PARLIAMENTARY NEWS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 14257, 4 July 1908, Page 10

PARLIAMENTARY NEWS

NOTES PROM THE PRESS GALLERY. (Prom Our Own Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, July 3. Mr Stallworthy lias given notice to move for a. return for the yeans 1906 and 1907 showrog-(l) The number of coroners in the Dominion; (2) the moneys paid to oaoli of tho coroners in the four chief centres for personal expenses and fees; (3) the total amount paid to the «ther coroners of the Dominion for fees and expenses stated separately; (4) tho total amount paid k> coroners' juries throughout the Dominion for their services; and (5) the total amount paid to witnesses at coroners' inquests for their attendances. THE MEIKLE CASE. The first bill on the list of the Orders of the Day was the. Meikle Acquittal Bill, the second reading of which was moved by the Prime Minister in a brief mid wellbalanced speech. There- was, however, a very general and loud chorus of "Ohs!" when Sir Joseph Ward announced that the Government proposed to make Meikle another grant amounting to £5000, as a full discharge in connection with the case. The bill, it will be remembered, was strongly obstructed last session, and oventually it was abandoned. The. opponents to the measure again got quickly to work this session, and Messrs Hornsby and Remington proposed to kill the bill by reading It a second time six months hence. Mr Remington, speaking to the proposal, said that while travelling in a railway train a few weeks ago a gentleman made a statement to him that the Prime Minister was going to bring in the Meiklo Bill again this.session and put it through the House whether member* liked it or not. Sir Joseph Ward: Who made that statement? Mr Remington: Mr John Hutchinson. Sir Joseph Ward: He has not seen mo or spoken to rue on the subject. Mr Remington: He said that the local committee- had. Sir Joseph Ward: Tho local committee has not seen me. Mr Remington: I am only speaking what Mr John Hutchinson told me. Sir Joseph Ward, speaking at a later stage in tho debate, said the only one who had seen him recently about the matter was_ Meikle himself, who had asked for an interview with him regarding his caso. The second reading of the' bill was carried by 41 votes to 10. Moro strenuous opposition to the. measure is anticipated during the committee stage. QUESTIONS BY MR BARCLAY. Mr Barclay made his appearance in the House to-day, anil gavo notice to ask the following questions:—(l) To ask the Right Hon. the Prime Minister if ho will this session amend the Old-age Pensions Act so as to give magistrates discretion to grant pensions, even though the applicant may have received during tho year previous to application an income equal to or other than that prescribed by the act as a bar to granting the pension, thus obviating the very great injustico that is done when a man who may have earned £50 or £100 during suoh year before his application is barred from getting a pension for 32 months, even though he may have met with such an accident or become so ill that it is impossible for him to earn anything in the future, so that bo has to starve or live on charity for a year if ho has no means of his own before he can get relief from a pension; (2) to ask tho Minister of Defence why the services of tho troop known as No. 1 Otago Mounted Infantry were refused by the Defence Department after the corns had been formed and tho officers had received official passes to the Easter manoeuvres, thus losing to the Dominion and the Defence Eorce the services of a body of young enthusiastic men of the exact kind required for volunteering; to ask the Minister of Defence < for what reason and bv whom was Sergeant- : major Benfell refused appointment'as lieutenant of the North Dunedin Rifles after he had been dulv fleeted to the position by his fellow Volunteers, thus leading to the r&signation in a body of one of the oldest and best corps in the country. PUBLIC ACCOUNTS COMMITTEE. Tiic usual complaint was made to-day ; about the Government's keeping the Leader of the Opposition off the Public Accounts Committee. Mr James Allen said tho ' Leader of the Opposition should most decidedly be on such an important committee. Mr Massey further suggested to the Prime Minister that such an important committee should have power to call for ; persons and papers. Sir Joseph Ward, in reply, said this would be a dangerous practice, beeauso in delicate financial transactions it was important often that certain matters should not bo made public,. As to putting the Leader of the Opposition on the committee, he would bo very glad to put him on it if Mr James Allen would resign in his favour. Mr Massey said hj wciild not accept a position on tho committee on that condition. The Prime ' Minister: "No, I know you won't." He added that at present the committee was a well-balanced one. Mr James Allen said ' he would willingly resign in favour of Mr Massey. Mr Massey refused to agree to ' tkis, and the committer was appointed as proposed by the Prime Minister as follows: ( Mcsrrs li Allen, J. Allen, Colvin, ' Flatman, W. Eraser, Graham, Laurenson, M'Nab, Mills, and Sir Joseph Ward. NATIVE AFFAIRS COMMITTEE. Mr Davey complained to-day of the con- ; stiiution of the Native Affairs Committee. ' He thought there should be more South Island members on it, They wanted an independent tribunal—he did not speak in : | a personal sense—which they did not at present possess. During a brief discassion I that ensued there was a passage at arms i between Mr Hardy and Mr Davey. The former said that, the kilter had told him on moro than one occasion that he Could- f not do his work on 60 many committees j as he was on in a proper way. He (Mr ,' Hardy) 6aid ho did do the work because j ho liked it. He was a glutton for it. As . ] a matter of fact, he. 4i<j more work on y

S | committees than any other member of the '■ House except Mr Hemes. Mr Davey com--0 plained that tho hon. member for Selwyn 0 should repeat in that House what another 'i member had fold him outsido the House, i Mr Hardy said he was quite prepared to a lot the House decide between himself and 0 Mr Davey. Mr Davev: "1 am quite pre--3 pared to do that also." The committee '■• as set up consists of Messrs A. Lj. j). - Eraser, Greenslade, Hcke. Berries, Houston, 4 Jennings, Kaihau, Mandor, Ngata, Parafa, • Stevens, Thomson, Sir J. G. Dard, and • Hon. Mr Carroll. J ISLAND FRUIT TRADE. J The Island fruit trade, is engaging the } attention of Mr Buddo, who intends to ask J the Government whether it is aware of f the difficulty and loss to importers of Cook Island fruit doing business with South J Island towns owing to tho very indifferent } steamer service from those islands, and } whether it will take steps to subsidise or |. otherwise assist any effort made to bring . Cook" Island fruit in a wholesomo condition to the New Zealand towns south of Auckland.