Political Notes and Comments.

Southland Times, Issue 13285, 12 August 1895, Page 3

Political Notes and Comments.

(By Telegraph.) (from our own correspondent.) Wellington Aug, 9. I am told that the Government’s local government bill is now ready to be placed in the hands of members; the Premier, however, is determined to hold it back till the financial debate is over, on the principle that one bone of contention at a time is sufficient for the House. Mr Meredith says that during the five years he has been a member of Parliament he has recommended thirteen persons for Government employment. Of these only one had been taken on and he was the son of parents who had bitterly opposed the Government party at the last elections. The question of the appointment of a successor to the late Judge Richmond is still one of the main subjects of current conversation. District Judge Ward is spoken of as one who has high claim to the vacant position and some well informed students of passing events think that the appointment really lies between him and the Attorney-General. The balance of opinion, .however, favours the chance of Sir Patrick Buckley, who, as a matter of fact, aa Attorney-General, might appoint himself without any reference to his colleagues. No one suggests that he would do this but it is stated that he would like the position and that his colleagues are willing to give exceptional consideration to his wishes. Everything considered, no one need be surprised if Sir Patrick receives the appointment. His successor in the Attorney-Generalship is already a subject ef conjecture and the name mentioned is that of the Hon. Downie Stewart- It is doubtful, however, whether there is much in this opinion. In connection with this gossip the AgentGeneralship comes in for a good deal of discussion. The prevailing opinion is that the Premier himself has his eye upon that highly ornamental office. It is only a year and four months till the next election, and the opinion is that Sir W. Perceval will be kept on in the meantime, and that if there is a prospect of a dubious electoral campaign the Premier will go Home to the AgentGeneralship, while, should the Premier and his party be successful, Sir Westby will then be reappointed for another full term. Observe that all these calculations leave the Hon. W. P. Reeves out in the cold, notwithstanding the fact that he had been repeatedly spoken of as one having a strong claim to the office. However, I simply give facts and conjectures as I find them out. Dr Newman thinks L 2,500,000 should be borrowed and applied to railway construction ; the expenditure to be spread over five years. The settlement that would accompany and follow this expenditure would, in the doctor’s opinion, be a sure means of getting rid of the unemployed difficulty. The Joint Committee on Statutes Revision have no recommendation to make on the temperance party’s licensing bill as it deals with a matter of public policy. Mr G. W. Russell’s chief objection to the Budget is what he calls the Government’s shameful failure to deal with the unemployed. He thinks that a million should be borrowed to develop State-owned coal mines and establish village settlements. The Labour Bills Committee has amended the Servants Registry Office Bill of the Minister of Labour to provide that the originals of all letters received and true copies of all letters sent relating to the hiring of servants must be kept by the registry office-keeper for inspection by the police. The registry office-keeper must keep conspicuously posted the scale of fees and must not charge more than this scale, nor must the registry keeper have any interest in a boardinghouse, nor shall any member of his household have such interest.

Mr Lang wants the Minister for Railways to make the same reduction in freights on cream and milk carried on the railways for the purpose of being made into butter as has been made on the freight of milk for cheesemaking purposes. Mr G. Hutchison is to move for a return giving particulars of the L 625 “ further expenses” connected with the Pomahaka estate and the LlO9 13s 9d “further expenses” connected with the Blind River estate, appearing to have been paid during the quarter ended the 30th June, 1895. Mr Maslin is to ask the Minister of Education how it is, seeing that the education system of New Zealand is free and compulsory, that in some districts the people are called upon directly to partly pay for the education of their children when average attendance is less than twenty-five. Aug. 10.

At a late hour last night it became evident that Ministers wished to bring the financial debate suddenly to a close. They were even proceeding to divide on the question, but at the last moment they realised that it would be hazardous to do so. The Government whips had induced a number of their own party to forego the delivery of the speeches which they had intended to make, but when others, who had not been consulted and who also had prepared speeches, found out what was in the wind they put their backs up and the Premier, though much chagrined, agreed to the adjournment of the debate. He had counted on having his way, for the Treasurer was ready to reply to the criticisms which had been made upon the Budget and its proposals. The cause of the wish of Ministers to close the debate was, I believe, a desire to have Tuesday clear for some very important fresh banking legislation which it has become necessary to pass, I understand that this legislation may possibly be on the

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same lines as that of last year, though probably not on the same scale, but necessarily the actual facts are yet known to very few. Ministers were in Cabinet all this afternoon and though it has been given out that they were dealings only with matters of routine there is good reason to believe that they were engaged in a discussion of this very important subject of further banking legislation, and judging by what I have gathered from the best sources of information I think that a definite declaration on the subject will be made very soon, perhaps in a few days. ■ Mr Buick will move to add to the Government’s licensing bill in Committee that “a licensee shall have one bar only on his licensed premises and no liquor shall be sold of exposed for sale except in said bar, but such provision shall not prevent the licensee supplying liquor from said bar to persons in other rooms of said licensed premises.” He also wishes to have it enacted that “any traveller entering or being found on any licensed premises within a 'distance of five miles of other licensed premises he may have called at for the purposes of refreshments, unless for the purposes of business or as a lodger, shall be liable to a penalty.” Mr W. Hutchison wishes to add to the same bill new clauses providing that no publican or accommodation license shall be granted hereafter to any person in respect of premises upon or attached to which there is a billiard room and a billiard table; that no woman, other than and unless she is the licensee, shall be permitted to sell intoxicating liquor in the bar of any licensed house ; that no licensed person shall supply intoxicating liquor or knowingly allow the same to be supplied (whether by way of sale or otherwise, and whether for consumption on or off the premises) to any woman or to any person apparently under the age of sixteen years of either sex, and, the bar of every licensed house shall be closed from one o’clock on one afternoon of every week on the day fixed as the weekly holiday for shops and other places of business in the town or district respectively.