PARS ON POLITICS.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XIV, Issue 807, 24 August 1905, Page 26

PARS ON POLITICS.

Mr J. P. Malan, a gentleman from Cape Colony at present travelling through New Zealand under credentials from the Cape Government, though in a private capacity, intends supplying that country with an opinion of New Zealand Government methods. In regard to this colony’s labour legislation, Mr Malan is sweeping in his condemnation. He says the employer never knows what the Government will do next. New Zealand can never become a manufacturing country under these laws. What has Znade Great Britain .the manufacturing country that it is, but the liberty given to its commercial men in all directions, sb that they may successfully compete with the outside foreign manufacturers? "What would happen,’* he asked, “if the British Government ordered a 25 per I cent, increase in wages to all the workers in one of England’s industrial centres? The trade would be wiped out at once. A natural law must be followed, and the New Zealand Government is interfering with the natural demand for labour. You will never get a large manufacturer to start in New Zealand. I am not opposed to the labouring classes being uplifted as far as possible, but it is a question how far that can go without checking the progress that a country should make. Under ordinary circumstances I do not believe that the Government should interfere at all in the supply and demand of labour in any country. There should be absolute freedom of contract. The working people of New Zealand are not really improving their position by securing these high wages. They have to pay a correspondingly larger sum for the articles they buy, and they are thereby stifling industry.” In reply to the suggestion that the colony had been quite remarkably prosperous under the laws to which he took such vigorous exception, Mr Malan said that he understood that durin- the nast fourteen years the New Zealand public debt had been increased about 25 per cent., and a great part of the money borrowed had gone to provide work for the men who would be otherwise unemployed. That could not go on indefinitely and it seemed to him that there was disaster ahead. “If an employer cannot nav a man 8s per day, and dare not pay

him ss, the man will starve, said Mr Malan. “In a very short time 1 have no doubt that New Zealand will find thousands of men out of employment. You cannot possibly run a country with the sole and only object of providing homes for the workers.” In regard to the Shops and Offices Bill, it is looked upon as likely by some members that the Premier will merely have a clause inserted fixing the hours of work for shop assistants, and refuse to accept the amendments proposed by the Labour Bills Committee. That course would probably be accepted by the majority of the ip embers of the House, but would not, - in all probability, be agreed to by the Legislative Council, which was responsible for the early closing provisions now in existence. Mr Arnold, chairman of the Labour Bills Committee, has given notice to move a new clause practically re-enacting section 3 of the principal Act, but allowing chemists, hairdressers, and tobacconists to keep open till eight p.m. on four days of the week, and exempting altogether bakers, confectioners, dairy shops, fishmongers, florists, fruiterers P This also is not likely to be generally acceptable, and it is difficult to say what the fate of * the BiU will be. Mr. Frank Fitt, one of the Parnell candidates, addressed a well-attended meeting of electors in the Panmure Hall on Wednesday evening. August 16. Most of the residents of Panmure, and a number of Parnell electors, some ladies were present. Mr. W. Gavin, I P presided The candidate was well leceived and attentively listened to. In his opening remarks he pointed outso ® of the evils of party government, where members sometimes had to sacrifice P lin_ ciple and the interests of the People to the interests of party, and said that whilst he would at all times be prepared ! to support Liberal measures, he refused to be tied to a party leader. He criU- ’ cised and condemned the public policy as being grossly unfair to the North, upon the proper development of . which the progress and prosperity of the colony depended, and pointed to the . latest development regarding the Penrose nlication as an example right at oui t doors of the systematic and sh aniefuJ , neglect of Auckland’s interests. He de-

dared himself to be in favour of the freehold, and considered that every person in the colony desirous of obtaining a freehold should, as far as possible, have an opportunity of so doing, though he was not in favour of Crown tenants being granted the freehold at the original valuation. Other political questions, including native lands, education, finance, and licensing, were dealt with at some length. At the conclusion of his address Mr. Fitt answered a number of questions, and was - accorded a hearty vote of thanks, the mover expressing pleasure at seeing a young colonial coming forward as a candidate. Mr. Fitt will deliver an address at Ellerslie on September 5, and shortly after will deliver his principal address, at Parnell. ♦ * * * The Criminal Code Amendment Bill, extending to six months the time within which information of offences against young girls may bo laid, and. making other amendments to the existing law, was further considered in committee last week. At clause 2, amending section 196 of the principal Act by extending the period for taking action in criminal offences against young girls from one month to six months, Mr. T. Kelly moved to amend the clause by a provision sug-

gested by the Joint Statutes RevisionCommittee that no person shall be convicted for any offence under the section upon the evidence of the girl unless corroborated in some material particular by other testimony to the satisfaction of the Court. The amendment was lost by 14 to 11, and the clause passed. At clause 3, Mr. T. Kelly moved an amendment, giving power to the Coui’t to exclude all persons from the proceedings except theprosecutor and accused, .or theii- counsel or solicitor. This was agreed to by 15to 5. Mr. Kelly further moved to except accredited newspaper reporters from the Court’s power of exclusion. This wm agreed to on the voices. The Bill was reported as amended. The Council rose at five p.m. With regard to shop assistants, Mis* Hawthorne, inspector of factories at Wellington, in her annual report, remarks: —“A question I am often met with is why women shop assistants should have to work 52 hours per week as against 45 worked by factory workers of the same sex, and it is a question I have no reply to, as my own opinion is that a shop assistant, who has to stand all day, very often in cold, draughty shops, requires the short hours as much as the factory

workers, who are sitting in clean, welllighted ,and well-ventilated workrooms, and, further, with regard to assistants who are employed in refreshment-rooms there should be some stipulated time for starting and leaving business. As the Act stands at present, an employer can have his workers back to business at two o’clock in the morning if he wishes to do so.”

Some very plain speaking regarding the inaction of the Maori Land Councils in respect to the settlement of native lands was indulged in by members of the Legislative Council last week, whilst the Act providing for an extension of the council’s term of office was under discussion. Mr. Ormond set the ball rolling by declaring that the councils had been p failure. Mr. McLean followed up the attack bv saying that the councils had done nothing but draw their pay, and that they should be forced to do something. or else dissolve. He, as well as Mr. T. Kennedv McDonald, who spoke next, commented upon the policy of the Government in spending large sums, of money in buying private estates whilst such vast areas of land were lying idle n the North Island. Mr. McDonald said that if there had been one fiasco greater than any other in connection with the native lands administration, ’t had been that of the Maori Land Councils. The best thing to do. he said, would be to allow the councils to expire. It would be a great mistake to extend their lease of life. The Attorney-General admitted that whilst the Government had expected the councils to be a succes,s they had not been a success. If. however, the Bill were not passed, the unsatisfactory state of things complained of would be more likely to be continued than, to be remedied. The natives, he admitted, had no confidence in the councils, but he had no donbt that the new Bill dealing with the subiect. which the Government proposed to introduce this session, would materially assist in enabling them to arrive at a satisfactory solution of the question.