POLITICAL INTELLIGENCE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 10420, 24 July 1895, Page 3

POLITICAL INTELLIGENCE.

(FfiOM OUS; OWN ' COHRESPONDENT.) ."Wellington, July 23. . THE BUDGET/ !

: Among the principal points of interest in connection with the Financial Statement, which is to be delivered on Friday next, will be.its reference to the much-debated reciprocal agreement between.this colony and South Australia' aud the anxiously-looked-for treaty with Canada arranged during .Mr Ward's visit to the Dominion. The'main features of:the former have been public property for some time, but the contents of the latter have yet to he disclosed.' However, copies of. both will, I understand, be laid on the.table himultaneously with I the Statement. It also may be regarded r.a ! almost cerfaiu that the Treasurer in his Budget will; declare in favour of the continuance of the present . San Francisco 'mail service for a further period of five years, and in ' addition ta the iu'.enticn of the GoyerLnieut .to substantially subsidiao a iSteam'.service connecting. New. Zealand, with Vancbuyer will bs set forth. Of course; vrkeri,5 this subject comes up for discussion tbe vexed question as to the relative advantages of Auckland and Wellington as the port of call is sure to be gone into once again, and itisvery probable that the proposal to subsidise the Vancouver service.:will -be krenly criticised and perhaps strongly oppo-ed. Whilst dealing with theßudget Imay mention that it is being confidently ststsd in reiiablo quarters that if the Government are to continue to set aside moneys out of revenue for public works ah increase iri t he tariff cr further taxation iv one direction or another will ba absolutely necessary. ' ';

.' THE, REFERENDUM. From a conversation with one who has the cause of-the referendum and the elective Executive very much.at heart, I Qnd that the outlook for the Referendum Bill is,even more hoptful than my message of yesterday indicated. The gent^man in question points out that it is difficult to see how Its Committee stage can be blocked seeing the positior it occupies on tho Order Paper, and'unless members deliberately reverse their "votei.- Then the fate of the measure in the Counc'l is, it now seems, by no means a certain and speedy death, though the young parent of the * measure1 held that opinion on Saturday. The bill is not a party question, and has warm supporters of all shades of political opinion both in Parliament aod in the country, and, if -it once reaches the Upper House it now seems it will find hitherto unexpected friends there, and the probability of the principle of the referendum being embodied in our Constitution is not bo "very remote. Such a r«t<ult would certainly be "a feather io Mr O'Regan's cap. THE LIQUOR BILLS. , Of the two bills to amend-the Licensing Act which have 'been.-placed upon the programme for this session, it now appears that there is little or no chance of Mr M'Nab's measure (the bill of the Temperance party) even reaching the second reading. It has the first place on the Order Paper for Wednesday, July 31, but as .that day will certainly be occupied by the financial.-debate, ■ the'bill must be postponed indefinitely ;; and'when tbe str*ight-ont refusal of the Premier to give facilities for its difcasHon is considered its hopes are small indeed. Taking' this into consideration, the Temperance party in tiie House will of courae devote, their whole energies to the task of moulding and amending tha Government measure in _ the direction of the proposals set forth in their own bill ; but it is very doubtful if their success in this line will be very extensive, judging by the debate' and division on the Bellamy's question. It'U confidently stated in several reliable quarters lhat the Premier's bill will be carried in the House of Representatives by a considerable majority. According to the Premier's promise, his measure should be circulated this week... A CRY FOR FAIR PvENT. The iutsntions of the Government as regards tbeir promised, or perhaps (in view of the bellicose etstements of the Minister for Lands on this matter la*t session) I bhould rather say threatened. Fair Rent Bill, were asked by a deputation of South Canterbury member's to the Hon. J. M'Kenzie this morning. Thu deputation urged that to tbe exceptionally severe weather and the low price of produce a, fair rent bill should be paiwd ■ with as little delay as possible, so as to enable the waste lands boards to taka such exceptional circumstances into consideration and to afford some relief in the way cf -rents. The Minister admitted the urgency of the case, and promised to push on his Fair Rout Biil and endeavour to make it law this session. Ife is said here that the South Canterbury runholders have suffered terrible losses during the present winter, which is perbaps the most severe on rtcard. One of the rutiholdeis is reported to have lost some 30,000 sheep; and another, whose shepherds have not yet been ablo to get about, hardly expects to find a sh:-:cp left. To Bhow the intensity of the cold, in oue case two polo ponies were frozen to death, while doga have also beea frazsu in their kennels. In,many cases the Government leaseholders iv the district referred to simply cannot pay their rents. One of the arguments of the deputation was that a fair rent act is a necessary complement to the Advances to Settlers Act. " MINISTERS' EXPENSES. A return showing the amount drawn by each member of the Executive for travelling allowances and expenses for the year ending 31ot March 189$ was tabled this evening. Tbe following are the amounts : —Hon. R. J. Sf ddon, £510; Hon. J. G. Ward, £371; Sir P. A. Buckley. £151; Hon. J. M'Kenzie, £325; Hoa. A. J. Cadman, £209 ; Hon. W. P. Reeves, £137; Hon. J. Carroll, £193; Hon. J. Eallance, £86; Hon. W. Montgomery, £2 10s.

