POLITICAL NOTES.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 144131, 28 June 1913, Page 3

POLITICAL NOTES.

A GOVERNMENT CAUCUS. POLICY MEASURES APPROVED. (By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent,) WELLINGTON, Juno 28. A well-attended meeting of the Government Party was heid this morning, all 44 members of the party being present or accounted for. Various policy measures which the Government propose to- introduce were explained by the Prime 'Minister, and an unanimous expression ’of opinion in favour of these measures was given by members of the party. . It is intended to hold a series or similar meetings during the session as opportunity offers. THE GOVERNOR’S SPEECH. The brevity of the Speech from the Throne to-day marks a welcome return to the business-like habits of some thirty years ago. In tho days of Sir John Hall in tho early eighties the Governor’s Speech at the opening or X’arliament occupied in Hansard usually from two to three columns of space, and consisted of a short but comprehensive outline of tho work that was to bo undertaken. Sir H. A. Atkinson in 1890 found himself forced to be a little more extensive in his programme, and his outline ran to four columns. Mr. John Baiianco in 1892 was satisfied with the same total, but with the advent of the Scddon regime, a subtle policy of verbosity was inaugurated. In ’93 Mr. Seddon started modestly with four columns, but in ’BB be occupied no less than eight columns, in ’97 nine columns, and in -’9B six columns. In his later years ho was a little more moderate, but Sir Joseph Ward started off in 1900 with a production running into six columns. In 1908 he was still verbose, and filled seven columns, but in tiio following year he was satisfied with a modest two columns and a half. In 1911 he revived somewhat, and produced eight columns, but it remained for the Hon. Thomas Mackenzie in the succeeding year, to break ail records, and come to light with tile effusive length of thirteen columns. In spite of that imposing arrav of words, .Mr. Mackenzie’s Ministry Kad the shortest tenure of office known in recent years, so if there Is any connection between, diffusiveness and retention of office, the brevity of to-day’s speech may be taken as a good augury for the life of the Massey Government. NOTICES OF MOTION. Tho usual budget of notices of questions and motion, and notices for returns, etc., was brought forward during the .afternoon in tho House. Several or the important ones touched upon the subjects of defence, Bible reading in schools, land taxation, etc., ■while tho most trenchant demands in the way of returns were for information upon the expenses of Ministers in visiting Australia and England, and in travelling up and down New Zealand since their accession to office. THE MILITARY SYSTEM. Mr. Witty (Riccarton) and Mr. Geo. Laurenson (Lyttelton) each desired returns upon aspects of tho Defence Act. Mr. Witty moved that a return be laid before the House, showing the number of youths convicted once for breaches of the Defence Act, the number convicted twice, the number convicted four times, tho number of those eligible to serve, and the number now serving under the. Act. Mr. Laurensoii’s request was for-iho number of men between the ago; of 13 and, 25, the number enrolled under tho Act, the number rejected, and the number summoned in the whole Dominion for breaches of tho Defence Act. MINISTERIAL EXPENSES. Party politics evidently dictated the number of inquiries, and motions, made upon this subject. Mr. Atmore (Nelson) desires to know tho travelling expenses incurred by each Minister between July 8, 1912, and June 26, 1913, and the number of days each Minister had been absent from Wellington. Mr. Witty presented three requests, one for travelling allowances of each Minister from November 7, 1912, to Juno 25, 1913, one for the expenses incurred by Mr. Fisher in visiting Australia, and another for a like return in connection with the visit of the Hon. Jas. Allen to England. The announcement of the notices of motions elicited considerable laughter from the Government benches. ADDRESS-IN-REPLY. * It is probable that the debate' on the Address-in-Reply will last for about a week. The Government will then probably introduce a few of its smaller Bills, in order to give the Legislative Council some wpfik to start on. The election of a Chairman of Committees will probably be deferred for' a while. The fact that Mr. Nosworthy took the chair to-day, for the passage of the Imprest Supply Bill, has no significance. Amongst tho “probables” mentioned are Messrs. Malcolm, Anderson, Mander and E. Newman. ‘ THE NEW LORDS. The swearing-in of Messrs... John Duthie, C. A. 0. Hardy, W. Earnshaw and W. 6. Nichol (Paeroa) as members of the Legislative Council was the principal event of interest in the sitting of the Upper House to-day. Sir William Russeli (who has been' unable to leave homo owing to illness) is the other now Councillor. Comment is made in Opposition circles on the fact that four ou\ of the five new “Lords” have been rejected as candidates for re-election to the House and the Government is being charged with thus being inconsistent with its attitude when in opposition towards some of tho appointments made by tho previous Government. The Evening Post, an index rndent paper, says that the Government has chosen wisely, and that it is to be congratulated on its now team. COMMENTS ON THE SPEECH. Government members express their satisfaction with the-Speech, and state ; that they regard it as marking a return to a better custom in documents of the kind, than has hitherto prevailed in New Zealand. “There is an absence of the High falution, and airy promises that we have been taught to look for in the Governor’s Speech,” said one member, “and there are no feelers; it is a plain policy statement on the English model.” One Independent said that the Speech was rather vague, but he tempered this opinion with the remark that the Government could not be expected to give away the details of its policy proposals in advance.