POLITICAL INTELLIGENCE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 11542, 30 September 1899, Page 5

POLITICAL INTELLIGENCE.

(Froit Our /Own Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, September 29 THE ARBITRATION COURT. In answer to a question to-night, the Premier sad the state of affairs as regards the Arbitration Court was at present most unsatisfactory. He did not know what to do, unless they appointed another judge, who mi<dit also-do the relieving work of the Supreme Court. The judge was at present wanted for arbitration work at TDunedin. Christchurch, and Auckland but he would not be able to go to any of these places, unt 1 after the sitting of the Court of Appeal. Judge Edwards was to have gone to ChristcWh at tho end of this month, but owing to other arrangements he was required at Wanganui. After his return from that place there would be only two weeks before the Appeal Court sat in which tho judge could go 1 to Christchurch. The question was, under these circumstances, whether they shoukl relieve Judge Edwards from &"Pf erae °°"f work ancl give him an opportunity of de oting all his time to the Arbitration Court The present method of paying the judge by fees instead of by salary was very unsa isfactory, and the question was whether they Bhould provide an additional salary and keep on as at Ppresent or appoint anotherjud^i..to bo set apart for this work If a judge could not be there to do the work, the whole thing would be brought into discredit. UNIVERSITY STUDENTS. A return presented to Parliament gives the number of students at . the different University Colleges for the past thiee year.. The numbers for last year were: Auckland 211, Canterbury 285 Otago £69 The number of scholarships and exhibitions held by students were:-Otago 28, Canterbury 27, Auckland 13. * LATE HOURS IN PARLIAMENT.After the rio-confidence motion was disposed of on Thursday morning at a quarter past 2, the Premier boldly announced his intention of going.on with the Estimates, but the moment the House got into committee Mr Pirani moved to report progress. Ho said, the House had sat till after 5 on the previous morning, when the Premier was only saved from a count out by the assistance of -the -. Opposition. The Premier said there .was a mis-take-in-the division list, and, as a. matter ot fact, the Government hau two more members present than they were given credit for. Mr Pirani: "But vou-didn't know it.' Captain Russell: ' 1 do not intend to allow a single item to Tiass." The Premier replied that he would see if a minority was going to dictate to the country or not. Mr Smith said the Premier should be thankful for mercies received, instead of attacking the Opposition. Mr Seddon: " I have never, bqen.on my knees and never shall." Mr Monk: '■ I believe that " Mr Seddon: "I mean politically, ot course." Mr Fisher asked the Premier .to consider, tho feelings, of his own followers, who ;were'anxious>to go on with the Estimates. Captain Russell warned the Premier that the Government would have to keep 20 men m the House, while six would be .sufficient for the Opposition, who could thus divide themselves into three parties. If it came to a count out again the Premier need not expect any help from the Onnosition, and he would bave to commence Over again. There was not a spark of generosity in the Premier, and he had held his followers back in the past; put if the Premier, forced this on the Opposition, iii future he would see that nothing was done in this Parliament after 12 o'clock. Ministers would not get their Estimates'" through, ancl tliey would ue forced to go to the country if they stayed till December 5. He (Captain Russell) would not allow the Premier to dominate the House. Mr Rolleston said he did not think the Premier could be serious to ask the House to go*on at that hour with important business, as it was not.reasonable, decent, or proper. Mr Seddon now tried to conciliate the Opposition. He said a grave responsibility would have rested with the Opposition if tjiey allowed a count out on the Estimates. Notwithstanding tho speech of Captain Russell, he would bo generous, and he would be content if the* House agreed to pass the Sanatorium Estimates. He recognised that the leader of the Opposition had helped lum, on several occasions this session, even against the will of the Opposition generally. Mr Buchanan said' some of the Premier's own followers had deserted him on the previous evening because they had been driven too far. Mr "Hemes said he had a good deal to say about Rotorua; and he thought, the Premier might • facilitate business-:by laying on the table all the correspondence regarding the recent apjiointment of a bathkeeper. . The Premier said he would. Mr Massey said he also had a great-deal to say about Rotorua, but it was absurd to. expect members to. go on at that hour. Members'had sat tilM ,o clock on Tuesday and 6 o'clock on Wednesday, and it-was now 3 a.m. Mr Buchanan stated that during the no-confidence debate the Premier, had been asleep for hours, and unfit for business, and;such-beinsr the case it was surely madness to*go on at that hour. The Premier^ made, another offer to the Opposition, which was accepted. He said he had spoken'to the leader of the Opposition, who hacl promised not to intercept Supply on the next occasion. Captain Russell said he had agreed hot to intereent Smmlv. and believed none of'his party would. Mr Pirani, speaking for the Left Win*?, said they would not surrender any right, but he did not, believe any of the Left Wing would move any motion on going into Committee of Supply on the next occasion. Aner a little further discussion, tiie House adjourned. The matter was again referred to when the House met this afternoon. Captain Russell said he wanted to assure the House tliat he had no desire to block business, but after a certain • hour in tho morning it was impossible to do good work. The committees could not meet, though in some cases they had'very important ques-' tions under consideration, and witnesses from other places were .waiting .to give evidence. He was ready to facilitate business in every way. and even to go on till 2 a.m., if absolutely necessary; but the House could not* do justice to business after that hour.; The Premier said he was glad the Opposition did not intend to block business. For his own part, he would endeavour to get through the work within reasonable hours, but a certain amohnt of business had to be done before Parliament prorogued. He was only too glad to accept the assistance of the Opposition, and he would consult with the leader. He would announce in the course of a few.days the bills he was prepared to drop" and those he desired to see passed. OUR THERMAL. SPRINGS AND BATHS; Mr Herries to-night raised a discussion in the House on the neglected condition of the baths in the Government sanatorium at Rotorua. He pointed out that the town board was nominated-by the Government, and all the members but one were Government servants, and the representatives of the people did not get a chance of serving on the board. He did not know of a similar case in New Zealand.—Mr Massey spoke in the same strain. In regard to the recent appointment referred to it was a political appointment from Palmerston North, made at the instigation of the Premier, and the Premier know there was a reason why the man should not have been sent.—Mr' Hall-Jones agreed that the baths should be better furnished, but as to the appointment referred to, it was made by the doctor in charge. Before the session was over he hoped an officer would be ajipointed to take entire supervision of all the baths.—-Mr Pirani said there was no doubt the appointment referred to by Mr Masaey was a political one. The-appointee bad been rewarded for some action he had taken in regard to the formation of the liberal and Labour Federation. The Premier had sent the man a telegraphic recommendation, which it cost the latter 10s 6d to re-transmit to the doctor at Rotorua.— The Premier said he had only given the man referred to a certificate of character, as he had known him for many years. A lengthy discussion ou the question of spoils to the victors was carried' on before the vote was passed.

THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT. - The Labour department, and Mr Tregear in particular, came in for some very hard knocks to-nicht. Mr Scobie Mackenzie was very severe In regard to the truckling nature of the departmental reports, while Mr Rolleston and other members were equally severe in regard to the extraordinary nature of the literature supplied in the Labour Journal, which Mr Taylor declared no one ever read. 'Mr Tregear, who was sitting on the secretary's bench, behind the Speaker's chair, was heard to interject a remark about "sorrel," this heing a hit at a given by Mr John Hutcheson of the Levin State farm. Hon. members resented this. Mr Wilson and the Premier came to the rescue of Mr Tregear, but only with a somewhat poor defence, and this brought Mr .Mackenzie once more to the charge, and he attacked more f-trongly than before. Ke said the main characteristics of the departmental reports were such servility and subserviency to the Government as marked them out as different from any other reports presented to Parliament. Tliey were written not as if to supply information,' but as if to shield ancl protect the Government. Mr Mackenzie then devoted his attention to Mr Wilson and the Premier, criticising them in the severest terms. Mr Wilson had charged him with contributing articles to the Otago Daily Times, ancl to this Mr Mackenzie gave an emphatic denial. Mr Taylor also attacked the Premier, and threatened to report progress. The exhibition of vitupe-

ration of which the Premier had been guilty was, he assured him, quite unprovoked. It is evident that there is a pretty strong and general feeling against the manner m which the Labour department is conducted, and there 'will probably bo a demand either for its reorganisation or its abolition. THE LIBERAL ORGANISER, There was a good deal of adverse commentin the House to-night about a reference to the Arbitration Court made by Mr Edwiurds, tho Liberal organiser, in a speech at Kaitangata. The matter was brought under the notice of the Government by Mr James Allen, and several members commented on the matter. The following is tbe extract from tbe speech referred to:—"He had been asked since he had been in Kaitangata why it was that no definite reply could be got as to when the arbitration case pending was faxed for hearing. He had replied that he* did not think there should be any difficulty about fmdinc this -out if inquiries were instituted m lhe. pi-oper quarter. He accordingly telegraphed to the Premier, ancl had got a reply stating* that word would bo sent to-morrow statin"- when the case would be heard.—(Applause!) In matters like this the association could be beneficial to them, and the association is always willing to do anything possible in that way. By writing to the proper quarters it is. always possible to get information of that sort. Of course you should be able to get the information from your member but then he is very busy, and has.lots of such applications before hiui. and. perhaps he does npt-want to give you the information, anyway." - • • - •* ; ■ _ ■