POLITICAL JOTTINGS

Taranaki Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 10654, 1 July 1896, Page 2

POLITICAL JOTTINGS

CONTEMPORARY OPINION

The case of the Hon. J. G-. War! is now talked out, But we cannot pass the matter wholly in silence. We do not withhold our sympathy from a man at death-grapples with fortune, even when in desperation he swerves somewhat from what afterwards appears to be the right path. But we fear it would be nothing but weakness to allow sympathy to follow Mr Ward into his retirement. He shows no sense of fault, and had nothing better to say in self-defence than that others were as bad as he. He complains of having had implacable enemies, who, for a long time past, have reflected on his financial stability. That may be. But did his bittetest enemy ever suspect half the truth, or say a fiftieth: part of what the I impartial and fearless judge had to say ? — The Advocate (Wesleyan).

The Wellington correspondent of the New Zealand Herald has the best authority for stating that the promised Bank Bill will propose to give the Government the right to appoint an additional director of the Bank of Naw Zealand. This- will give Ministers four nominees (including the President) out of the seven members of the Board of Directors. Of course the effect of such a proposal, if given effect to, would be to practically hand over the management of the institution to the Ministry of the day, and make political influence supreme. Therefore this provision of the bill is certain to meet with the most strenuous opposition, and in fact, one of the fiercest fights of the session may be expeoted over this matter. We are evidently in for a third banking session.

The question of extending the franchise at municipal elections again cropped upin the House on Friday afternoon, Mr Collins asking if, in view of the impossibility of parsing the Local Government Bill th's session, the Government would introduoe a short Bill enacting that all future municipal elections should be conducted on the basis of household suffrage. The Premier, in answering the question, expressed the hope that members would give their attention to the Local Government Bill. If they were unable to paBS the Bill this seas? on they ought to provide that the next election for the municipalities should take place upon an enlarged franchise. Members generally appeared to endorse this opinion. — Post.