POLITICAL NOTES.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 4707, 27 July 1893, Page 1

POLITICAL NOTES.

i [fbom our special correspondent. I WELLINGTON, July 26. i A BPICY INCIDENT. The whole of this afternoon was occupied • with an impromptu and irrelevant debate I on the co-operative system of public works . and the Government Labour Bureau. The ' member for Clutha was the instigator of ; the waste of time, for he it was who moved ■ the adjournment of the House in order to i deliver an attack on the Government for . refusing to attend to the wants of the unemi ployed in the Catlins district. The debate ! waxed furious ar ound the co-operative prin- • ciple, and the Labour Bureau was attacked : and defended with vigour and warmth. ' The Premier made an effective reply to • "Clutha" Mackenzie, showing that the i Government had done all that waa poa- ' sible for that gentleman's district, and ■ that if any delay had been showed in i dealing with the unemployed, it had been , at Mr Mackenzie's own instigation, i ** Clutha" waa burning to reply, but the i Government supporters were determined i to repel every accusation made against the ) popular institution that was the object of ; the attack, and they kept the ball rolling i till after five o'clock. Then the Hon W. P. ' Beeves got up to add his eloquent i and authoritative quota to the justifica- • tion of the Bureau and co-operative works. ' "Clutha" Baw the moments slipping away, ' and with them his chance of delivering i another attack under cover of replying on ' the debate. His fury at being thuß baulked > led to the first serious " scene" of the seaaion. While the Minister for Labour . waa introducing a letter, which he proi fessed to read, and which he said showed ' that the member for Clutha had urged the Bureau to engage five unemployed from ' his district, Mr Mackenzie interjected , "That's not true." Mr Beeves appealed ' to the Speaker, and Mr Mackenzie then i. added, "If you would restrain yourself i and behave with more decency." The ! Speaker stopped him and ordered bim to " withdraw hie expression. Mr Mackenzie ) point blank refused, whereupon the Premier moved that the words be taken i down. This was done amid the usual i excited hubbub of contradiction. The t Premier and leader of the Opposition i made further appeals to Mr Mackenzie, i who ultimately withdrew the words and i apologised for using them. Ten minutes i late for dinner. Members then went off i with the ze3t supplied by a spicy incident. WESTPOBT COAL RESERVES. > Messrs Greenfield and Browning, the . Commissioners appointed to inquire into i various matters connected with the West- > port coal reserves, have presented a lengthy report, which was laid on the ; table of the House to-day. On the quesl tion of whether the Government is liable : to pay compensation for improvements on > resuming possession of land required for i public purposes, the Commissioners report i that this liability only. exists >in tejrms of l. f'The Westland .and Nelson:-Coalfield i Administration Act, 1887," when land is resumed before "the: expiry^of the^ lease. ) In the opinion of the Commissioners the I current rents of the reserve are much too • high, andjin many cases comparatively un* , just. They have therefore made acorn- • plete readjustment of the values and fixed I fair rents on the basis of 5 per cent on the freehold value. They recommend that power be obtained to grant renewals to I certain classes cf lessees for a further term > of thirty years, without competition, at the rents, named in the schedule. " -■ ■ SIB JOHN HALL BAFFLED. ' ] i . The Public Accounts Committee met » to-day and appointed Mr Shera Chairman, i That gentleman's .first duty waa a" aomewhat difficult one, as Sir John Hall immediately rose and moved that the Premier • be called to give evidence before the Com- . mittee on the mistake in last year's Public - Works Statement, which has formed the [ subject of discussion in the House. The i Chairman expressed the opinion that this I waa not included in the general order of ) reference from the House to the Comi mittee; but, in deference to the Com--1 mittee, he waived his right to rule on the • matter, and allowed a vote to be taken ; between Sir John Hall's motion arid the ; amendment proposed by Sir B. Stbut. The . voting being equal, Mr Shera gave^his vote l against Sir John Hall's proposal. ;; I , \ JOTTINGS AMD INCIDENTSi] A large block of native land; in the i Hawera district, Taranaki, is about to be . purchased by the Government. The ex- ; tent of the block is about 7500 acres, andthe price to be paid is 10s per acre, cash down. The land is of excellent » quality, and it is alleged that it will bring [ £5 to £6 per acre for settlement purposes. I The Labour Bills Committee was to have ; considered the Shops Bill to-day, but no > quorum was present, and the business had i to be adjourned. ; The Trustees Acts Amendment Bill, in- . troduced by Mr Seddon, is intended • chiefly to enlarge the powers of trustees as , to borrowing, &c. • A further petition in favour of the j Direct Veto Bill was presented to-day by I Mr W. Hutchison. ; L The block of land which is being ac- ' quired by the Government in Taranaki is i situated within a mile of the Eltham rail- ; way station. It belonged to the late . Hone Pihama, and the 'Government haß ; for some time held it under a sub-lease at ; .£2OO per annum. It was necessary that j this block should be acquired by the ; Government in order to having Crown I lands adjacent opened np byroads, and I negotiations were accordingly entered j npon, and are now almost completed. - : In reply to the allegations of Opposition 1 speakers that only men of the right colour, 3 politically, are taken on to co-operative 3 works, Mr E. M. Smith triumphantly i alleged that the Government could not find any working men of the wrong colour. • This sally was loudly applauded by the I House. L ;Mr Joyce ia moving the : Minister for i Education to allow kindergarten teaching ; in all public Bohools of the Colony, as is 3 done in a school under the supervision of 3 tho Wellington Board of Education. Mr Fish will, on Friday, ask the Governl ment if there is any intention to appoint i the present Premier Chief Commissioner of 3 Bail ways for a period of five years at a 3 salary of .£IOOO per annum, and to ask Sir i B. Stout to accept the position of Premier. 3 The following particulars regarding the 3 late conference ol railway employees hel I at Wellington are being moved for by Mr 3 J. Kelly-—(1) The names of the delegates i attending the conference on the Bailway ■ Employees Insurance Bill; (2) the num- » ber of employees on the various sections , represented by such delegates; (3) the L datea upon wbich notices were issued ; inviting the employees to meet and select 3 such delegates,- (4) the number of ; employees present at such meetings ; (5) the total cost of the conference to the ! country, including salaries and wages payable to the delegates while absent from duty. The Bailway Commissioners require immediately thirteen sections to the north of Nelson etreet, and compensation will have to be paid for taking these. Mr C. H. Mills told the House that the late Colonial Treasurer said to him in the course of conversation a few days before his death, that this year's Financial Statement would be the most brilliant in the history of the Colony; and he (Mr Mills) considered that this expectation had been i fully realised, i

