POLITICAL NOTES

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 7301, 3 December 1910, Page 6

POLITICAL NOTES

HOW LAW MAY BE CHANGED . OFFENDING PEINTBB'S INK. , When the Shops and Offices Bill was being printed, the ink on one page sank through the paper - and . obliterated the word “not” in one of the clauses on the back of the sheet. This was not discovered until the measure had passed through all stages and the only way to put the matter right was by means of an amendment by “His Excellency the Governor/’ This was duly introduced and agreed ,to yesterday. “It just shows how easily the law may be altered,” remarked the Attorney-General when the matter* was before the Council. A PESSIMISTIC-ACROBAT

A little gentle bandinage was indulged in yesterday by the Prim© Minister in replying to' a very pessimistic speech by the leader of tho Opposition. Sir Joseph Ward said that in listening to the speeches ho marvelled sometimes how strong the nerves of the members of the administration must bo compared with those of the Opposition. If the pessimistic opening of Mr Massey had: been nerve shattering, he had been restored to normality by the optimistic tone of Mr Massey when referring to the locality he represented, and advocating large increases in the expenditure on the district.

WORKERS’ DWELLINGS Complete particulars of the land purchased in Wellington district for workers* homos have been furnished on the motion of Mr Guthrie. Eleven purchases have been made, the expenditure on land being £5877. The prices per acre range as follows :—Lroughnan estate £IOO. Hawtrey £* and £35 Waddington £l5O, Pitt £234. Helling £2OO. Wilforcl £483 13a. Heret-aunga £6OO. Holworthv and Hall-Jones £250, Epuni Hamlet £9O. The Heretaun•’’a settlement is the only one on which dwellings have been erected, the remainder -being leased for grazing, etc. The-total revenue last year was £455 6s Id. - 1 MINERS’ SICK & ACCIDENT "FUNDS The Now Zealand Coal-miners* Relief Fund possessed a credit balance -of £5085 2s lOd and the Sick and Accident Fund a, credit of £9937 19s ■6d at March 31st, ‘l9lO. The applications for relief last y©ar numbered 174, and £653 was expended. , There were 730 claims upon the Sick and Accident Fund., involving an expenditure of £2390. SWIFT EOADING

One of the keenest critics of the. Goyertiment’s reading -policy ■ in the .-Representatives yesterday was Mr X , A * "• Hoctr. who for a few month? hold the portfolio of Hoads. Ho wa? answered by his successor, the Hon. It. McKenzie, with, an interesting revelation regarding Mr Hogg'S ministerial methods. i" ' 1 ‘‘He is the gentleman who was responsible for creating a great, deal of the unemployed difficulty." declared the Hon-li. McKenzie. "The year before mho rattled out money at the rate of £300,000 a month, with the result that when i took the do* nartment over, I found that all the money Parliament had . voted for .the twelve months had been spent by him in about three months. (Laughter). If ho had the same chance again he would do it tomorrow. It would bo easy to provide nil .the roads and bridges like that,- but the money is limited." / . , -:ir>Horo sought to make an explanation. immediately the Minister concluded. He : was not aware that ho increased the work* ing staff or officers hr a single individual, «o that not the slightest responsibility attached to him. Public works were going on at the bme. but when the r»resent M«nMor took charge he caused serious reductions in the number of workmen. The statement'was a gross like raanv others made by. the Minister. • The Speaker: Order,, order! N Mr Hogg: Perfectlv in order! (Laughter.) T didn’t bring about soup .kitchens or relief works in Wellington or anywhere else, and the honourable gentleman can nut that in his pipe and smoke it, (Kenewed laugh“■The Minister: If the hon. member had cone on another two months we would haye had soup kitchens, not only in Wellington, but ill every corner of r*ew Zealand. t