POLITICAL NEWS

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 4131, 20 August 1900, Page 2

POLITICAL NEWS

THE MEMBER FOR PATE.H Thc departure of the member J'or Patea (Mr George Hutchison) for Soirtli Africa was referred to by Mr .J. Stevens, who urged that the lav." should be so amended as to prevent constituencies being disfranchised by* (ho sitting member leaving the colony. The Premier said his desire wa.s io be just to a political opponent. Ml", Hutchison had only left the colony ;r low days, and they did not know but what liis resignation would come to hand m the course of time. Ho did not forg.et the generosity nf the House when at colleague of his was away the whole of last session suffering from ill-health, nor did he forget that tho Hon Mr ■Ward' was also absent for the greater part of a session, and that being so, lie should treat the member forPatoa in the same way as he treated mombora supporting the Government. They must take the whole of the. circumstances into consideration, and trust to tho member not to disfiaucliise a constituency winch had given him its oonfidenco for so’ many years. Mr, Stevens; He informed mo it was his iills' '.ll (ion to leave the colony for good: oilier - ,vise I ciituinly would, not have asked the quest ion. Mi- James' Allen: Ho never said ioAo any of ns. Mr Massey.: He told mo it was impossible to wind up his business, and that ho would have io come back fo tho colony whether ho wanted to or not. NEW .ZEALAND -FEDERATION. Mr J. Giah.nn asked (lie Premier if the,Government proposed to sei up a committee io pain information on (lie subject of the federation of New Zealand v. if If Australia, 'ibe Premier, iir reply, rind he saw no left son why New Zealand should not he a nation as great' as, if not greafer than. Fedo' - it "d Australia. (Hear, hear.) The ('.immoiiweatth was now established, but it. would bo sis or- .seven mouths at lead In-fore its Government assumed foim, and when the Parliament met its policy would bo aunomiceU. He did not believe its. Customs tariff would be antagonistic to New Zealand, ! and lie thought lie might go further and say that his own opinion was that the tariff of the Commonwealth would be on the same linos as tho Now Zealand tariff. Mr Graham: The same as ow \ present tariff ? The Premier: Thriffss arc not like the laws of the Modes and Persians. Ho would, lie went on to say, ho..quite prepared to render 'any assistance in regard to having inquiries made,, but it was . too ■ soon at present to appoint a commission. Parliament, said Mr. tieddon in conclusion, would have mi. - -opportunity of discussing .the matter, this ..session, ■, , BANK OF NEW ZEALAND k ; '.OFFICERS.,. i ,

In » further report' by the committee of .the House upon the Bunk of Now . Zen land Officers’'. Guarantee anti Provident AKsocbdioii Mill; it in recommended that, it bo provided that any : dispute under ride t? 8 shall bo subject to I:be final leoisiou:. of .a ,J iidge of • the Supreme Court , in., the same way as a dispute , under rule l!6. ■. . . . MARINE DEPARTMENT. The annual report of (lie .Marine department, • which has been presented to Parliament, slates that ilio lighthouses have been maintained in an etficiont. state. ■ ‘Provision should be made in this year's Estimates for new bouses at. Farewell Spit, and id i.orations and repairs are also required at Nugget Point. " Complaints have’ been made by.' line and hand-net fishermen that the trawlers interfere. with their fishing, mid drive the fish away from places where they were formerly plentiful. For those reasons tbo deportment has been a“kod to prohibit trawling within a. prescribed distance Iron) {lie shore. It inis not." however,'soon its way to do this. *lt is believed 1 that the allegation that the fish are driien away is incorrect, and the. rocky nature-pof the bottom close, to the slioic on most parts of (lie coast prevents (ho trawlers from working clo*e in. Captain H. S. lllaekbnrne, Chief Examiner of Master and Mates, who arrived in the colony in August, 1899,' lias prepared entirely new examination papers, which au- being used, under bis direction, aml the examinations 'arb ‘being 1 conducted in a satisfactory manner. One hundred and twenty-seven persons passed their ' inanimations for certificates of competency, and seventy-seven failed. ' JOTTINGS. No .complaints have been received about (be administration of the police force, said the Premier' on Friday, hid if complaints came before him he would have inquiries made. " , Mr Gilfudder on Fiida,} presented to tin' House a petition from faimeis. i etlleia and others in South Otago, playing for an amendment of (he Rabbit Nubance Act. whereby Magistrates shall under it bo invested with full discictionary power, so that a verdict in accordance with the weight of evidence shall be the right of litigants. Complaints having been made as to tbo condition of the public gallery in. the House, the Speaker inis ordered that it bo thoroughly cleansed and laid with linoleum ; " •