D.URY FACTORIES. It is the intention of tho Government, so 1 I am informed, to assist in the establishment of dairy factories in districts where the settlers themselves are not in a position, owing to wast of cspital, to erect and start such" factories unaided. Considerable pressure bx secure State help in the direction indicted has come from Auckland np-canntry districts, and the same want is said to hive been felt in the south. ASSISTANCE TO MINING. The Minister for Mines was asked by Mr M'Gowan this afternoon if ho will authoiicaa survey to be made and a report submitted aa to the practicability oi utilising ttie two main livers flowing into (he Coromandel Harbour in order to provide cheaper motive power for tbia important gold mining district. Mr Cadman, in his reply, stated that last year a sum had bean pisc«d upon the Estimates to assist in the conduction of water races, and in other ways to assist the mining icdustry. This year he would again ask Parliament to vote a sum for the same purpose, aad he would be prepared to render assistance to the industry. Coromandel would be placed on ,the samo footing as other parts of the colony. SECESSION OF MRJ. W. KELLY. I." have told you how Mr J. W Ksliv, the member for Invercargill, made it elf ar "when voting against the Government on Saturday morning that he meant to sf.ctd • vmi the Ministerial party. He has now form*]: v i-.d vised the committee who supported hi; cud <I>.tura at the last gener.il elecdon, decUr.ng without any res- rvation that ho can no longer coctistently support the Goverumeut, and stating that if the committee cannot approve of i he decisive step he has felt ci nstrained to Uve they must beyprepared to find some other candidate lor the next election. ?"- TRANSFBR OP POLICE OFFICERS. *- Mr Meredith, with a -daw of mn\> strictly enforcing the administration of the law— particularly the licensing law,—would havo more frequent rtmovats of the polios from one district to another. To this request the Premier raadeanswer that it would no doubt be'beneficial in the administration of the law to observe such a rule, bat iv his experience when a public officer was to be removed the first person to protest was the member for the distrist. "Name," cried the' House.-. "Present company always excepted," smartly, rejoined the Premier. Then he nearly always found that tbe wife of the police officer was so delicate that it would prove injurious to her health to travel; then tha officer may have proved a friend of the prohibitionist cause, and its representatives would object to the transfer, or the ether side might be interested for an opposite reason. These were some of the influencos he had to deal with, but he'meant to deal with them thoroughly, and he trusted that hon, numbers would back him np, and the Houss said " Hear, hear," with much heartiness.

SILK GROWING. Mr Millg wishes the Minister for. Agriculture, by starting a cooperative farm or by a bonus' system, to commence the cultivation of raw 'silk. Mr Mills knew painfully littie of his subject, for he talked 0f,20,000 people being employed in the'industry in Australia.! I may ssy that tens of thousands of pounds have been fruitlessly expended thero in vain atteiipts to establish the industry, and this in latitudes such as Southern Queensland, where the mulberry tree grows with the utmost luxuriance, and where a heavy bonus, was voted by, the Stafie. It was tried and failed aho on a State farm with prison labour. I mention this because from the Minister's reply it would stem that the Guvernment is likely to induce persons to embark in this industry without due inquiry. Mr M'Kenzie i said that mulberry plants were bing raised at tho Government farm at Waverley, and thst '. when fit for transplanting they wouid be distrf- ' buted and the industry might be started.

..;.."■ -THE UNEMPLOYED. •■ * '. Memb?rs, continue to ply the Government with questions directed towards an attempt at the amelioration of the: condition of the unemployed. To-day Mr.'W. Hutchison wished to know if the Government propo>ed io legislate to cope with lha difncnlty, and to* him the Premier answered that I?gisUt:ou would be. of no.avx.il, and .thdt relief co-ild only come by judicious administration. The Government was doing its bfs1; to afford relief, and the position was fairly eati>factory both ih regard to finding the men work, and putting them on | the land. From 600 ta 700 men were tow employed upon tho alternative system. Tben Mr Flatman desired the Government to consider' tbe estubiithment of farm homes for the purpose of finding work and shelter for those out of tmployriient—one farm for eaca inland. The Minister for Lands was understood to say that it Would be a desirable thing to provide such refuges for men seeking work if they could be protected from abuse. Ho would, consider the matter and give a further answer later on. JOTTINGS.

The Department of Agriculture has not yet received auy report of the experimeat in growing, sugar beet at.Xiucoln College, but inquiries are being made: , i

Just ns the House was ming for the dinner adjournment, the Premier provoked the mirth of members by sayiDg he wished to remove one cause of discontent by. placing on the table the return of Ministers' expanses for the year before last. •■''-..-■" .... '

Regarding the joinery work for the Dnnedin Gaol, on whicii Mr W. Hutchison has interested himself, the district engineer has advised the Works department that orders for joiners' material are now in the v hands of sawmillers, with instructions' to deliver as soon as possible. Additional shed accommodation for the work-* men is also being provided.

Tho Petitions Committee recommend that the prayer of Elizabeth Whittock, of Dunedin, bo referred to tie Government for consideration.