PARLIAMENTARY ECHOES.

Pelorus Guardian and Miners' Advocate., Volume 22, Issue 68, 1 September 1911, Page 4

PARLIAMENTARY ECHOES.

(From our special correspondent) Saturday, August 26. When the House met again the committee took the Mokau in hand seriously. So did Mr Massey. Therefore we have had reports of close examination, searching questions, firm answers, a fire of all things proper to the occasion. Out of the ruck has come somethingdefinite, and we shall have finality. At least, all of us who are no pessimists are of that way of thinking. Early in the week Mr Jones, the original apostle of Mokau, bad an innings, the seven-hundredth, possibly, he has bad during the course of a long and strenuous life spent in asserting—fruitlessly-his claims to a new deal in the matter of bis holding. We all wonder what the committee will have to say in the end. The Workmen’s Homes had an innings in the course of which the Minister, bluff Mr Millar, explained his sympathies are entirely with the men who want to extend the principle of the measure. But there is a difficulty in the enormous price that most owners want for land in places suitable. It is a big town subject essentially, as the discussion revealed. There was much talk of slums, but that, however valuable to

the bon. mems. who have constituents, did not impress the Minister, who wanted the House to understand that unless there is a prospect of putting men into ready-made houses on easy terms a heroic policy is out of the question. You can get any amount of land on the top of Mount Cook, say, but no Minister with any sort of prudence is likely to ask for a million for the purpose of making houses for workmen on that airy summit. Everybody likes the principle of the measure, and therefore everybody is ready to do his best to help its amendment in the right direction. At the same time, everybody feels that the right road for it has not yet been found.

The patent laws have bad a strong discussion. The Government wanted to affirm the principle that patents granted out of the dominion must be worked if possible in the dominion for the purpose of building up the dominion’s industries. There was objection at first, Until the Minister expressed his readiness to make exception for anyone giving license to manufacturers of the dominion. This was accepted as fair and the Bill went through. Niven and Co., of Napier, already manufacture the Haslam refrigerators. In the Council good old Sir Maurice O’Borke wanted to insist on establishing military settlements on the Northern Trunk simply because Sir George Grey bad established them in Auckland in the “ forties.” Attempt was made to make Sir Maurice change bis motion into a general one affirming the need for immigration and the need for preparations for its absorption on arrival. But he clung to tbeold notion, and the Council adjourned half determined to let him have his way, knowing well that such a motion as his could not be considered for five minutes by any Government. Next day they buried him under the epitaph of 16 to 5. The Cook Islands storm, long predicted, broke on Thursday, and turned out to be a storm in a tea-cup. On the face of them the charges brought against the Resident Commissioner do not appear able to stand. For example, bis row with Dr Dawson is clearly a matter of personal friction beneath the notice of any enquiry, especially as the Hospital —a thing most important in a tropical island—has been found in every way the right thing. Moreover, one cannot get over the fact that the natives engaged in the government of the country—the arikis—declared themselves id every way satisfied with the policy of Mr Smith, the Resident. The presence of Te Heu Heu, the Maori chief with the Commission, encourages one to believe in the genuineness of this testimony, because had there been anything wrong the local men would have confided in their Maori relative. The Reynolds episode is one in which the Resident would have astonished everyone if be had not sacked the man, who kept on interfering with his judgments and criticising his decisions. In the matter of the drain not made the circumstances evidently show legitimate differences of opinion. On the whole, Mr Smith comes out right. Nevertheless, two things seem to be clear from this report. One is that the Government ought not.to have gone to the judiciary for a Commissioner; the other that it would have been better to have arranged for sworn evidence. The first is clear from the fact that the House chose to be very frank in discussing the Commissioner, Sir Robert

Stout. The second is proved by th fact that all the accusers of the Residen stayed away from the enquiry. Tha does not excuse them, because the: ought to have done their best to provi their assertions no matter what tb< tribunal. Nothing can get over thefac thai they shirked their duty. Still, ii was not gooq to take a course whicl enabled them to take advantage. Th< fact, of course, that they stayed away proves rather strongly the statemenl that the feelings of all concerned in these petty squabbles were like those ol the passengers of an old-time “ wind' jammer” after a long voyage. More serious was the result which affected the interests of the Chief Justice. The treatment accorded to him as Commissioner on the door of the House only emphasises Mr Allen’s repeated proteste against the constant use of the Judge* for matters beyond their proper functions. About that result there is no possibility of dispute. It is a fact that the House fell foul of Sir Robert, who is Chief Justice. That is an .undesirable fact, however we may put it, and whoever we may blame for it. It is a fact which ought to- be for ever impossible, from henceforth.

As to our duty to the islanders, the leading notes of the discussion in the House were that all hands and the cook are alive to the importance of the same, while many are inclined to expect too rapid a pace of improvement in the extremely difficult business of governing a Polynesian race. Let us be reasonable about results which anthropologists tell us sometimes are unattainable.

The last day of the week was not so eventful’n Parliament as out of it. In the Council the failure of another attempt of good old Sir Maurice to get the land laws mixed up occupied a few minutes, and the balance of time was devoted by the temporary reader to taking off his trappings for return to their lawful owner to wear for the remainder of the session. I mean his positions on the committees which go with the leadership. In {another place we saw for the first time the face of the Kev. Isitt, M.P.—a sharp face with piercing eyes under pro-

minent brows and a mop of hair ..that stands always at exaggerated “ attention” in the attitude of independence. A sincere man, sirs, with more force than judgment, and more desire to do well than power to command the roads to that state of complete usefulness. Outside, the return of the absentees who have paid tax of such tremendous character in banquets, routs, jaunts, hard service, and the receipt of keen criticism not always deserved and full praise sometimes perhaps more than warrant. The Colleagues and the Party went off in the Hinemoa, and when they reached the liner things bummed as Parliamentarians only can make them. A novel feature in Prime Ministerial welcome was the ceremonial conduct of the Acting-Prime Minister and his band of Maori colleagues and supporters. They did after the manner of their ancient race with “ka mate,” and haka, and waiata, skilfully blended and energetically done. It was in itself fine, and as typical of the honour done to the Maori “Tangata” by the elevation of the Ariki to the Prime Minister’s seat, and the knighthood which reached him there was simply great. The symbolism of these Maori Bangatiras is wonderful, sir. .

The face of politics will be changed in a certain event if the saidevent comes off, as announced it might by the returning Liberal Chief—if Sir John Findlay gets into the House of Representatives. Before that event.there will be “ wigs on the green.” The locality of those tumblers is just now the big conundrum. Ask me something easier, sirs. When the Prime Minister had done there was a big crop of rumours floating uprooted in the air travelling to leeward in a brisk breeze of fact. Thus have those clouds blown over. - Public reception? Midnigbtdark when the seamen’s bark slow o’er the waters bore him—wireless under the land no good—health officer late—squalls, and bitter cold—what would you?.