POLITICAL NEWS AND NOTES.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 639, 16 October 1909, Page 6

POLITICAL NEWS AND NOTES.

FINANCIAL' RETURNS. ; BEVIEWEA BY ME. J:. ALLEN, M.P. The financial returns' given by the Prime Minister for the period of ,siic months ending September'■ 30 were briefly reviewed' by Mr. James Allen, member for Bruce, in. response to the request of a Dominion representative yesterdoy. Mr. Allen stated that, the Treasury Bills outstanding'on September. 30, .1008, wore ,£600,000, and on September 30,' 1009, only .£550,000, but the cash less the Treasury Bills ■ available was, for tho period ending September 30, 1008, .whereas ■ the cash for, tho period, ending September,' 1909, : was • only je59,38f1.'. The Treasurj' Bills' were no guidance to the position without considering the cash. The revenue' for tho six months' ending September 30, 1909, was' stated by. the Treasurer to bo JE31.402 less than for the sarao period of 1908. The first half-year was generally ihe worse one* and ho believed that the second half would show more satisfactory revenue returns, especially, as it might be hoped that Customs and Stamps 1 would show improvement It was evident that, little effect had' resulted during the six months from the retrenchment scheme, as the expenditure on •Departmental appropriations showed a decrease "of' only Regarding the cash' balances, it was 'difficult to make any comparison' without further details, but the cash balance .on the public account included more than the, Consolidated. Fund and the Public Works Fund. ■Regarding the Public Works Fund, the balance available on-; September. 30, 1909,' was .£526,719, to which was.to be added the-unrnisod portion of'the.'loan, .£250,000, making a total available of .£776,719. It was. evident that either very severe cutting-down of the public works expenditure must.take place orthere must be a ; new loan.-• Railway construction would •probably show a considerably decreased expenditure for the year, and Tie expected that public buildings and-roads would show a heavier-expenditure.

THE MANGATO.RO ESTATE. A petition of interest was presented'to. the House by Mr. Ross, M.P., on behalf of G. D. | Hamilton, of Dannevirke, yosterdayi It was stated to bo a continuation of a petition signed . by some 500 European and Mauri -inhabitants bf'the Hawkc's Bay and Dannevirke districts: Tho petitioner sets forth that he first occupied the Mangatoro Estate in : 1857.; For-about 20 years there were no roads connected with the outside country; The land was acquired from the Maoris on , fair terms, at a .time when those settling the country, risked their property and lives. It was exceptionally difficult' conntry to develop, and, in its natural state,: practically valueless, producing £100 per year • from stock from'over-'Bo,ooo'■■acres,'- but, was made-to produce over J213.000 per annum gross, and over JEBSOO per annum net, out of which to pay interest; After 20 years'' occupation he borrowed at-8 per cent, from time to time in all, with interest, .£60,000, tho : total'value of his 'securitv being' estimated by, tho bank :at JC139.000. ,' In 1885. the manager: of the bank told him he need have no'fear but that his bank would carry on the! account. At that .time , another bank was offering sufficient to pay off and carry on .the 'and he could have made'.'arrangements with others. :It was always understood (he alleges) that as long as the business was showing a profit to s the'gbbd the meney -could-',.remain owing- at Current rates. Prior to March,.lßß9, however; ,the bank, through ' its.; officers, : dein anded. payment of the whole sum owing by him. During the month in qUestien it put theproperry, up'. for sale by; publjc" auctionj ■ through -the registrar of 'the Supreme' Court,' arid bought the same for tho sum of .£5000.. The conduct ,of the bank was such: as practically.to deprive hiin of his: interest in the 'property, .which was worth at'least. jeeOOQ'.'more than, the debt, butowing to.the stringency, it was, under-the oircumstances, impessible to: make other finan-cial-arrangements.-' Ho had' been ■ infcTmed. .that there had been realised by'.way of.profit to the.Baiik of ! New Zealand; after payment of jail, principal.and interest,- at least..£2oo,ooo. It,, was unfair, he continued,';' that' ah institution. 6nch, as the Bank of';Ncw Zealand should absorb,! by. the . means :wluch'- ; h'e alleged had been used, the whole of the money Which he had put into .the .concern, which,- with compound interest, would now amount to about '.£120,000, • the whole of the uiohey put in by the bank and interest at a high-rate and. also a : large iprqfit estimated-at qvb'r n iEBO,OOO.-; He ■prayed- to ,be afforded ■"'such I '' compensation as justice;.dpmauded;;, ..a - -... .-..■-.. v., ■.-■-. ;, 'j.,';i.-. r , r , al [) jr.rtJ <r>-a£iiß. sd. ojifbiia n. :'- :; MR. WILFORO' ON HANSARDf ' "I,don't thinkithe public : reads •Hansard," remarked Mr. Wilford-lost night.'.He went on" to say. that he. : jdid sot think'that members ,did'unless their attention was'drawii to some-" thing' in it. A ,(man .might read, his ' own speech, : but,ho never I read another'" member's speech. . ~. ,':•-,. -.■,: ,: ;i ■'. ■ ■'•. '•' '■■' -•■■ '■"/"■J Mr..,Massey:' I know that the' Prime Minister reads mine.... ■■..■■■.■'••.'.'■.: ■■■•■'- '■■■■' -■-'. .; - . Mr Wilford (proceeding)'said that he supposedi so far as the two leaders'-were'con-cerned, that was the case; "If,' 1 he: continued, "it were ..not'fbr the'-presence cf the reporters in the press. gallery and' Hansard,' .the session would, not-last threes weeks;/(Hear,- ' hear). But ■ we " cannot do:, without, them, .fori if we did, we'would have'had ' star chamber' legislation.".' ." .■"•' , : .. ',;;.;';/JOTTINGS. :;.;•' ."As iar. as; my. 'geelogical''knowledge•' goes, ' Leiprig. is in. Gertnany," remarked the Hen.'; E.. Trask yesterday, amid much laughter. Later ■on,-' Mr. Trask was referring to .military train.iug. ..It was his opinion, he said, .that New .Zealand should send' an' officer'to learn the. methods in yegue in Sweden; '.'"Mr!''Scotland: : "You' mean 'Switzerland ?" Mr.: Trask: "YesV is there much difference?". (Further laughter.), "Whatwas the, outcome of: the Police Cbmmissibn? In my ojinion it.was that the men want shorter -hours; higher 'wages, and each one thinks he ought to be a sergeant." (Laugh-, ter.)—Remark by the Hon. F. Carncross yesterday. .'• ';'.,: •■■ ; ■'-._." ' .'.'.' As' an eld pressman, Mr. Thenisbn,. member fer Wallace, dcpleres .the expense of printing verbatim the evidence • of witnesses before Royal Commissions. He suggested yesterday that" this evidence should be treated after .the .method-of the'newspapers.. Aigood reporter should be engaged, who-could • put an eight hours speech' into two cclumns, and net mi/s' a pbint. -.'j . , ; | v. -.: .-.^