WELLINGTON NOTES.

Waikato Argus, Volume II, Issue 101, 2 March 1897, Page 3

WELLINGTON NOTES.

[I'KOJI OUK OWN CORRESPONDENT |. Wellington, February 17. THE ELECTION PETITIONS. The tcd'ous proceedings of the Election Court have at last ended, for which relief much thanks, and Mr George Fisher remains member for Wellington with a slightly increased majority. Thus in one case out of three has the virtuous Liberal triumphed over the envious and grasping Conservative. It is to be hoped that Mr Fisher's next reversal of form, as the horsey men call it, will not be too sudden, but<ne never knows what the chameleon ex-Mayor and ex •Minister may be up to. His lightning changes from publicans' advocate to prohibitionist and back again to the bosom of Brother Hung, his ornamental and effective onslaughts on the sins of Seddonism in 1893, and admiration of Capt. Russell in March, 1896, when he said that " We were being governed by people who had attempted to right every human wrong by wronging every human right," which changed by the following October to an adulation of our only statesmen and ltd the bewildered electors to enquire if there were two Mr George Fishers, and both of them prominent politicians. These little eccentricities make him a sort of x or unknown quantity in forecasthg the future. However, there he is, and a very pretty apple of discord he will probably prove before the session is a week old. And what about the session? Is a question one hears at every corner. The answer rests with the great "lam" now surveying Australia with a lofty scorn because its down trodden Liberals still tndurc the barbaric laws which be has expunged from the Statute Book of advanced New Zealand. The six Australian Premiers shrank into their boots at his appearance at the Convention at Bobart. They, puny pretenders to statesmanship, attended the function unattended by any retinue whatever, each with a modest gladstone bar containing a change of linen, not so Mr Scddon ; as a man of the people and the embodiment of the Democracy as we interpret that word, he had the Government carpenter's shop kept busy in preparing a vast assortment of trunks f.r the journey for a fortnight before his departure, and when he entered the convention with three private secretaries the six Australian Premiers simply crumpled up, aud at a secret meeting that night determined to close the show next day. It is rumoured that our ambassador had a revolutionary idea which he threw out a hint of to the newly-created knight, Sir George Turner, Premier of Victoria. It was to the effect that he would favour Federation and join New Zealand in the scheme providing a secret treaty was agreed to by which he (Mr Seddon) should be the first president with a five years' tenure, the office to include the treasurcrship. Sir George was naturally taken aback, but being a resourceful man he suggested that as the Labour Baity of Victoria is controlled bv the Trades Hall, and the Trades Hall is" bossed by the all powerful Trenwith, that Mr Seddon should first obtain the moral support of that Victorian prototype of himself. Then Sir George lurner hastened to the other jrreinicrs and broke the news. They resolved on instant flight and the convention broke up next day. The cable has since informed us that Mr Seddon has enjoyed the hospitality of the Trades Hall and in return delivered an oration on Old Age Pensious and Working Men's Homes. This appears to have been the only pub'ic recognition he has received except what the newspapers have had to say about him. A commercial traveller writing to the Melbourne Age calls atteution to what he alleges is an inconsistency. He says that on a recent trip to New Zealand he was bailed up by a man in plain clothes who levied a polltax on him of £SO for trying to book orders, and he finds Mr Seddon just prior to his advent, telegraphing to the other Premiers proposing a conference in the interests of freetrade. The miscnided bagman characterises the proceeding a 3 a kind of " advertising." We who know our Premier's methods so well have come to understand that he never does anything but advertise himself, and the Australians will probably know that too by the time he finishes his tout. FACTORY BILLS. Yet in some directions our labour legislation is a long way behind that enjoyed by the Victorians. Solomon and other wise men preached the virtues of diligence aud ear'y rising, but a decree has gone forth from the Party that an industrious man is a criminal, and shall be treated as such. Here is a clause from the Act: "No person shall work for himself on any day before halfpast seven in the morning or after five in the evening." Now a factory is any place where one person works at a trade, aud a depraded Chinaman was caught red-handed iu the act of washing clothes at 7 o'clock one evening, and when brought before the Magistrate he axcused himself that work had been slack and he was endeavouring to make up for lost time Sun King was informed that he must lay aside his heathenish practices cow that he was in a democratic colony, and the Court fined him Is with £2 2s costs, and gave him to understand that a second offence involved a fine of "not less than £5," and if he still persisted in " washing his dungarees " after 5 p.m. his license as a factory would be cancelled and he would be forbidden to work at all. Now that Mr Seddon has been entertained at the Trades Hall, where this Act was hatched, he will undoubtedly bring down an amended Factory Act as soon as he opaus Parliament, and make it penal for us to blavK our hoots before 7.30 or to brush our hats after 5.

Another paralled comes also from Victoria. A case was being heard before Judge Molcsworth in which a notice to publicans had been advertised in the Licenred Victuallers Gazette. I*. was contended that this was not a newspaper as it did not circulate in the neighbourhood, and the Jud(;e in looking over it observed : " Great events from little causes spring ; the gazette says that Victoria is indebted for its Premier —Sir Georqe Turner—to the licensed victuallers." Here in Wellington we have the Ministerial morning paper, which is mainly owned and run at a loss by the beer trade. It has been suggested that its title be altered to the " The Brewers and Publicans' Advocate." In a style suggestive of a Liberal consumption of the extract of hops and glucose it uphold the ttade, and the Ministry in a maudlin way which Mr Seddon is very proud of. If the knigbood comes off when he reaches the Court of St. James our "Brewers' and Publicans' Advocate" will whoop and claim the credit, it is certainly eutitled to in the matter. Outside the liijuor trade, this advocate professes that it believes we have a pure and unalloyed Government of the people for the people by the people, whereas the real orbit this star travels in is expressed by Professor Aldis, why preserves the alliteration of the three p's and calls it " Government of the people by the politicians lor the sake of party." AN EARLY SESSION. Readers of this journal and especially the M.H.R's netd not be surprised if they hear that Parliament will meet on Match 18th. The Hansard stall' has been notified to hold itself in readiness for that date, and an application made to Ministers last we?k for the use of a room in the Parliamentary bui.dings in which to hold a convention of the women of New Zealand was refused because it would be required on the data mentioned " for other purposes." By holding a session on that date the Treasurer could blandly infirm the House that the public accounts cannot be laid on the table as the financial year has not uxpircd. But this thin dyvice will nut

be of much avail, aa the Opposition will simply sit tight unci wait until the accounts are produced, as well as replies to several questions asked last year and not yet answered.