GALLERY NOTES

New Zealand Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 6313, 13 September 1907, Page 4

GALLERY NOTES

(BY ARIEL.) The Upper House is becoming famous for its grievances. Perhaps that is not the right word, but it may pass, on the understanding that no common, ordinary grievance is implied, but a gilt-edged, glorified grievance, with all sorts of embroideries, Yesterday Mr Beehan brought down one of these, and his success was only less than that achieved by dir Macdonald and Dr Collins. Certainly it was less, but that is not owing to any lack of ability or enthusiasm on the part of the original protagonist of tha Liberal and Labour cause in Auckland. Mr Beehan’s Celtic eloquence and fire wanted only a better cans© to carry all before them. it was not a brilliant theme, however, or, at least, it didn’t look very brilliant after the AttorneyGeneral had done with it. Mr Beehanwanted the Government to interfere and put an end to the "boycott” set up by the Auckland branch of the Bntisk Medical Association against the doctors employed by the Friendly Societies Association. but Dr Findlay pointed out that the Auckland doctors were proceeding upon the lines followed by the trades unionists in objecting to accept less pay than they thought they were entitled to. It was a matter of business, and the parties would have to settle ; t between themselves. The debate on Dr Collins’s motion, relating to the betterpreservation of infant life, was gemmed and concluded, the motion being carried. In his reply, the doctor put soma dainty touches to his argument. Ho urged that woman, who had now attained to political and commercial equality with man, should be allowed to taka the step up (or down) that would make her his social equal. In other words, she should be given, or should arrogate to herself, the right to pop the question. Also, the doctor suggested that when the marriage contract became mor© a matter of mutual arrangement, the con* tracting parties might be expected to present each other with, a certificate of health. There is much more than humour in these recommendations.

The House was busy with the tarift all day and night; inspired by the hop© expressed by the Premier that the job might be completed at the evening sitting. There was, of course, the usual higgling over every item that offered a ready text upon which to preach free trade. Mr Hogg was very fluent upon the subject of tea, and caustically sarcastic on the alleged "benevolence” of those merchants wno wanted a duty on the commodity when imported in small packages under 51b in weight. These people, said the member for Mosterton, always shed tears for the young people of the country when they themselves wanted to pocket some extra profit.

Mr T. Mackenzie spoke to like effect* but the "stuffing" was out of tho arguments of both by Mr Laurcnson, who in a few simple sentences showed that the issue was between the yellow andf black cheap labour of the East and the employment of our own people. The cost of the packet tea to New Zealand consumers was the same whether packed in Shanghai or Ceylon* but tho local packing gave work to the youngsters of the: Dominion. Mr Lanrenson incidentally remarked that we all drink toe much tea; that we are tanning our insides with it; but ,he recognises that science is powerless to check the consumption. What we must see to, therefore, is that we get good tea, for, as Mr Lanrenson soys, it would be better to drink good beer than bad tea, and, as we know without Mr Laurenson's assurance, good beer is easy enough to get. Some flippant legislator®, who seemed to be shocked that th© member for Lyttelton should talk so familiarly about the nut-brown asked him what hi* own particular tipple is, and ho good, naturodly mentioned rr hop tonic," whatever that may imply.

The Minister found a sturdy supporter in Mi\ Hardy, who hoped the Government would "stick to their guns." Ho knew all about tea, he said, being an importer thereof, and it grieved his soul to be obliged to sit and listen to tho talk of a lot ‘of old fossils who knew nothing about it. Before the reverberations of this thunderclap had died away f —while, in fact, the echoes were loudest in their first responses, the coat-tails of. the member for Wairarapa were observ- - ed to be disappearing through the door' which the popular imagination connects with Bellamy's; possibly without reason. Waikouaitl kept his seat, and his smile at the epithet was good to see. Just fancy Tom a fossil 1 * ‘

The committee was in good, working humour. There was no unnecessary discussion once the apparent obstacle of the mining machinery was surmounted. The free and preferential lists were put through very expeditiously. It will be necessary to bring down brief resolutions to effect certain promised amendments. To-night's sitting, when the third reading of the Tariff Bill will be taken, will terminate the turmoil of the fiscal question. Next week —land.