THE COLONIST. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 18, 1913. SUMMARY NOTES.

Colonist, Volume LV, Issue 13752, 18 June 1913, Page 4

THE COLONIST. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 18, 1913. SUMMARY NOTES.

Death of the Speaker.

The death of the Hon. Sir Arthur Guinness,-member for Grey and Speaker of. the'House-of Representatives, on the 10th. insfc., occasioned general and deep regret throughout the Dominion. His illness was of "such short duration that tho news of Sir Arthur's death came as a shock to the public, who had barely learned of liis indisposition. The member for Grey was first returned to Parliament in 1884, and had since sat for the same constituency continuously, the death of Sir William Steward last year leaving him the distinction of being tho oldest member'of the House. Ho was for ten year& Chairman of Committees, a position he relinquished in 1903 to assume the higher office of Speaker. The confidence which he inspired in members of the House is indicated by his repeated reelection, and it may be said that the dignity of Parliament and the courtesies of debato were never more respected than during Sir Arthur Guinness' Speakorship. His official relations with the members of the House were always most cordial, and though ho could bo a keen partisan when, the House being in Committee, he took his place as an ordinary member, a more, impartiar Speaker than Sir Arthur Gum-, ness it would be difficult to find. The funeral took placo at Greymouth on Friday last, when the respect in which the late Speaker - • was held by the people of the, West Coast was strikingly evidenced by ono of the largest gatherings ever seen in the district assembling to pay a last tribute. The Government was represented ,by the Hon. A. L. Herdman, Attorney-Gen-eral, and several members of Parliament were present.

The Speakershlp. Sir Ax'thur Guinness' death has left a vacancy it will bo by no means a simple matter to fill. He possessed all the qualifications required in a Speaker, and it will not be easy to find any member of the present House as well fitted to undertake tho responsibilities of the office. The. election of the Speaker must be the first business to receive the attention of the House.-, when Parliament re-assembles at the end of this month, but the Government's intentions in the.matter have not yet been disclosed. Rumour as usual is busy with the names of several! members, first among whom is the pre- j sent Chairman of Committees,- Mr; Lang, to whom the honour might naturally be offered. Mr Lang himself is silent on the question, but it is considered in some quarters that his lack of experience—he has been Chairman cf Committees for a year only—might make- him reluctant to accept, the Speakership. It is suggested that the Hoh W:fraser, Minister of Public •Works, might not be unwilling to relinquish the strenuous portfolio :of Public Works for the Speaker's chair, and the Hon J. A. Millar and Mr T. M. Wilford, both former Chairmen of j Committees, are also mentioned as. [gentlemen upon either of whom the |, selection may fall.

The Grey Seat. ~ A bye-election of course becomes necessary to fill the Grey seat, and sev-

eral candidates are likely to offer themselves. It is definitely announced that Mr M. Hannan, a well known solicitor, and Crown Prosecutor, at Greymouth, will bo the, Opposition candidate, and Mr H. L. Michel, of -Hokitika, has been invited to contest the seat in the Government interest. It is reported that Mr P. C. Webb, president of the Federation of Labour, will also be a candidate. ,

H.SVI.S. New Zealand. Nelson was en fete on Sunday and Monday, the Bth and 9th inst., on the occasion of the visit of tho battlecruiser New Zealand, which arrived at the ■outer anchorage early on theT Sunday morning. The day proved fine, and many were early astir to see the vessel steam up the Bay to her anchorage. Official visits were paid during the morning, and in the ' afternoon the battleship was thronged with interested sightseers. Monday, however, was the great day, and the crowd which poured into the city from all parts of the district to inspect the ship and assist in entertaining her crew, has seldom been''equalled in either numbers or enthusiasm. A feature of the day's festivities was the visit of school children to the battleship. Some 2,300 children, many of them from remote parts of the district, assembled, and very complete arrangements for their reception and supervision had been made by a committee set up for the purpose, thanks to whom the children's inspection was very successfully managed. The officers and crew of the battleship were entertained in various ways.during the day, a sports meeting held at Trafalgar Park in the afternoon attracting an attendance of several thousands. All the functions were carried out with the greatest success, and nothing cropped up to mar the celebration of a notable event- in the city's history. It may be said that the officers and crew of the New Zealand won the goodwill and esteem of the public as they have clone everywhere else, and carry with them wherever their duty may take them in the future the best wishes of the people of Nelson.

Tha Indrabarah. The hopes that the Tyser liner Indrabarah, which went ashore on the beach a few miles north of the Rangitikei on May 9th., would speedily be re-floated, were disappointed. Notwithstanding sustained efforts to got the vessel into deep water, she still remains in the sand, though in a more favourable position. The efforts to refloat the Indrabarah are being continu-. cd with vigour, and the experts are hopeful that they will shortly be crowned with success.

Tha Federal, Elections. . The general elections in the Commonwealth have produced a result which is satisfactory to neither party. With one seat still in doubt tho posi-

tion in, the House of Representatives is an even balance of parties. One doubtful seat is now expected to go to tho Liberals, who will then have a majority of one. The Senate elections have given the Labour party an overwhelming majority in that Chamber. The resignation of the Government is now expected, but Mr Cook, the Liberal leader, will clearly bo unable to form a stable Administration, arid another appeal to the electors at an early date for a more decisive verdict will bo tho natural outcome of the situation. On the referenda proposals, which invited the . electors to sanction an amendment of, the Constitution vesting in the Commonwealth Parliament all powers of dealing with trade and commerce, trusts and combines, and industrial legislation, the unfinished count shows a growing negative majority.