WHAT THE PAPERS SAY

Observer, Volume XVIII, Issue 1025, 20 August 1898, Page 4

WHAT THE PAPERS SAY

Mr Seddon has never yet allowed an Act of Parliament to stand in his way. — Oamaru Times. In the whole abominable business of banking legislation, from first to last, the State has been the last consideration. — Wellington Post. It is a melancholy fact that there are several members who habitually appear in the House drunk, and their conduct is a scandal — Wairarapa Leader. Since the Honourable Thomas. Thompson's reign commenced there have been some very remarkable appointments of Justices. — Napier Telegraph. Divorce reform is required here, if only as a matter of fairness to the women who suffer prolonged agony by being tied to men who are unsympathetic, incompatible or brutal. — Wellington Times. It is a pity that Mr Vaile does not reside at Wellington instead of at Auckland. Otherwise, his 16 years' labour and agitation might have been attended with very differene results.- Greymouth Argus. ,Let us for goodness sake have a little common sense and business acumen instilled into the members of the Assets Board, or have some steps taken to wipe the institution out of existence. — Waikato Argus. One cannot help suspecting that Mr Tunbridge will be treated as most Government Commissioners from railway managers to police reformers have been — put by on a shelf or hidden in a pigeon-hole. — Nelson Mail. In the New Zealand Parliament, at the present time, any silly pretext serves for a rambling debate on everything in general and nothing in particular, for utter waste of time, and for the debasement of legislative dignity. — Christchurch Star. It has always been maintained by the Government and their supporters that the legislation which they have been instrumental in passing had not barred settlement This, of course, ia not believed by any man whose opinion on the subject is. worth a-groat — Waikato Argus. If it is to be seriously proposed that the mail and passenger traffic between the islands is to be borne by State owned steamers, why should they not be constructed under the supervision of the Navy Department as merchant cruisers ?—Wellington Yost. There is in Christchurch an organisation which calls itself the Progressive Liberal Association. It consists of a few persons, male and female, who are mostly relatives of other persons appointed to Government billets during the last six or seven years. — Napier Telegraph. Parliament at the present time is deadly quiet. It is engaged in endeavouring to understand the meaning of Mr Seddon's progressive Bills. This is a matter of considerable difficulty, for Mr Seddon, when put to the test, does not appear to understand them himself. — Wairarapa Standard. Gladstone believed in educating the masses ; Bismarck believed in forcing them into subjection. Gladstone was loved by the people ; Bismarck was feared. Gladstone might have been a great statesman in Germany, but Bismarck would never have been tolerated in England. — Gißborne Telephone. The awful revelations which will really and at last be divulged when all is discovered about the management, control, and writings of the Bank of New Zealand must lead to only one sound conclusion upon the matter, and that is that there must be a State Bank like a State Post Office, under the control of a responsible Ministry.— Masterton Star. It is a matter of notoriety that during the Australian financial crash of four or five years ago immense Bums of money were sent over to the other side by Australian banks doing business in this colony, and as a consequence a number of legitimate traders were pressed for money, their credit being stopped and their business- severely suffering. And all this, be it marked, not because their accounts were considered bad, but simply because it was held necessary to drain New Zealand for money .to send to other colonies. — Blenheim Express.

; - A Chinaman can be taught to do anything. — Greymouth Argus. The actual surplus, therefore, by Mr -Seddon's own figures, is only £97,258. — Waikato Argus.

Wnen human Justice rushes in to right a thing she generally succeeds in making the corollary of that thing a darned sight worse.— Sydney Truth.

The. measures to establish a Law Bureau is a legislative absurdity, which must inevitably suffer the fate of the ridiculous ' Washerwoman's Bill ' of a few sessions ago. — Wanganui Chronicle.

The working of an advanced divorce law in Australia has shown that there is a tendency to looseness of life and — in some instances — an utter disregard of the sacredness of the marriage tie. — Carterton Leader.

Prison,the stepping stone to Parliament. At least six members of the present N S. Wales Assembly have ' done time '—mostly on charges to which every outspoken Democrat is liable.— Sydney Bulletin.

There is probably no other person in the colony who has the same intimate acquaintance with the figures of our railway returns of all kinds that Mr Vaile possesses. — Greymouth Argus.

A Home paper, commenting on the death of Gladstone, remarks pointedly: ' The grief felt by the Prince and Princess of Wales, Rosebery, and Devonshire, was so great that nothing less than a horse race would console them ! — Queensland Patriot.

Almost the whole of the money collected by the German customs upon English goods is set aside and devoted to the particular purpose of pushing the sale of German productions in countries where England is paramount. — Melbourne Punch. -

Local government is not maintained Jby property, but by men and women, who give property its ratable value ; and that being so, the local franchise ought to be made wide enough to embrace every man and woman of full age within the particular area — Lyttelton Times.

A tale has reached us concerning the Four •in - Hand Gold Mining Company, Auckland, which is enough to make one's hair stand on hand. Briefly, the directors of the company appear to have sold £1,200 cash, some speciman stone, and 60,000 shares out of 90,000 for £I,soo.— Wellington Guardian.

When Mr Pirani was an aspirant for political honours, he was a Socialist. When he was a Knight of Labour he supported the Liberal policy. When he was not raised to Cabinet rank, on the reconstruction of the Ministry, he became an Adullamite The transition from the cave to the full enjoyment of Conservative smile-sunlight is always easy. — Carterton Leader.

We do not think anybody in Napier is of opinion that the promoters or proprietors of this Hagey alleged cure for drunkenness deserve any consideration from Parliament A system that cannot keep its own managers sober enough to be allowed at large may be able to justify itself as a Erivate speculation for curing drunkards, ut for the Government to support or back it in any way would be a scandal. — Napier Telegraph.

What will happen to the present Banking Bill no one can possibly predict — that is to say, no one can possibly hit on the particular device that will be resorted to to kill the Bill. But it will be killed to a certainty, and President Watson will still be able to crow from his own particular hill. Talking of William Watson, he has gotten years — I don't mean imprisonment — but a ten years' appointment as President of the State Bank, at the trifling salary of £2,250 a year. — Wellington Guardian.