PARLIAMENTARY NEWS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 14684, 18 November 1909, Page 8

PARLIAMENTARY NEWS.

NOTES FROM THE PRESS GALLERY.

(From dim Own Correspondent.)

WELLINGTON, November 17, Iho Minister of Agriculture states that experiments already made in the Waikato, Taranaki, 'Wairarapa, and Otago districts have shown that sugar beet can be successfully grown in New Zealand. The whole matter of encouraging (ho industry is at present under the consideration of the Government.

MEALS ON RAILWAY DINING CARS.

Mr Anderson asked the Minister of Railways whether he would explain llio reason for the 'recent falling off in the quality of the meals served in the refreshment ears on the express trains in the South Island.

The Minister replied as follows" I am not aware that there has been any falling off in the quality of ordinary meals served in the railway refreshment ears, but owing to the practice adopted by a, considerable section of railway travellers of going into the dining cars when morning and afteroon tea- was served (for which the charge is onlv 6d) and on such occasions making a full "meal', and so avoiding the necessity of partaking of lunch and tea in the cars at the higher rates, it was found necessary to restrict- the articles of diet provided for morning and afternoon tea. The dining cars are not under ordinary circumstances remunerative to the department, and it will bo apparent that where the conveniences are abused to the extent that they ha-vs unfortunately been in connection with the dining cars the revenue of the department derived from the cars will suffer to a material extent. While, theredesirous of affording the travelling public rea-sonable accommodation and good meals in the ordinary course, I cannot see my way to authorise practically full meals beiiig served at morning and afternoon tea for a charge of 6d." FREE CARRIAGE OF HORSES. In reply to Mr Ell, the Minister of Railways to-day elated that the concession of free carriage granted to racehorses and polo ponies involved tho performance of a service for which the Rail-

way Department obtained no return The question was, however, one that had already been noted for consideration when tho general tariff was being revised. A LEGISLATIVE OVEN. With the advent of warm weather tho physical inconveniences of a summer session ar? becoming apparent. The ventilator of the Chamber is far from satisfactory, and iti tho early part of the evenings, when the accommodation for visitors is overcrowded, the atmosphere is extremely oppressive. Last evening the number of people in the Chamber at one time was 254, A member who counted the heads stated that the overcrowding was such as would not- be permitted by tho Labour Department to exist in any factory. What the experience will be in February, if the House is then sitting, may well bo imagined. A READY RETORT. "When you get a Government that you can squeeze, squeeze them as much as yon can," said Mr Herries to-night in referring to the expectation of the freeholders in regard to further concessions 'in land tenure legislation.

Mr Lanrensoii (the Government Whip) interjected : " That is political morality for you with a vengeance!" Mr Herries met this remark with the ready retort: "Tho lion, gentleman, although Government Whip, voted against his party to-day, and yet he is still Government Whip. That is his idea of political morality! We have different ideas about- political morality." " Ainen!" rejoined Mr Laurenson. TENDERS FOR OIL. Mr Massey wishes the Minister of Railways to state whether it is a fact that in connection with the tenders for lubricating oils the specifications are eo arranged as to make it impossible for any other firm or company than the Standard Oil Company to comply with the conditions, and, if to, will he have the specifications altered so that British firms or their agents in New Zealand may be able to compete." THE SESSION. Commenting on the decision. of the caucus to paw the Government's bills this session the Post-says: "It is now incumbent oil the Government to bring down all its bills as speedily as possible. The waste of time during the past five weeks has been almost entirely due to the failure of th.e Government in this respect, and the sooner the defect is remedied tho better will be the chance of tho excellent intentions of tho caucus being carried out." THE DEBATE ON THE BUDGET. Commenting on the debate on the Budget the Post makes the following remarks:—" We entirely agree with the Leader of the Opposition that the retrenchment proposals of the Government, which are estimated to effect a saving of £250,000 a year, are far from a complete answer to the charge of extravagance.' Their full effect will not be felt duriii" the present year, but even when it has been realised the present haphazard methods afford no guarantee either that some of the economies proposed will not prove extravagances in the lout; run. or that other economies could not have been effected without any loss of efficiency. On the last point-the progress of departmental expenditure—to which Mr Massey referred, tells a remarkable and very disquieting story. The average expenditure of the Seddon Government during its last t-hieo years was less than £4,000.000, but the' average expenditure oi' the Ward Government during its first three years has been moro than £5,000,000. . Neither Mr Fowlds nor Mr Millar was happy last night in tho defence of abuses of which, as private members, they would have proved most effective critics'. The land- question was another poser for both of them. Mr Millar deemed discretion the better part- of valour, and left the question as severely alone as lie did during the Rangitike.i byc-elction. Mr Fowlds, on the other hand, did his best to put a bold face on the matter, but his laboured l defence of the weakness and inconsistencies of the Government could not conceal the sense of humiliation which oppressed him."

Tho Dominion savs that some of Mr Massey's points were extremely well made, but others were hurried through at express speed, and suffered in consequence. On the whole, however, he succeeded in building up a strong indictment- against Government, especially in the matter of its extravagance and' in respect of its land proposals. But the most damaging things said about the Government, so far as the early speakers in the debate are conccrned, were those given utterance to by the Minister who essayed the task of its defence. Mr Fowlds has seldom been seen to worse advantage."