POLITICAL NOTES.

Lyttelton Times, Volume C, Issue 11657, 13 August 1898, Page 5

POLITICAL NOTES.

[FkOM Ouß CORRESPONDENT.] ' ‘ ‘ WELLINGTON, August 12, - STEAM COMMUNICATION. » Mr James Mills," manager - of the Union' Company, in -the course of.his evidence be-a fore-the committee set up to inquire into* expediting steam communication between' Wellington' and Lyttelton, said that even the Rotomahama, which runs the distance in* thirteen hours,-is too expensive a-steamer , for the traffic,, and in consequence of the loss , ensuing, the company will soon have*'to revert to a cheaper vessel of -he ■ Penguin.'* type. A steamer to run the distance . in twelve hours would require to maintain a rate of speed of knots, whic h "means that a 16 knot steamer would .have to be*- employed. Such a vessel would* require*to be of. 2500 tons, and would cost about £60,000.* If. the Union Company were to put on)such.a steamer and run it regularly-iu the required time, a Government subsidy, of £12)000 a* year would be required to prevent lossi THE WEST COAST ROAD. . With respect to a letter appearing in a? recent issue,, of the “Lyttelton ~Times,” signed “H. Zander,” drawing attention to , • the dangerous state of the Otira Gorge Road,Mr Guinness brought the matter under the* notice of the Prepaier, who;, immediately, telegraphed to the Chief Surveyor, Eofcitika. who is in .charge of the road, to pro-, ceed l, forthwith to . the locality, and per? sonally inspect and.repmrt' to the‘Government on,the state,of the.road,; and if the statements made as to the daqgerous nature; of the road are accurate to immediately put in hand the necsssary repairs. The Chief

Surveyor has replied stating that the matter will be attended to forthwith.

JL ROYAL, COMMISSION CRITICISED. A debate of some, warmth, and not de,-/ ficient in public interest, arose iu the House this afternoon on the presentation of’ a report from- a Select Committee on the petition of Mrs M’Namara, whofee husband had heed discharged from the Government printing office as. the outcome of the Commission .'that inquired into the charges against Mr Costall, formerly Government Printer. The cause of Mr M’Namara was Strongly championed by Mr Hogg, who, with the Hon George Jones and Dr Giles, had constituted this Commission. The member for ■ Masterton declared that • the conduct of Dr Giles as a Commissioner had,'been,unsatisfactory,.as he had, when asked to draft’ the report, drawn it up on. lines diametrically opposed to those, agreed upon., He ;(Jir* Hpgg) andsMr Jones had resKdved. that they would, never . again act i upon any . Commission;; of which Dr Giles might be a member.. Mr Bolleston took exCeptiW to’ the references to‘Dr Gilds, and, Mr- Roderick M’Kenzie joined in .protests ing ,against'such treatment of a man whom be knew ,to, be worthy of the highest reject. The Premier also took part in the ■debate, and deplored the attack made on Dr Giles, which was, 1 he said,'the first that hid been, made on the floor of the House oh/ 1 a’ member rof ‘ any Commission. (Mr Tanner“ No. He was attacked from this beach. two years; ago .in connection with the' Christchui'ch . Hospital Commission/’) Mir Taylor saidi that he had no wish to debate the'fitness of Dr Gsles. The character of-f2rats gentleman had been certified/to by the* member for Motueka—(laughter)—and that, settled his position, -a Mr Taylor went on to ssy that after a Commission, of which •Dr Gaps was the sole member, had reported on the* Christchurch hospital • exonerating every blame, the -first perspn to bOj. diumjsaod was the .nurse who - had ex-, poised the condition of the institution and bnWht ; ■ hbchit ’ the inyßstigiation. Within ■ a motatii‘after! the Commission closed nearly) eveiytiang/that the public had asked to be, dope was in spite of the report of the CommisaitKi to the contraiy effect. Such the case, he thanked God when he, that Dr Giles was not to he a member of the Police Commission. (Loud Saogfaier.) ■ He hoped that the day would when public inquiries would be conby men who were not in the sere juid yellow leaf.' Tlhiereport of the Commission appointed four years, ago to inquire into charges ,t*oagbtagaiuttthe then Government Prin- ’ 'jjgc was laid on the table of the House toa result of a debate on a report of i tfae Petitions Committee. Its general tebor is'“ancient history,” but a few extracts may he given for the side lights they throw on; the subject matter of inquiry, in , a memorandum attached to. the report , Dr'Giles states that for the larger and more '■boomis portion of the charges the “timejoiam companionship ” of the Government printing office was not responsible. To McNamara, Jenkins and Carson “ must be jUhoboted the selection of the methods aioipttd,' the employment of spies and informers, the revival of church scandals of ffsom twelve to eighteen years’ standing, ttie collection of the tittle-tattle of the streets, the gossip of cabstand and livery at iHr and brothel.” Further on he says that “enough has been saidi to disclose, a. state of things which 1 cannot help thinking tends decidedly to the production of djaoegajiisatipn. and anarchy in an important Government department.” In. a awnwanroStim appended to the foregoing ,4he Bern & Jones andi Mr Hogg vindicate |their prasdous. finding. They say: “ Our CMictdsßon is that if men who undertake to expose wrongs, in the interests of the i community as well as of themselves and their fellows, are,to he regarded as though they had mutinied: against our infallible constituted authority, then a premium will - jbe offered to wrong doing in high places.”

