POLITICAL NOTES.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XCVI, Issue 11050, 31 August 1896, Page 5

POLITICAL NOTES.

[From Our Correspondent.! WELLINGTON', August 30. EFFECT OF THE LATE SITTINGS. As a result of the late sittings of the House last week, one member of the Press gallery, who joined its ranks this sessipn, fainted on Friday night, and one of the messengers connected with Parliament also swooned. THE PUBLIC TRUSTEESHIP. It is understood that the appointment of Public Trustee will be considered by the Cabinet on Monday. As far as present indications go, the post will fall to Mr Duncan, at present acting as deputy. When Mr Wnrburton assumed the Controller and Auditor-Generalship ho made strong representations as to Mr Duncan’s fitness for the position, and it is generally held that, having a practical knowledge of the management of the office, his appointment would be more desirable than that of an outsider. A “ social ” given on Saturday night to the ex-Publio Trustee was a- great success. The Premier was present, and, in the course of some remarks, he drew a comparison between the present A dministratiou’s treatment of Civil servants and that of previous Administrations. Now, if any Civil servant, even in the lowest grade, had any complaint, it always received the consideration of the Ministers. In the past Ministers had kept aloof altogether from the rank and file of the service. COPYRIGHT TELEGRAMS COMMITTED. Indications at present point to the possibility of the report of this Committee recommending that any competing- Press Agency shall be placed on an equal footing with the existing institution, and given the same privileges. No attempt will be made to interfere with the copyright of telegrams, but as there is a general opinion that the present association is of a too monopolistic nature, it is considered desirable to give a competing agency the same facilities as it enjoys.