THE AUCKLAND ELECTION. [Pee Press Association.] AUCKLAND, July 26. Mr Cadman was nominated to-day by Messra J. J. Holland and J. Leighton. Mr W, It, Bees addressed the city ,

electors at Ponsonby on the valuation of the Umutaoroa block and other matters! A new feature waß the production of a letter written by the late Premier, Mr Ballance. Mr Cadman had stated that he (Mr Bees) was led to make his charges because Mi Ballance had sent Mr Smith to Napier to oppose hiß Native land proposals. It had also been said that Mr Ballance waa adverse to hia action in this matter. Mr Ballance was dead, but he (Mr Bees) was quite prepared to prove the absolute falsity of these statements. The meeting at Napier at which Mr Smith was to have opposed him, waa held on Maroh 3 or 4, and. yet at the came time (on March 3) he had received the following letter from Mr Ballance : — Wanganui, March 3, 1893, Dear Mr Beea,— Many thanks for your letter of Feb. 24, and for your kind wishes regarding my health. With regard to Native legislation, I agree with you very largely as to the spirit of the proposed Bill. Part of my plan is to have a central Board in which the administration shall chiefly centre. One of our great difficulties is money for roading, for as you know the larger portions of the Native lands are so far removed from existing settlements that it ia almost impossible for settlement to take place without roada. I see there is great opposition to the Committee system, but I agree with you that Committees of blocks can be made moat useful in the work of administration. I cannot agree that Committees should give titles; that must be done by the Commissioner of Crown- Lands, and in the ordinary way, after the land has been sold or disposed of. I shall soon be well enough, I. hope, to i proceed with the drafting of the Bill, and aB soon aa it ia approved by the Cabinet I will let yon have a copy. Hoping yon and Mra Bees and theifamily are well, and with kind regards, 1 in which Mrs Ballance joins, youra very truly, J. Ballance.". Mr Rees received a vote of thanks. „'. \ i ■ , . Mr Worth, President of the Trades and Labour Council, was desirous of seconding Mr-Bees' nomination not officially, but aa B private individual, leaving members of the organisation to vote bb they please. He notifies in the Press that he will decline to preside at Mr Bees' next meeting aa announced. ,;; \ . \ ■* ■ / . r. •'••/»