POLITICAL NOTES.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2077, 26 July 1890, Page 2

POLITICAL NOTES.

The Dog Registration Bill seems in a very fair way to pass. This is a measure introduced by Major Stewart to reduce the registration fee for shepherds' and drivers' dogs to 2s 6d per head up to three dogs, As will be seen Sir John Hall moved to strike out the words " shepherds and drivers," and put in place of them the word " person." This would have the effect of reducing the fee for all dogs to 2s 6d, but Mr Feldwick came to the rescue by iuserting after the words person " not being residents of any borough or town district," and this was agreed to. The Bill so far amended as it has been will make the registration fee for sheep and cattle dogs belonging to people living outside, the boundaries of a town district or'a borough 2s 6d, but a'.l other dogs will be charged at the usual rate. This will diminish the reyenue of the county council, for no one will keep henceforward anything but sheep and cattle dogs. At any rate they will be represented and registered as such. At a subsequent consideration of the subject the House was counted out.

I The committee appointed to inquire into charges made by Mr Hutchison against the Ministry appear to have troublesome times df it- The Conservative papers say that the Liberals are trying to prolong the inquiry over the rising of Parliament, so as to have the matter to fling in the faces of Ministers at the elections. The Wellington Press says that the Government fear the exposure so much that they are trying to prevent any report being given in during the present session. One correspondent says a trick was played on Mr Hutchison. He was told the committee would not want him, but Mr Hislop was present as council for the Government. Mr Hutchison was justly very angry at duplicity like this being practised, and is said will be present at every committee in future. Tho Government have indignantly denied that they have retained the Crown Prosecutor, Mr H. D. Bell, the son of the AgentGeneral, to defend them, but it is remarkable that be attends the meetings to watch the case on behalf of the Bank of New Zealand. To unsophisticated simple-minded people all this will look very much like guilt on the part of the Government. If they, are innocent what need have they to go to all this trouble ? J Could they not produce all books and documents at once, prove to the world that the charges are false, and come out of it with clean hands ? It is evident from the tactics they are resorting to they cannot clear themselves of the charges very easily, for they are throwing all possible obstacles , in the way. Mr Mitchelson said iflj

the charges were true the Ministry deserved to be hurled from power at once. We agree with him, and we also believe the charges are true, for if they were not true why should the Bank of New Zealand refuse to produce its books ? Why should lawyers be employed to defend them ? Why should every mean advantage be taken to prevent a fair and impartial inquiry.

The correspondent of the Otago Daily Times says that Sir John Hall stone-walled the committee to prevent the minutes being confirmed, but the Government put it down to Mr Seddon. The Otago Daily Times says: —Mr Hutchison has demanded the production of details of every transaction, large or small, which has taken place between the Bank of New Zealand and Sir F. Whitaker, Sir H. Atkinson, or Mr Mitchelson; either personally or as partners with any other person or persons, or as shareholders in companies or in any other way during the entire term of the bank's existence.

Another report says that Mr Hutchison only asks for the transactions for the last four years. The correspondent of the Lyttelton Times says that Mr Bell attended on behalf of the Bank of New Zealand, and read a memorandum from the bank refusing to produce the books for three reasons: (1) The inconvenience of having to do without them while io the committee's possession; (2) the bank is not a party to the action; (3) bank will not produce accounts without the written permission of the persons likely to be affected by the divulgence of their business secrets, and cannot be made to do so without an order from the Supreme Court: Mr Bell argued at some length, quoting authorities, amongst others from sundry parallel cases before a committee of the House of Lords. Mr Hutchison picked up Mr Bell's book, turned the authorities against him, as lawyers have a knack of doing, and made a close, argumentative speech until the hour of adjournment struck. I hear that the discussion on both sides was very interesting and instructive. The point is not yet decided, of course. If the bank refuses to produce the books, then the whole question is settled. It simply shows there is something wrong. There never was so much smoke without some fire.

The Boards of Conciliation and Strikes Bill introduced by Mr Downie Stewart, of Dunedin, and over which the House spent most of last Wednesday, is simply rubbish. It provides for the appointment of a board to which disputes between capital and labor might be referred, but it leaves it optional with disputants whether they refer to it or not. Common sense ought to show any one that such a measure would be useless. At present employers and- employes can refer their disputes to arbitration, and what more is warted? What do they want with power to do what they can do, and have done already? From what we have so far seen we do not think a better board than the Maritime Council could be got. That body has worked with extraordinary sagacity, fairness, ! and prudence, and so long as it goes i on in the way it has done in the past we think it can be trusted. The leaders of the Liberal party ridiculed the Bill, and two thoroughered hura--1 bugs washed a good deal of dirty linen over it. These were Messrs Downie Stewart and Fish, both of Dunedin, who had a regular free fight. Mr Fish called Mr Stewart " an egotistical self-advertiser, who tried to pose as a philantrophisfe," and Mr Stewart retorted that Mr Fish was "a selfish popularity hunter, who pandered to the vote of the Dunedin Trades and Labor Unions." Now the honest fact is that both these gentlemen are persons who are ever endeavoring to " run with the hare and hunt with the hounds." They are jealous of each other concerning the votes''of the working mens but neither of them has any honest sympathy with that class. No man who ever threw into another man's face that he was currying favor with the working men can be relied on as a friend of labor. The man who works honestly and steadfastly for the working men would never resort to such vulgar tactics.