POLITICAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVI, Issue 64, 21 July 1913, Page 4

POLITICAL.

THE GREY ELECTION

[Pkr Pbess 'Association.] Beef ton, July 20,

Ejection excitement here is at fever Jieat. Viol W. T. Mills and Mr O'Regan (Wellington.), and others, are speaking on behalf of the Labor candidate (Mr Webb), and they 'expected a very close contest. Both sides are working extremely hard. JOTHNGS. His Majesty's Opposition were run nito lather an awkward corner on Friday evening "by Mr J. B. Hine, member for Stratford (states the Taraniiki Herald's correspondent). When the Land and Income Assessment Bill was being considered a number of Opposition speakers, treated it with ridicule, contending that it was much

more necessary to reduce Customs taxation in favour of the working man than to provide an additional exemption for men with incomes of more than £3OO a year. This, view was stressed by Messrs. Atmore and Ell, and, somewhat to the surprise of the House, it was vigorously supported r.lso by Mr Hine. The Opposition made no attempt to challenge a division but Mr Hi no did, and stuck to his purpose manfully. In their evident disgust the Opposition had to record their votes, and nearly all of them, being between the devil and the deep sea, elected to swell the" Government majority. The' voting was: Ayes 47, Noes 7. ~ The Noes wcrcvMessrs Hine, Atmore, J. C. Thomson, Brown, Payne and Hindmarsh: This was the first division of the session.

in speaking on the Land Transfer Act Bill on Friday, Mr Hino asked whether it was not possible to devise legislation so that oil rights should be, registered on the title in the same way that a mortgage was registered. The trouble was, he said, that farmers in disposing of .their oil rights did not understand that they were tying up their lands and restricting their powers of disposing of the land by sale or lease. Caveats were lodged against the lands by the holders"of th. 3 rights and teuftlsjehshdrcmfw the rights and the result was inconvenient to the owners. The Hon. Mr Herdman replied that if the question were put on the order paper he would be pleased to look into the matter. A ret lira presented to the House showed that the total expenses of the Hon. J. Allen's visit to England (including his private secretary's expenses') were £1450. Sir Joseph Ward visited England three times as Prime Minister, the expenses totalling £2050. £1202 and £1959 respectively. Sir John Findlay's visit to England in 1911 cost £llOl. The Hon. George Fowlds' visit to South Africa cost £6lO. The Hon. Mr Fisher's recent visit to Australia cost £287, including £32 as expenses of the return luncheon to the Federal Ministry. Mr Hine has given notice to ask the Minister of Defence whether, in making commissariat arrangements for military camps, he will take the necessary precaution to prevent the unreasonably high prices charged by the successful tenderers of the dry canteen at some of the camps.