committees an adjacent seat was abolished, making an opponent who proved triumphant over him at Urn bust e’e-r.on just at t«e moment when, if he had been returned, the Speakership would have been his automatically. The defeat was less lamented ia this district following immediately as it did on Mr Malcolm’s espousal and most vigorous prosecution of a cause, in 11 to House and local politics, the success oi which was an injury to this part of Otago, and makes loss pleasure now probably for his own former constituents* than it aid in anticipation. Mr Vernon Reed was a liberal before he became a Reforme"; such converts are dear to political parties. Ho a-lso served on occasion as Chairman of Committees. Another ox-member—-and ex- Minister —of the Reform Party, Mr Lee, of Oamaru, to whom a place in the Legislative Council had been allocated by the prophets, has been passed over at this juncture. Has he forsworn even such peaceful politics for the future? Is the Government unmindful of his past services? Or does another fight for the Oamaru seat make the object of his heart? Mr Leo seemed such an unhappy fighter in the last ordeal, inordinately protracted as it was for him, that that final supposition might mean the ascribing to him of too much combativeness. The Government has been moderate in its nominations. The batch of new appointments which was made a year ago consisted of five members. The two new Councillors who have now been appointed will do no more than fill the places of two whom death has claimed since last session —the Hon. Dr Newman and the Eon. Charles Louisson. It may bo said also that there is no likelihood of their falling below the average standard of capacity and experience of the Chamber to which they have bean preferred. But if the Council could bo judged by the same canons as “ another place,” a natural question to ask from a public viewpoint would be why auy new appointments should be made now at all. The strength of the Council without them is forty members. That ought to be ample for a revising Chamber. But, sickness and absence make their continuous toll on a House oi veterans. Experience is gained at the expense oi regularity of attendance, and the numbers by which divisions are. decided can be very small. The new nominations may be necessary in those conditions. It is ten years now since an Act was passed by the Reform Government, which was intended to substitute an electoral for the nominative system. But affection for that reform very speedily cooled. It is not often now that it is even talked of. After its operation had been postponed from time to time the present position of the Act is that it is to he brought into force at a date to be specified by proclamation. And that date is as indefinite yet as the lime when, the cost of living will really fall.

A more important appointment which it is expected will be required to be made immediately by the Government is that of another .Minister. The Hon. Mr Guthrie, Minister of Lands, has been in poor health lor months, and it is understood that he desires relief from his portfolios. The selection of his successor, however, is not likely to cause any difficulties to the Government. The general opinion appears to he that Mr M’Lcod, member for Wairarapa, cannot lie passed over for the position. Ho is a practical fanner ami a keen debater, and as he comes from the same province as Mr Guthrie provincial jealousies would not be aroused. There is a groat need for a readjustment of portfolios that would cause them lo be more evenly distributed amongst the Ministry. Mr Coates has far too heavy a burden. Railways and Public Works would be enough for one man, and be has the Postmaster-Generalship, full of its own problems in those days, and Native Affairs m addition. It is remarkable how well he bears tho load, but he would be more than human if ho could keep always abreast of the requirements and complaints of such an accumulation of departments, and delays in examining grievances, when they arise, have played a, chief part in tho exasperation of Civil Service unrest. The tail of the Massey Government must bo very weak when such burdens arc imposed upon one of its leading Ministers.

At Port Darwin, the port of the Northern Territory, there is a meat works valued at £1,000,000, built by Vcstcys. It lies idle, a monument to an optimism not strong enough to overcome the hard facta of circumstance. Labor troubles are tile main cause of the machinery's inaction. Mr A. A. Paapo, who was shown over the works, was told that wages as high as £2O and £3O a week have been paid the workers from time to time; then would come a stop-work meeting, and a demand for another £5 or so, else no more work would bo done. So the works were closed down, and the Northern Territory stock is now sent to Manila to be killed and chilled.

At the annual mooting of the Dunedin Horticultural Society last night some beautiful flowers were exhibited by some of the members. Among the most beautiful wore same choice Poinsetlia pulcherrima, brought in by- Mr Exier, gardener to Mr Slmcklock, of Kensington. There were also several choice autumn and Christmas roses, exhibited by Mr Rodger.

