POLITICAL NEWS AND NOTES.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 680, 3 December 1909, Page 9

POLITICAL NEWS AND NOTES.

TOWN AND COUNTRY. When the Hon. J. A. Miliar proposed Mr. Fraser, the member for Wakatipu, to succeed Mr, Davey as a member of tho Labour Hills Committee yesterday, tho only objection raised in tho House was that repiescntativcs of industrial centres ehould bo appointed. Mr. I Jennings (Tnumarunui) said ho never could see tho foroo of this reasoning. Somo oi the hardest Working men in the Dominion were emmoyod in tho buih districts and tho saw■imUs; A member: Thoy arc already represented. Mr. M'Laren (Wellington , East) moved and Mr. Ell (Chrlstchurch South) seconded an amendment to substitute tho narno ot Mr. Hanan (Invercai'gill)., Mr. Field (Otaki) supported the nomination of Mr. leaser, and Mf. Forbes (Hurunul) urged that country labour had tho morq need of representation since it, was unorganised. Mr. Millar said ho had proposed Mr. Frasor because this Has tho only committee on which tho Opposition Was not fairly represented—its piesent representation being only two members out of ten. The question of town v. country should not ontor in. He -was not afraid to take his chance of country representatives on Bills affecting labour. Mr. Massey: Sir William Kussell was ono of tho fairest mon you orer had on that committee. '' ' ' i " Mr. Millar: Yes, ho was. I always said so. Mr. Lauronson (Lyttolton) suggc&ted that Mr. M'Laren 3hould withdraw his amendment, otherwise somo members would be placed , in an awkward position. Thd motion to appoint Mr, Frasor was carried unanimously. Mr. Davey's resignation was duo to excess of business.

A GEOGRAPHICAL QUESTION. . Is a borough surrounded by a county within the boundaries of the county? This question occupied the attention of members of tno Legislative Council for 1 closo on half an hour yesterday. The controversy aroso owing to the Hon. O. Samuel taking exception to the wording of a sub-clause in the Hospitals Bill an follows: "A hospital district shall includo otery borough situated within" tho boundaries of any county included in tho hospital district." He claimed that a borough could-ba no more within a county than a public reserve in tho middle of a farm could be described as being within tho farm. - Tho Attorney-General contended that for all pnrposes the phrasing of the Bub-clause was sufficiently plain in ili meaning. Eventually, Mr. Samuel decided to let tho point drop. • As (i parting shot he added: "Tho point I have raised is notby any means in the naturo of a quibble. Points like these aro of tho greatest importance and sometimes form the. subject pf litigation which goes to tho highest court in"tho land."

■ "AUTOMATONS." "Merc automatons," was tho description applied by Mr. Taylor (Chnstchurch Jioith) yesterday to the members of tho Mmisiciial party They were not onlj treated with absolute contempt, eaid Mr. Tajlor, with re rpoct to the principles of contemplated legis lotion, but they had nothing to do with tho making of their Cabinet s ! Not a member of the party for tho last eighteen years had had anvtning to do Pith the! creation of ono Cabinet Minister If members,of the party had had any influence in regard to these appointments, the chances were thero would have been a \ery much more oidorly nrray on tho Cabinet benches than was the case.

