THE Southland Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. Luceo Non Uro. TUESDAY, 4th AUGUST, 1903. POLITICAL NOTES.

Southland Times, Issue 19115, 4 August 1903, Page 2

THE Southland Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. Luceo Non Uro. TUESDAY, 4th AUGUST, 1903. POLITICAL NOTES.

New Zea.la.nd Scenery

In Parliament the ivouk before last the Rotokare Domain Act U,>peaJ Bill, to repeal the Act of 3899, was brought down urgently by the Government, and taken through all stages at one sitting — a course which caused a certain amount of proUst among members*. The intention of the bill is to preserve from destine- j tion the lake and bush scenery in tho j Rotokare Domain, which the Hawcro Borough Council wero leasing* 1 on the condition that the bush should l.'t; cut down withiti a certain time. The precipitancy with which the Government found it necessary to proceed to the repeal of the 1899 Act gave point to Mr Tanner's admonition that the House should be more careful in passing local bills. It may be tedious to the majority of members to thoroughly probe into mattery that lie rather beyond their iie.'d of interest, but it is clear that had the House been animated by this exacting tfense of duty it would have been ascertained in i 899 that the llotokare Domain Bill might lead to the destruction of yet anotner of the colony's exquisite natural adonvn.Mits, and tho measure would not rave been passed. As it happens the irrepamible loss that might have resulted from it was prevented. While on. trho subject of the conservation of our scenery several members gave instances, that had come under their notice showing that an insensate spirit of destructiveness has to be guarded against. Mr T. McKenzie related a case of vandalism that came under his. notice*, where beautiful forest scenery on the shores of a lake was destroyed through the timber being sold for a paltry five-pound note. Mi McNab mentioned an almost unparalleled piece of barbarism of the same kind. Some unknown person deliberately took a holiday to destroy a magnificent rata tree, fully 33 ioet in circumference and believed to bo 2000 years old, in the Hokonui Bu.sh near Gore. The preservation of our natural scenery is a very important matter for the colony. The spirit of reverence is largely lacking in v

young country through the absenco of historic monuments, noble cathedrals and ancient piles, wrapped in the traditions of centuries. Irreverence is peculiarly a colonial defect, and it should lie the object of tho law to protect with some rigour tho choice parts of our lovely forests and tho natural fringes of our lakes f i 0111 the axe and torch of the vandal. We have in New Zealand a matchless paradise for the tourist, and it ought to be protected in all its virginal beauty for the years that are to come, when It will be a source of delight not only to the travellers from the Old World coming to our shores in yearly increasing numbers, but also to the people who have made New Zealand their home, and to whom the lake and the mountainside are objects of daily wonder and admiration.

Wallace to the Fore Though a new member, Mr .T. C. Thomson has not been backward in requesting a fair .share of tho attention of tho Government and of the House. in m.ost of the debates of importance that have occurred ho has borne a part, and that he is assiduous in pressing the requirements of his constituents is clearly shown by the. questions he has put to Ministers from his place in the House. If personal knowledge, able advocacy, and persistent petitioning nro all .that a.r.e required to obtain a favourable answer, Waljaco should be well cared for while Ityr Thomson represents it. Last week he bro.ivr.iit under notice two matters of vital importance to the district, namely. the Orepuki shale works und the Hi (•pukiWaiau railway extension. In regard to the former Mr Thomson had evidently been empowered to s.'iy that if the frpight on oil were reduced

from 2d to id f»er Jfallou the works would be cai'vied on, another JL'nOOO would be spent on them, and a manager would be sent out from England. This is an assurance that will be received with great interest, and will reanimate the hopefulness with which the people of Orepuki and the surrounding district 'at one time looked on the future of the Qiypnki shale works. At the present moment, unfortunately, the immense; capital sunk, in these works is tying 1 idle, tuid what promised to be a great industry looks very much like one of those obnoxious eroaturcs, the | white elephants. Exactly why Uw works failed to be a commercial success is not known. It is known, however, tha,t in spite of undoubted en»rgy and ability displayed in tho management of the works and of tho great expenditure of money, the enterprise has not proved ■ successful, and it would appear as if the promoters were on the point of determining to relinquish i|,he whole thing rather than face tho prospect >)f Idsing oven more than they have already invested in it- Mr Thomson's statement, coming at this juncture • indicates that -those at tho liead of this concern still see some prospuct of achieving success, and as it has in It the potentiality of a great i lid ufl-

try, affecting perhaps tho whole colony, the application fur tho railway concession necessary to make it payable has a strong claim upon the consideration Of the Government. We note with satisfaction that the Minister for Railways in replying evinced a disposition to make the reduction ; though he deferred giving a definite answer pending- the decision of the Government on some matter the nature of which he did not disclose, but in which the carriage of oil apparently is involved. A Government which professes to be endeavouring by every mGnjns* accessible to it to foster local industry and prevent the intrusion of foreign competition, might well open its sympathies to the claim of this industry, and we trust that the reduction will be made, and that the company, thus assisted, will embark afresh upon its venture at Orepuki. The material so far as is known is both plentiful and suitable; an extensive and costly plant is on the ground, and all that is necessary to ensure succ".->o i 1 " a little assistance by way of concession from the Government. The people of the South, who expected much from the establishment ctf this industry, will await Sir Joseph Wind's I answer with some anxiety.