< , PETITIONS. - rMr presented a petition from ■idEr James Penfold, of Southb ridge, whose 'JMrvioes aaa platelayer on the railways were 'dispensed with in February, 1897, on the ground of oM. age. The petitioner states that 'he had been twenty-six years in the 'wesvice, and had sustained'a lasting injury .from an accident in the course of his duties. iHe further alleges that the man put on in 'his place is as old as himself. He is willing to work, but cannot get employment. , A further petition in favour of the con’■fcruction of the .Henhem-Hurunui Railway ftas been referred to the Railway Committee. ; THE UNEMPLOYED PROBLEM. ,The main.purpose for which the Select chosen to-day has been set up da to report upon the means of alleviating the evils arising from the irregularity of emiployment, and the order of reference indicates State farms and industrial settlements .as the most likely schemes. The leader of the Opposition requested that the name of Mr Lewis should be added to the committee', .and the Minister of Lands having agreed ,fp this* the motion: was parried on the woices. The Minister said but a few words in submitting the proposal to the House, and the only debate that took place was bv the member ter Avon, who regretted that the Minister had not included the name of a Labour member' in his nominations. (A voice: “There is Millar.” Mr Pirani"He’s no Labour member.”) Mr Tanner proceeded to say that a man who had spent most of. his life at sea was hardly one to be chosen to deal with questions affecting the land. It is expected that this committee will, sit jointly with one set up by the Legislative Council. V = STOCK RESERVE. r lh asking’the Minister of Lands today ■to provide a stock reserve on the road between Culverden and the Hanmer Plains, Mi Meredith explained the lack of facilities for pasturing stock, 'and said that owing to the ‘fenced roadway, extending semetimes fox' twelve miles without a cross road or by-road, droves of sheep or cattle meeting each other cordd not pass without one of them being driven back for several miles. The Minister of Lands said that there were no Crown lands in the locality referred to, and he.could not provide a reserve for pasturing stock at night, when travelling, by purchasing private land which would hardly be a justifiable expenditure. In some parts of that country, he said, road lines had been fenced in by private owners, and he had heard of one landowner who had been al-. lowed to erect no fewer than fifteen gates across a public road.;

NOXIOUS WEEDS. The Noxious Weeds Bill, which has proved »tough contract.in former sessions, provided members with a vast amount of material for debate this evening, both in the House and in committee; Apart from the differences of opinion that were evoked, the chief characteristic of the. debate was a tendency to exaggerated statement. One North . Island member declared that “no power on earth ' Could 'eradicate the blackberry,’’ wliile 'another declared that by simply ploughing two years in succession he had eradicated manr chains of hlaekhefry bushes neaidy as high as the roof of the Chamber,'between'.3oft and 40ft; At a later’’stage Mr .Tanner declared'that the only way to deal with the subject was to plane the whole matter in the hands of a wise despot. “But,” he added, “he would require to be a great deal wiser than' the Minister-of Lands, and much more despotic than the Premier.” The incredulous laughter ' and exclamations with which members received this statement were indications of the prevailing pessimism with regard to the subject under consideration; perhaps, also, expressions of faith in Ministerial wisdom and autocracy.