The secretary of the R.S.A. (Mr A. C. Laing) reports that during the past few weeks he has had more applications from men seeking work than lie has had for some considerable time. They are mostly unskilled laborers and men wanting light work. The latter are those whoso war disabilities preclude them from taking any other kind of employment At present, however, light work'is very difficult to obtain. Mr Laing says he would like to place twenty disabled men, and would be pleased to hear from anyone who could offer them anything. Jewels worth thousands of pounds on the person of a neat little Chinese lady arc quite a common sight in the streets of Singapore and Batavia—especially the former —according to Mr A. A. Paape, who has come back from a tour that included those ports. The Chinese, with their superior business acumen, have, as have the Europeans to a numerically lesser extent, exploited the labor of the Japanese and the Malayans, who are hard and able workers, to their fortune. Rubber growing or the paths of commerce have been the wave of fortune to many, and “ they live up to it over there,” says Mr Paape. But socially there is a line that has nothing to do with money._ One is cither white or colored, and, if the latter, outside the pale of social intercourse.

Dunedin citizens are invited to regard as an event of importance the ceremony of turning the first sod on Saturday afternoon of this week —tho first sod of the site on which our Big Exhibition is to stand. The committee that has this matter in hand consists of men who know what the Dunedin taste is in displays of that sort; they also know what tho occasion demands, "and it is confidently predicted that tho spectacle will be well worth seeing. An advertisement in this issue sets forth such particulars as arc necessary'. No fewer than seven Jwnds are to take part. That in itself is an assurance. Our bandsmen do not turn out for foolishness. Mr Arthur Paape, of this city, has returned from a trip to New Zealand’s Near East convinced that the inhabitants of the Malay States and Java have much to learn in sanitation and cleanliness. In the ports at which his ship called the water supply was in every ease obtained from a communal source—a stream in which the town’s clothes were washed, ite citizens bathed, it? refuse dumped. Of a truth, as Mr Paape remarked, it is no wonder that the natives arc ravaged by tropic,Al diseases. The new conditions of life which face a young teacher who goes from tho town to take a country' school are often very trying. Board is" difficult to obtain, and often it is much different from what he has been accustomed to at home. In addition, his lodgings are sometimes a good distance from the school, and this entails a good walk to and from his work. An amusing story is told by a young man who was recently appointed as sole teacher in a remote school in Otago. Arriving at the nearest railway station some miles from the school he was in a quandary as to bow to get to his destination with his luggage, which was of a fair weight. There were no members of the School Committee to meet him and no kindly owner of a motor was to be seen. About the only person who was in sight was a bearded farmer, who was unloading chaff from a truck into his carl. Tim young fellow learned that the farmer lived*several miles up the mad which he had to take, and bargained for a ride if he assisted to unload the truck. This was agreed to, and tho young teacher set to work with a will. The task was completed, when another farmer appeared with a cart to unload his chaff. The second farmer gave tho news that he lived near the school, and offered a nde only on condition that the teacher assisted him. There was nothing else for it, so the young fellow had to strip off his coat again and unload a second truck before he could get to his school A sitting of the Native Land Court opened in Dunedin yesterday before Judge Gil fodder to deal with fifty-five applications for succession, partition, and probate. Pour survey charging orders wore made over Waikonaiti sections on the application of tho chief surveyor af* Dunedin. Probate was granted in the estate of TTonare Parata, late of PnkeWak:. Tho applications of Pani te Tan for Native Trustee orders were adjourned to Wellington. Successors were appointed to John Manta, Martha J. Parata, Sarah Palmer, Tikini Pahu, and Raniera Erihana._ Waikouaiti reef ion No. 43 vJ3 partitioned. In reply to Mr Ellison, tho judge said that tho tribunal had not yet been set up to investigate the Ngailahu claims, and to decide "who are entitled to participate m tho compensation, but probably their Native members would urge the matter forward as soon as they reached Wellington. The coart sat again to-day. A general meeting of the. Artillery Band, Southern Command, was held in the band room. Central Battery, on Monday evening, when it was definitely decided to enter for tho New Zealand'championship contest to bo held at Auckland next Febniarv. During the evening a presentation of" a travelling rug was made to Mr A. Walker, who is leaving for Auckland. Mr Whelan, in making the presentation, said that Mr Walker had been a member of tho hand for tho past five years. The conductor (Mr E. Franklin) referred to the loss of such a keen and enthusiastic member. Mr Walker suitably responded. “It. would have been better for this man, His parents, and society if he had died on the field of honor, said Mr Alpers on behalf of 'Robert Thomas Ratal lick, who appeared before Mr Justice Sim yesterday for sentence on two charges of indecent* assault on a male (wires oar Christchurch correspondent). Mr Alpers raid that before 1915 Retallick was on Ids hack for thirteen months with tubercular cn-eare, which had undermined his constitution. However, he recovered sufficiently to go to tho war, and for a- time he served in the Ambulance Corps with (he New Zealand Expeditionary Force. Later he joined the Imperial Forces, and subsequently qualified for and was awarded a commission. Botallick fought so gallantly in action that ho was awarded; the Military Cross, and was invested with it by the King at Buckingham Palace. He returned to New Zealand suffering from a severe wound in the shoulder. He sought various kinds of employment, and eventually became manager of an art needle shop in Rangiora. Retallick was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment. Am Auckland Press Association telegram states that the balance-sheet presented at the annual meeting of the New Zealand Co-operative Rennet Company showed a loss on the year’s trading of £3,211, and an accumulated loss of £5,5*10. Tho directors are convinced that the company could, by certain alterations in its methods, carry on without further loss, provided that a larger output is secured. A motion by Mr J. Burton recommending the directors to favorably consider the. winding up of the company was lost on the. voices by a large, majority

