WELLINGTON NOTES. [A Correspondent.]

Tuapeka Times, Volume XXV, Issue 4254, 3 July 1895, Page 3

WELLINGTON NOTES. [A Correspondent.]

PARLIAMENTARY. The best friends of the Government cannot help mildly ridiculing the speech Ministers put into the Governor's niomh. Even the supporters who moved and seconded the reply had to depart from the text or question the statement of facts in it. In the Uppec. House Mr M'Cullough (Thames) was very jubilant over the improved aspect of mining matters in Auckland ; and he, with more sympathy than truth, attributed the prosperity to grants of money proposed by Government last session. The present boom is entirely due to the enterprise of the Waihi Co. Government proposals and promises are held very cheaply by those interested in mining matters, for the Seddon Government has consistently acted as a wet blanket on this industry ; the Waipori difficulty is an instance of this. For fifteen months men and machinery have been idle there ; buoyed up by promises made from time to time by the Premier and Ministers, that something would be done ; but it is now evident that the farmers and rn.iners will have to fight the matter out in oourt. The whole of the West Coast is righteously indignant at the unprecedented neglect of gold mining by the Government now in power. As a set-off Government promises to deprive the Cassell Co. of their rights to the CYANIDE PROCESS. That this process for gold saving should be free to all is a matter there is no doubt among mining men, but that the patentees should be deprived of their rights without compensation is quite another story. These rights were offered to the Government about four years ago for a small sum which the Government declined to pay. There are doubts about some features of the patent ; but the Cassells Co. were undoubtedly the first to practically prove on a larger scale that 90 per cent, of the gold in quartz could be saved in plaoe of from 30 to 50 per cent, by the quicksilver prooeas, and through their methods of working, millions have annually been added to the output of gold in the world. Decidedly the rights should be made free to all to use— but not unfairly or by spoilage. IN THE LOWER HOUSE Mr Pirani made a good effort, chiefly, by evading the points in the speech from the throne and dilating on subjects n,ot mentioned ; while his follower, Mr Maslin, made Ministers feel uncomfortable, for in his endeavours to make them blessed above reproach he went so far as to " refuse to believe " that Mr Ward made the speeches he did in London, or that government had sold £150,Q00 worth of Consols to the Bank of H,ew Zealand and then deposited tb,e proceeds in the Colonial Bank. His beliefs and unbeliefs are fated to receive some nasty jars when the correspondence relating to financial mattery are laid on the tatjle. Captain Eqsseli followed and did little move than touch upon the fringe of the abundant material ne had for criticism. He appositely remarked that the leading sentence of the Governor's Speech referring to the destruction of seal 3 for their skins was what might be expected of a Government which had con? sistently skinned everything and everybody ekinnable in the colony. He made a slight pa.tirioal allusion to the meeting between the Premier and Te Whiti, which historical interview promises to be an abundant subject for chaff during the session, QUESTIONS. AND, P.ETUBNH. Among questions and returns to be asked for the following are of general interest : — Is Government prepared to accept as correct the valuation of £2 per acre of the Pomahaka estate, settled by Mr Hawkins, S.M., at the Clutha Assesement Court, which indicates a shrinkage in value of £11,500 since its purchase by the Government without including the cost of survey, roading, etc. 2 A return showing the expenses incurred by , the Minister fop L&bQr in visiting Australia to

report on the village settlement schemes there; also, for the report prepared by him. A return of the correspondence relating to the proposed purchase of Clarke's estate near Lake Brunner, and the travelling expenses incurred by the Commissioners sent to report ; also the result of the negotiation. A return phowing the travelling and other expeuses of the Government valuators under the Loans to Settlers Act since their appointments. A return showing (1) the cost of taking possession ancl (2) of collecting evidence for the Midland Eailway case by the Crown prosecutor and the experts accompanying him through the West Coast. A return of the cost (1) of preparing (2) of editing (3) of illustrating and printing an account of the proceedings of the Native Minister and suite in the Uriwera Country during the recess; also the net amount received from the sale of the book. A BLADDER PRICKED. The Advances to Settlers Bill was to have regenerated the colony. The poor and struggling settler was to be rescued from the cruel grasp of the extortionate money lender, and a new era in the successful settlement of the country was about to begin. The vista was an exceedingly alluring one, and charmed by the plausible utterances of the Hon. the Colonial Treasurer, much support was accorded the measure. But the actual working out of the scheme so far has dispelled the beautiful picture. The real fact is that the system cannot help the deserving, struggling, hard-working settler for the reason that that class cannot show the required margin of security. It is the well-to-do man, with say a property valued at a couple of thousand pounds, who wants to borrow a fourth of that sum, who will reap the benefits of the cheap money. But even that class will participate but sparingly in the scheme. Complaints are made in all parts of the colony that applications showing ample margin have been refused. The correctness of these statements is apt to be doubted, but when evidence of their truth is brought " home to roost," judgment is no longer suspended and credence is unhesitatingly given thereto. I hear that a substantial settler in the Hutt district, whose property is valued for taxing purposes at between £1700 and £1800, was refused an advance of £500 on that security. That being so, where is the so-called advantages of the cheap money scheme ? It may be urged that the lending department has run short of funds, but in view of the million and a half recently borrowed at Home that argument is scarcely tenable.