Political Gossip.

Southland Times, Issue 19088, 2 July 1903, Page 2

Political Gossip.

• ♦ (By Telegraph.) , (From our own correspondent.) WELLINGTON, July 1. THE OPPOSITION. The meeting of Opposition members tomorrow is being loo£.£nl forward to with ; some interest, more especially as it is understood that Sir Win. Russell has no desire to again till the position of leader. It is recognised that Sir William has not those qualities which are necessary in a leader who has to oppose and meet the tactics of Mr Seddon. Sir William's perfect gentlenmuliness alone unfits him for the position, however deplorable such an admission may be. Two names are mentioned in connection with the leadership of the Opposition' — Messrs Massey and .las. Allen. Both these members have strong claims to t"he position, and both aro titled for it. Either ', of them would probably keep the party j well in hand, and huae the full confij donee of members of the Opposition. At .present Mr Ma-ssey is strongly backed, but it is certain that Mr Allen is ambitious to attain the honour, and svill not relinquish his .cherished hopes unless Uie other candidate has an overwhelming majority behind him. The Opposition is in a more healthy condition than it has been for many years, and. if organisation is effected to-morrow, should again become a vigorous and active party, exerting somo influence in thy politics and administration of the colony. CHAIRMAN OF COMMITTEES. I learned this morning that my tip of yesterday to the eilect that .Mr Millar f Dunedin) would he chosen for the position of Chairman of Committees was (|.uito safe, and all doubts svere removed when Mr Seddon announced this evening that lie svould move in that direction to-morrow.. The salary » attaching to this post has in the past been £100, in addition to £3t>n as a member, but a movement is now on loot to have this total increased to £500 per annum. Mr McNab svas not a candidate fcr tne post,, nor svas he in the running for the Speak ership. 1 believe Mr McNah is foremost of those who think the Chairman of ' Committees at present is underpaid. LAST WORK. Sir J. Ward informed tho House today that n cable was sent from Dunedin at lii.it a.m. to San Francisco via the I'acitic cable, and reply received in Dunedin at 1 l.ttn. the total time being So minutes. I'his. said Sir Joseph, showed the importance a>nd value of the Pacific cable as far as speed was concerned. (Hear, hear,;. MR. RITHERPORD'S MAIDEN EFFORT. Tile mover of the address-in-reply is rather to be pitied tba_i criticised. I mil last election campaign he had never us-ri-mfed a public platform, and he has not jet overcome an extreme tendency to nervousness. This evening be made a speech which was unique. It was pitiful, and every one sympathised w : th a man so nerv-ous that his papers trembled in his hands and his utterance sv_.s faltering. Mr Rutherford could not collect, his thoughts, and his humour svas thus so twisted that the laughter svas partly ironical Mouthers were convulsed on many occasions, and the speech svas altogether lame and halting. Mr Rutherford, hosvever, has a fund of humour, and he svill become a good speaker, who. at times svhen the vitality of the House runs losv svith fatigue, svill case the sveariness of long hours svith laughter, and svho svill also cotnmnnd the earnest attention oi his fellosv-ivpreseiua-lises. Mr Rutherford said his remark.* must be tentative seeing "the insulliciencv <>f Ihe Uiita ' lurnished per medium of the Governor's Speech. ,I*l ear, hear from the Opposition, and laughter). "1 complement the Government on their policy, but I can't say P0 much about their administration. There are too lev. Ministers ; they ha\v> too Much to do. and there should either be more Ministers or a system of departmental uir.lrr- , secretaries should bel adopted."— "Was 1 Mr Seddvm overshadosved by the intellectual giants at the colonial Premier's conlerenre ? Not much, and he svent on to the Cape and patted (ienenil Kitchener and Lord Jlilner on the head /Laughter. )."•— "Lust year the Premier bad a little scheme of bis own for increasing the population Now. I base a scheme, ami 'that is for the Gos eminent to subsidise cvi'ry child born. (Laughter).'' COMPOSITION OF THE COMMITTEES. I'pon the motion to c e'. up certain committees to-day. Mr .las. Mien objected that tho .general constitution of cwmmittees svas unsatisfactory sjme had too many inomners on them and there svere too mans- cotmtnittees. The division of labour amongst members was uneven and unfair. A member such as Mr 'Kirkbride was put on a perfecily useless ro mm it tee (Petitions Classification), and on no other at all. lie suggested that the names proposed should tie .submitted to a carn;mittee of selection. — Mr Seddon contended that the