POLITICAL NOTES.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XL, Issue 7069, 31 July 1901, Page 4

POLITICAL NOTES.

• ■■-.•■ (Post.) OUR PASSENGER TRAFFIC "WITH AUSTRALIA. . Hundreds of people, says Mr Napier, dislike coming to New Zealatad from Australia, because of the poor class of vesvels in which they have to travel; and he therefore urged the Government this morning to consider the advisableness of purchasing or building three steamers of 10,000 tons for the passenger trade with Australia. The Commonwealth was considering the question of establishing an improved passenger service with Tasmania, and New Zealand might cooperate with it in that action. The Premier said it was necessary' that this colony should be brought closer to Australia than at the present time. The matter was under the consideration of the Government, but he did not see why the P. ana 0. and Orient Companies should not come to New Zealand. CONSOLIDATING STATUTES. The work was done by Mr Jollrffe in consolidating the statutes, a description of_ which we hare already given, was referred to in complimentary terms this morning by Mr Collins, who asked the Premier when it would be completed and whether the Government intended to give legal effect to it. The Premier said a good deal of the work had been done privately by Mr Jolliffe, and the draft submitted had been sent to members to show, what could be done A Commission would bo set up to complete the work already started, and ho hoped ! to bo able to present the complete codification and classification to members next session, and ask them to give effect to it. ■ ' ' THE MANAWATU RAILWAY. The present position between the Government and the Manawatu Railway Company was stated in the House this morning by the Premier, in answer to Mr Field. Ministers, he saia, had declined to purchase the line on tho terms submitted by the company. They had had calculations made comparing what it wouia cost the colony under that offer and under the original contract, and they had come to the conelusian that it wo.uld be rather, more advantageous to take the railway under the original contract, the only difference being that under the now proposal the line and land woaia all come into tho hands of the liovemi ment, ana the company would disappear. He still thought that if tho terms proposed were reduced it would be. bettor to ta n -e the line under the latest proposals. Under the old contract thero was an uncertainty, in regard to assessment being fixed by arbitration, his experience being that the Government always went to the wall when arbitration was resorted to. An attempt, was, he added, W!g d\ by Pe°ple at Home to'gathold of the shtres and raise tbeir value in the hops of getting a rise out of the colony. •' They, will not make much of arise out of me," said Mr Seddon "if I can help it. .In the meantime-we are not going to pay anything like the amount asked."