NEWS AND NOTES.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 536, 17 June 1909, Page 4

NEWS AND NOTES.

INDIGNATION MEETINC

REPLY TO PRIME MINISTER'S ! COMMENTS. \ • Mr. Massey, and two of the Wellington members, replied - in - the House yesterday to tho ■ Prinie Minister's denunciation of tho local members' conduct in connection with tho indignation meeting hold in tho Town Hall. , Mr. Massey said that he rcgrottcd' exceedingly tho attack made by tho Primo Minister, the previous evening, oil the Wellington members. Those members represented independent constituencies, in what was practically tho political capital pf tho Dominion, where more interest was taken, perhaps, in politics, than in'any other part of Now Zealand, and where thor? was a stronger feeling against tho propdsed postponement of Parliament. During the last few days thcro had been many opportunities for obstruction and delay. The Wellington members had criticised the proposals of tho Government freely, as tlioy had n right to do, but thoy had taken no advantage of tho opportunities alforded thorn for obstructing the proceedings, wliich they might havo been disposed to do, in view of tho feelings of their constituonte with regard to tho adjournment. Ho thought that tho Primo Ministov, knowing, as ho did, tho feeling ofWellington city, should have given credit to thoso members, instead of finding fault. Mr. Fiahor said it was with aston-

ishment and amazement that ho had heard tho I'rimo Minister say there lvas an intention on the part of several peoplo to niako a hostile demonstration on tile occasion of his ilop'arturo for Kuglaud. That was the first time he,had heard such an idea (repressed, and ho -would be very sorry to think that there was any citizen in Wellington who would entertain such a proposal. If it had been suggested, ho was sure that nono of tho Wellington members would have had anything to do with tho proposal. IT the Wellington members had determined that the I'rimo Minister should not go Homo, thoy could easily have stopped the adjournment of Parliament.

A Member: Ijow.. . Mr. Fisher said he was surprised that a member who had been a long period in the House should ask such a question. A meeting had been hold in Wellington, to protest against the adjournment, which was largely attended, as os far as he saw, it was dignified in every way, and he resented any suggestion that tho Wellington mombers had shown a lack of courage or tackled the Prime. Minister behind his back. To suggest that they liad no right to speak to their own constituents on their own platform was an assumption of autocratic power that ought to be knocked on tho head as soon as possible. The meeting was a spontaneous and representative .meeting, and it would have been to the very end a dignified meeting if it had not been that a Ministerial representative was there in tho form of Mr. Andrew Collins. (Laughter.)

Mr. Wright said that tlio meeting, which had been duly advertised, was open to everybody. If 'he had so desired, the Primo Minister could have attended it. Believing as he did that tho adjournment should not tako placo, he (the speaker), in talcing part in the joint protest, did what he considered to be his duty. It was a pity, he thought, that tho mooting had not been held prior to the mattor coming before Parliament. Tlioro.could be no doubt that a_ great mistake was being made in allowing t'no business of tho country to stand over for three months. ROADS AND BRIDGES VOTES. HAPPY EKETAHUNA. A happy district in regard to roads and bridges votes was referred to by Mr. Massey in the House yesterday. He' quoted from ail Eketahuna paper a statement by the chairman of the Eketahuna County Council that it was timo a protest was made against the expenditure of tho Roads Department on unnecessary thoroughfares in the district. Roads were'beins constructed which were not asked for or needed, and the upkeep of which would be a burden on the local authorities. Now, who was the member for Eketahuna? Eketahuna was in the electorate represented by tho Minister for Roads and Bridges himself. Was there another district in the colony whore the chairman of a local body found it necessary to protest against further expenditure of public money on roads and bridges? If this district was getting moro than' it's' share of expenditure, other districts were getting less than, their sharo. The system by which Parliament appropriated money for roads and bridges was absolutely rotten and corrupt, and the electors, should insis.t on a better system being brought into operation. The Hon. A. W. Hogg, in replying, said it;had been insinuated that ho had been using his position as Minister for Roads to tindul- favour his constituency. He was not; however, 1 responsible in tho slightest degree for any; of tlio roads made.' Some of them were laid oS by the Lands' Department to givo settlers access to their sections, and others had been laid off at tlio request of tho sottlers ■ themselves for tho convenience of traffic, but ho. was not- responsible in either case.. While he was simply member for tho district lio had dono his best for his constituency, as ho had a right to doj in respect'of roads and bridges, and ns a result the county of Eketahuna was well roaded and well'settled. .It was only, comparatively speaking, a small county, and it was producing, lie believed, between £400.and £500. n day an tho result, of the dairy factories that had been established there. Most of the roads wero metalled; ho admitted that' the constituency had been well treated, ■■ but that had been done by his" predecessors, and ho had nevfer used-his influence as Minister for Roads in favour of Eketahuna. Since ho had taken office as Minister very little money had been expended in Eketahuna. The only applications for roads that he knew of came from the county council "itself. ; He intended to treat- Eketahuna in exactly the samo way as any other district. . .