Southland Railways So far ns the Orcpuki-Waiau extension is concerned, we do not hesitate to say that the answer mado by the Minister for Public Works to MiThomson was wholly unsatisfactory. What reason could the Minister have for refusing to say that a \ ote would be put on the estimates this your for the extension of^lhe line beyond Waihoaka. except that there was some doubt in, the matter ? Now, jf there was any doubt, it is clear that what the settlers feared, but what the Minister distinctly denied, is n.bout to happen, namely the terminus is to be fixed for some indefinite time at Waihoaka. We need not recapitulate the reasons why a decision of this kind will not only disgust the settlers but render the expenditure already made on the line almost unproductive^- It will be fufliment to say tnat Waihoaka is not near enough the Waiau to enable the settlers to make the trip to the railway in one day, and consequently it will make no difference- to them whether they cart their produce to Waihoaka or to Orepuki. In other words, if the CJoyernment is not going to proceed at once beyond Wuihoaka, they might ns well hive allowed the terminus to remain at Orepuki. When the Hon. Mr Hall-Jones was in the district it was pointed out to him, in arguments that amounted to positive demonstrations, that the railway to Waihoaka was of no j bonofit whatever to the settlers, but that if carried a few miles further on

— to Te Tva — a lafgo area of tho Waiau settlement would then bo within a day's journey of it, ami it would give a, groat stimulus to ncvictilturt; and dairying in the district. Mr Hnll-.Jonc.s, in resyjon.se to Mr Thomson's enquiry, would s\y no more tha.n that it was intended to finish the line to Waihoaka in the meantime, but that declaration would be but small satisfaction to those j who have been building their hopes i on his assurance that the line would be pushed on without delay to a point which would become of seme practical us*? to them. The Treasurer of the colony, since the beginning of the session, has been carefully pieparing the minds of members for a reduction of expenditure, and consequently for the refusal of many of their wants ; but if the OrepukiWaiau extension is among the lines to suffer by the application of the pruning knife, it will he a crying injustice to the settlers on this side t f, and beyond the Waiau, and a. revocation of the Government's policy of giving lirst consideration to the extension to a payable point of the works libeady in hand. Mr Thomson, we feel sure, will not rest satisfied with tho answer he received, and whatever action he may take in the House to have justice done to tho Orepuki-Waiau extension will be siq>ported by agitation among the Waiau settlers, and on the part of the Southland Railway League. General The week was very largely taken up with the asking und answering of questions. In one afternoon Sir Joseph Ward answered no * less than 137, and on another the Hons. HallJones. Carrol, and McOoivnn divided a hundred among them. Most of tho questions related to the domestic requirements of members — the roads, bridges, post olllces. and courthouses in which local representatives display so eager an interest and on which unfortunately their popularity so largely depends. It seems rather a travesty on the dignity and importance of the work of Parliament that so much time should bo taken up with enquiries after railway sidings at some remote spot about which nobody knows or cares arything, or the tower to a pest cilice that so far as the general public is concerned is largely mythical. However, it has been saiid that the number who gets the most railway piatforins and post office steeples is the most successful politician, and certainly the Ministers have no desire, in bestowing their favours, to conceal from their left hand what their right hand is doing. On the contrary, they are at particular pains to attract to their munificence all the notice possible ; for they look to the future for their reward. Among the questions of more than parochial interest were those put by Mr T. MeKenzie, asking that the fishing laws of the colony be reduced to o.d<>r. and by Mr Hunan, seeking to obtain better safeguards against the adulteration of liquors, meats, and other articles of diet. The lishing laws are lin a chaotic state, and both the i deep-sea and the angling regulations .require attention. The adulteration question has been brought before the House by Mv Hanan year after year, and undoubtedly the liquors thnt tho public drink and the stuffs thnt they eat should be submitted to analysis, and tinned goods und the like should bear on their wrappers a clear statement of their contents and composition. No doubt the public swallows an enormous quantity o( noxious and fraudulent stuffs, and it would be beneficial if some such legislation as jtlmjL for which Mr Hanan is contending were jnil on tho statute books. After dallying for a. wfi.ek in its own peculiar easy-going and leisurely fashion with tho Hon. Mr Rigg's Tied Houses Bill, the I.ogiMutivc Council on Wednesday afternoon incontinently ejected the measure by 25 votps to 8.