Opposition party had fair representation on tho committees. He only desired to treat all parties fairly and so constitute parties that the best results svould be obtained. The discussion svas ! taken up by several members until interrupted by the 5.30 adjournment HIIILE IN SCHOOLS The Hill which Mr Arnold is introducing at the instance ot the Council of the Churches of Otago provides for a plebiscite being taken throughout the colony in .March nevt The 'simple issue svill lie presented to the electors, for or against llihle-reading in the pubiic schools if the decision is in the atlirinatise, teachers svill be instructed to give simple literary, historical and ethical evplanutions of the Hible. but teachers who object to give surh lessons will not be required to lo so. and children of parents svho object miny absent themselves svhile the lessons are being given. LEG ISLATIYE PROPOSALS The Divorce Amendment Rill to be introduced hy Mr Lutirenson proposes to tiu.'e detention in nn asylum for seven years and upsvnrds of either husband or svil'c an additional ground of divorce The same member's Shop Assistants Amendment Rill provides that Saturday shall he the day for the half-hoii-la. throughout the colony This movement is also supported hy Mr T. E. I'aylor. DRINKING ; SMOKING : SPG Alt. An interesting table svas laid before the House to-day showing the consumption per head of- articles hi co 111,111 on use between the years ISS_ and lwo_. In spirits there has been a decrease from H7_ gallons per head in 1 882 to _ -I. in lta>_: the consumption of tobacco hns remained practically stationary. fi.s._ lb per head being used in 18H_ and fi Mil Ih in I!.iO_. The duty per head on cigars, cigarettes and snulT has incre-.sed from .'ls (id in 1 88_ to 7s BJd in l')0_ ; tea has declined from '.i.VtKIb per bead hi IMS_ to "* ''"8 in I'll _ : and codec, cocoa and chicory also shosv a decrease :rom 1 '_>Hlb_to i».4!>lb In 1 MB_ each person used 71.. '1 ib of .sugar, but tsventy sears later the individual consumption ' had risen to H_.Xlb. The drinking 01 N/. brewed beer by people over lo years has declined from 1.1 gallons per howl to I_7 gallons svithin the period under comparison In 1 Vio_ v, c ,|utv paid by the people svas £481.017 on ."-pints. £_9_,lli> on tobarro, £'>.">. 181 on cigars, cigarettes and rfnulV. or tH lOs _<l p,,r head. On tea the duty paid umounie.l to Is per caput. CUSTOMS RET! TIN A return showing cost of collecting: Customs and olher revenue at each port, in the colony shows the average cot* to be £1 7s Id per cent Eor the chief j ports the amount collected and the cost | of collection per cent were reMpec' ivels . t s follows :— Auckland, £00y._8.'l ami _1 I lis litd ; Wellington, L'.->97._ In nn d _l _s I 8d ; Dunedin and Port Chnl'm-n-.s. I'-L.i. 00.. and -tl 7s 7*l ; Lyttelton and Christchurch. _.'£•<>. n?.-, and f 1 Ss ltdlltsereargill. t,s;r *,-,;. , ul( | LX ,5s o,| , v ," Pirton the rate was _7 4s Sd the net collection being £470. PETITIONS Mr M.-Sab present...! a petition to-d-.v tfoui Mr .lames Heittie Miorei. svho asKs for 1, refund of tlmi, money actually expended by the petitionee through the action of the Coiumi-tMuiier of Crosvn Lands, svho granted i 0 others the lire of water flowing through l>, ittie's land, to the detriment of his tunning operations The Petition of t |, c Southern M.ious objecting to the give.ting of Mahuli a« a I ing ssns presented to-dny The Southern Maoris acknowledge -King l-'dsvtud and no other PATENTS The Registrar of Patents in his annual report states that the number of applications for patents was 1-IMI. a totai of :'l7 more than in the previous year The number of patents issued ssns .">44. or _d more than in the former year and the total fees received from patents uas JLMI.'iP. ns compared svith £_'.)_•.>. ODDS AND KINDS The fate of the t olulisator is iv the balance A pricking of the c,rd |, N some enthusiasts showed that t.lio preponderance of ss eight svas on the fide of the miichini.' The nesvly-eleciod Speaker. SI, i;,,,,,. ncs. Ims received shettses of c>M.;r 1 1 ul.itory telegrams from all parts of fie colons . including one Irom Ins predecessor. Sir Maurice O'Honve - A straight-out i|ueslion is •r) |„> put In the Minister of Lands l>> V r Lang, who i* ns. ing if ho will 'his ,e t sion introduce legislation 'o enable I ...so 111 perpetuity tenants to aCuiuiro f'e freehold '.Mi- Wiiheford has forwarded lb'oui ..uo applications for land from iv urnr-d troopers to the drparUnent . and the Hon T V Duncan says tber,. is all unlimited area opened for s_ Ice ion if troopers car,, to tal-e it The Legislative Council will ,ie. ' ns ■Spca'er on the Pth iiiht . when, i.n'.-ss the general feeling is \ cry far oil 'ne li-ack, the ll'on W C Walker win l>e chosen unopposed