WILL AN ACTINC-PREMIER BE APPOINTED 7 1 . It ia understood that a final meeting of Cabinet, prior to tho departure of the Prime Minister for England, will bo held to-day. Whether an Aeting-Promior . will be appointed is ; not known. According to a leading member on the Government side, it wjll be unnecessary to make such an appointment owing to tho brief period of absence- which Sir Joseph's trip will entail, and the unlikelihood of any business of special importance arising. It is currently, reported that if the honour wwo offered to tho Hon. J. Carroll, who ranks next to tho Prime Minister in. point of seniority, it would be refused. Inquiries made Yesterday in well-in-formed quarters did not sustain that view. Mr.. Jennings "has given notice of a Farriers' Bill-for rvlxt Bosoion.

The members of the Press Gallery waited on tho Primo Ministor (Sir Joseph Ward) on the conclusion of the session .Yesterday, arid through their Chairman (Mr.' W. D. Lustie) and vice-chairman (Mr. .J. J. Groalisli) expressed tho appreciation felt by tho gallery of the courtesy and assistance given them by Sir Joseph, and their wish that lie might enjoy a pleasant voyage, and < return in health and strength. Tlie Primo Minister cordially replied. \

LIQUOR IN THE KING COUNTRY. ' Recent appointments to the magistracy were criticised by Mr. Wright, member for Wellington South, yesterday. Somo who had been appointed to the' position lately wore not, in his opinion, doing satisfactory work. He.would liko to refer to the action of ono of them Who had presided over a Licensing Bench'in'tho King Country. W3i<ai the quostion as to whether tllic salo of liquor should be allowed in tho King Country eamo up three elcoted members of tho committee opposed tho proposal and two members held tho opposito view. What happened P Tiie chairman', Mr. Fitzhcrbort, S.M., had given not only his direct vote, but also, a 'casting volo in favour-of 'allowing tho salo of liquor. What. ho wished to point out wa« that tho Government of Now Zealand promised that the salo of liquor should bo prohibited in the King Country if tJio'Natives opened up their lands.: And now by tho action of a Magistrate the Dominion had broken faitli with tho Natives. Ho hoped that tlio Government would not in future appoint to tho'magistracy one who would do such a tiling.

JOTTINGS. Mr. T. E. Taylor asked tho Primo Minister yesterday if tho men who wero being dismissed from tho Addington Workshops would bo ablo to apply for tlio spccial land to bo rofiorved for Civil Servants. An affirmative reply was given. "I am a. son of a. farmer, and for 400 years I am tho only ono of tho family who has loft tho farm." observed Mr. B. H. Taylor, tlio monitor tor Thames, amid a shriek of laughtor ill tho Hou£e yesterday. What would have happened if tho result of tho meeting to protest against tlio adjourn* ment of Parliament had been different? Mr, Fisher remarked in the House yesterday that if tho pcoplo had approved' of tho adjournment tlio Primo Minister would h'avo goiio down to meet tlio thousands wlio visited the House. After having addressed tllem Sir Joseph would have sa.id: "Wasn't it a grand meeting?" "But," continued Mr. Fisher, "tho pcoplo' have expressed tsio opposite viow. And wlmt does Sir Joseph say now?"

"Let mo remind tho members for tliis city that.Wellington is not tlio wholo of Now Zealand. Thoy have no to bo dictatorial to tho rest of us. We have just ns much begins as they . havo. The iiulu i-.al biisinoss is far more important than three months of . business in Wellington."—Mr; E. H< Taylor, .nicmbor for tho Thames. "Although an attempt has been made to rush tho businoss through with nnduo liasto tho debates wliicli liavo taken pJaoo promise ii ell in .regard to tho next session,"—View of Mr. Musaey, Leader of tho Opposition.