The Rev. John Dawson denies the statement made by Mr Harris, ALP., that an honorable understanding existed between the Liquor and Prohibition Parties, and says most emphatically that there is not a pact in any shape, or form between the alliance and any other body. —Auckland Press Association telegram-.

In St. Paul’s Schoolroom last night the Orphans’ Club held a social evening. In tho chair was the vice-president (Mr W. R, Waters), who kept events moving With a swing. Songs were contributed by Messrs Gunn, Webber, Lyon, and Smith, recitations (by Messrs Flynn and Young, humorous songs by Messrs Watson and Evans, a sketch was given by Mr Wilson Brown, a story by Mr Balk, and Messrs Stewart, Kerr, and Banchoip contributed an instrumental trio. The orchestra, under Mr J. Dixon, gave several items. Mg Kum Tong, a Chinosb, was arrested this ° morning by Detectives Lean and Constable Hcise'on a charge of forging a cheque for £42. He will appear at the Police Court to-morrow, when a remand will bo asked to Christchurch, where the offence is alleged to have been committed. The Railway Board of Inquiry concluded its hearing to-day (says a Wellington Press Association telegram). I'urtber argument for and .against the claims for increased wages and" improved conditions wore heard. The board will now consider its recommendations. The hearing lasted a fortnight. A Greymouth Press Association telegram states that there were no cases lor hearing at the criminal session of the Supreme Court. A pair of white gloves was presented to Mr Justice Adams, who congratulated the district on the freedom 'from crime, and said that it compared favorably in this respect with other parts of the dominion. All material used in the const.ruction of the Big Exhibition is being treated by the (Jovernment as though it. were under (bond. Messrs Fletcher and Love hold the record, through their agents (Messrs JlC. Campbell), of being the first firm to lake advantage of Mils privilege, the first entry being passed on Monday of tins week. The exhibition that Mr M. M Cormick has set up in Dunedin at the Art Gallery is attracting the notice of art lovers, ami several sales are already report on. Jhe collection will be on view fill Monday.

The girls nucl ex-girls of the Otago Girls’ Drill School will provide an entertainment in the School Hall on Friday evening. A varied programme lias been arranged, ihe money raised will bn divided between Dr Barnardo’s Homos (the school has a branch of the- Young Helpers’ League) and Hiss Hancock’s school, in Canton. Bi" variety dolls’ prams (new models), 21s, 255. "3CB, 40s.—Todd’s White House. George street.—[Advt.] A sale of work will lie opened in tho Reid Hall of tho South Dunedin Presbyterian Church by the. Rev. Dr Cameron to-morrow afternoon, at 2..50, and will bo continued in the evening. A good programme will be given in the evening. Newcomers to Dunedin arc cordially invited to join tho “ No-rubbing ’’ Laundry Help Club. Pull particulars from your grocer. —[Advt.] The seventli annual festival of the Wellington Competitions Society will bo held from August 23 to September 13. Competitors are advised that entries for all classes will close on Tuesday next, duly 1. Tho judges will bo: Vocal, Mr L. Bennett North (Sydney) ; instrumental, » Robert Parker (Wellington); elocution, Mr John H. Hopkins (Melbourne.); dancing, Miss M. Vyner (Christchurch). lllingsworth’s British-made roll film is issued °in all standard sizes to suit- all makes of cameras. Obtainable at all dealers.—H. J- Gill, Frederick street.— [Advt.l The United Slarr-Bowbctt Building Socicty ndvcrltscs £6 ? t/J0 tor disposal, filso first sale new No. 8 group, on July 24th.