Political Gossip

Southland Times, Issue 19202, 13 November 1903, Page 2

Political Gossip

(By Telegraph.) (From Our Own Correspondent).' WELLINGTON. Nov. 12. THE FRISCO SERVICE. It, has been definitely decided that the consideration of the San Francisco mail proposals shall be made the first order of the day for to-morrow. karly this evening a. meeting of opponents of tho | service was attended by 20 members. They decided that oitfy four speakers thould represent them In tho debate and the other imrty has agreed to adopt a I similar courwe. The hostile camp will be ' represented by Messrs J. A. Millar and T E. Taylor (South Island) and A. L. ■I) traser and Duthie (tNorth Island). (»n the motion to go into committee on the proposals Mr Millar will move as an amendment : " That the sulaidy to the San Francisco service be discontinued," thereby following the lead of Sir Joseph Ward "(then Mr Ward) when the question vus under consideration in IHBH. THK BUSINESS. I understand that the Government has decided not to proceed this session with the regulation o f Local Elections Amendment or Klectoral Law Amendment Bills. They wen* consequent upon tho Licensing Bills. The Hanking Dill unrf the Public Works Statement will votie on etirly next week. Next year a consolidating licencing bill will be brought down early in tnc Mission and the great problem will be threshed out to a conclusion. THE PUBLIC "WOHKS STATEMENT. The leader of the Opposition reiterated this afternoon <i question which has been frequently on his lips of late : " When will the Public Works Statement tie down ?" Mr Seddon : It is in a forwunl state of preparation (laughter).— Mr Massey : You will have a revolt in the House' presently. — Mr Seddon (l«ughiny;li ) : Thwe will be a revolt after it cuuies down. — 1 am pretty safe in tippinir that the statement will not make its appearance this week. A TIP FOIt BOYS. Members arc joking to-day over tho " poiuy hill " to suppress juvenile smoking, which the House passed last night. The working of thu bill would make tho angels weep. There is some ,doubt as to whetner girls are cut off from, the soothing weed or not. Are they included in the word " youth V" A member assures the «'irls thut they are " embraced " by 11 youth." Hoys, don't throw away your '" I»<U' S " and don't leave the colony with the persistency shown by Lot in departing from Goiuorrnh. The law id still a " hass " and you are safe from the law so long as you only stnoke in a church or in a cricket reserve. Be particularly careful to {tut out your '• fag " when on tho wharf, but just drop into n punt alongside and you can put) the smoke into the eyes of the " Uobert." Or you can get a certificate from a doctor or your pater and that lets you smoke Of course you don't need to understand why this should bo .so, but Parliament specially amended the bill to make this clear. Don't ask " Whit wey. paw ?" or hp will get angif. Inscrutable are the ways of Parliament . SOUND ARGUMENTS. A slight foretaste of the pending battle of the mail routes was given by the l.'pper Mouse in its debate on the Costwise Trade Bill. The Attorney-General firjit expressed the opinion that there was no reason why the San Francisco service should not be brought within tho provisions of this measure, just as the United States applied their shipping laWs to us as indeed they had already dono and driven the Union S.S. Co. out of that service. Hon. J. Uigg who followed, urged that the colony should cancel the 'Frisco service and with the' money then available assist in providing n nuicknr service on the Vancouver route. Hon. C. Bowen thought it was an extraordinary thinir that the OovernI went, while giving thie plain hint to t America, was at tho same time renewing a subsidy to an American line of steamers. It was not as though there, was no alternative, for there waa the British line via Canada. Had the Government baen in earnest it would surely have adopted the British mail service in preference to that of n country which had as a matter of recent history, excluded our ships from Honolulu. Thq AttorneyGeneral pointed out that Mr Bowen haa" omitted to state that in the, proposals before the House there was also a proposed subsidy for the line via Vancouver. In regard to the 'Frisco line it must not be forgotten that *• not only America was concerned in it but also the colony itself, and especially tho northern portion, which was much affected by it. The service could not be ended in an instant and it was necessary., that the contract should bo renewed, for a" time at all events. It was not tn'r, bcr&use the Government was preventing* ail inconvenience, that it should be charged with inconsistency. Mr Bowen said the Government had had time since renewing the last contract to make fresh arrangements.