'■THE; MEMBER :f6r ; AND V. V;:;v; :: S;;.^:;^/^HI^.LAUGH^; i ;;]r;A ;/Mr/li!iure|nson"has'nn-.irntating ! iiugh,. which ! is "generally^loudest: wlion some'mHinber'.: of. thp Opposition,.is ■-milking -n. telling pqiht. agairisl-." the;Gdrernment._ :i The latigK.wasn'good deal in evidence, last knight '-when ■Uγ. Herdthan'■'. was &pDaking..onitho;lmprest;.Supply; Bill. .'.Atfloat Mr. , Hcrdman,preferring ,'to the ■ membeiv ! for Lyttelbii,i said:.;'.'! always, think,when -I hear .his;laugh':ahd-.-6ee;hihi crouching v in -his :sealf .there);thai; ;ho'.ought .to,.have lived'years' : ,ng6f .ihJ.tho,' r timei.of\.'the ; Frenph; ; Eeyolutidriij ahd : Ll-.'eaii .imagine .withMvhat.-'deligh't pn ; ?meetinj>' ;the'Leader >.pf-the .Opposition .noilwouldihave hhrried -hinv : :;ito.- f tho nearest: f lamprppst,,' and ;i6dkcd f abont fpr;aibpbito■string'iJiimj itp:Svlth.":; l'Bp'mo-;day, , ;perhaps,'- added-Mr;»;llerdlniifi, .''the' ,hpn.-lnemberjifoesJjJttellpn: a wo.ul(l ; |»i je ithc.. }nembers,of the.O.ppD'sitton' crcdibfdtibeJnß; "sin-.-: cero .in- their ■criticisms.", .//Mr:",lianrenson,', in. , reply, said that- if- heiwerp. gniUy, : pf such an aotiofl..yas ihere wasopne-.thingihe. could.'not'gb'wrong;about.; He:.wonld>get:thb'hon.' membol , for ;-\y«llinjtpri Nprth't.o 'defend'hirn'ony his :trial : ?and he'.wns .suro'that :thnt hon> gentleman would .-so;* blacken"; the faces : flf .the 'witnesses thatho (Mr. Laurenson) would bo" found.. not- eiiilty'.-Mt '.wasj ihbwevcr,; .left;:t6-;Mr.' Herrics ..to : .get properly:'home, on' ;Mf.rLdurenson.-'.'::To hear;: the.' I/ytteltou>.;,talk; ; ~'he : ;6aid,. i.ono'would, ■'irhntrine that: ho, was; the;btily;;m6mber'in 'tho? House 'who.'knew-; anything...-; He .> had ■ alsb-'the,(f acuity Avheh..be-';talked' of, making :rfepp.le;.beli6ypithat; he .was in.'earnest! ''■■' Yet.-.wfien, they- saw 'him; , :.nnv supporing ;& freehold Government,';:they; cou,ld judge;:of','.his-. 'ear r ."nostness-T(hear,: hear)rrand■:when they saw■'■■him'; as-/Whip ■■'■iit 'his' party" to' go' .to'the .Opposition":., to- (support ; the.'party's, 'eiistencd and etill. remaining -Whip to; that party,; they could.Jtidge; ofvh'is '.sincerity..'•■' 'Ho:.ha"d gbn'o. ..'cotintryvderionneing: the".Farmers'' Unipni. yetT.thatbrganisation was -so etr'ong as to■' beVablp;,to;;dicfatp '> policy:.'to';the.Government .''he/ supported.;.■'■ "It-, is ; not>iwqrds,',that speak/' added_:Mr.-;Hei , ries,.:''it is , - hetipris "that ,'speak, ; be judged: more by.;his actions than Kis words.''-:

'^l:';:;")' : .WAfßb^>lAßßOy^;ißj'LD^ffV : '" ilarboui^-Board.Empowering.and : Loan Bill, .which providea for of has; been, amended,:by the LbcaUßills .Committee/:; Nea'rlyVtill ..the' clauses' havq' beon simple out.and the others'considerably.-aniendod/ The' franohiso.has-been'broadeiiedby .the. sub- , stitntion of; .electors' for ratepayers in the. case .of. tho 'Wairqa- bbrbugh7ind ; ,'\\ ralkaremoaria.riding :nnd,the;'Mahi(i riding/. 'JRrovisign'.is made : for a .special-rate '}■ not ! exceeding; one, ponnyj';in : the £ on , tho ;cftpital value of all, rateablo pro, perty.in ; tho:harb6iir.district.: :, . ;'. ; .''■; ;/'•':■/-.;/ ■~'':\;'~",jy■■'■■■'■"-■■■ -fi;;;: v.r-r:-;..: 1 : ■ ';':::;/:■: .::,REPI.iES ; TqvQUEST!ONS^- ; ;;V;;?^ : ■ -In to questions'Ministers;Stater,>...;'; ■-: '■■The law; at present "prohibits art.uhions ; which .have, their headquarters outside-of the Domin-■ionvMiEposingiof.'.frorke-'bf'.a'rt: by. artrunion' .drawing.".;Tne matter.,is -under.;consideration. with 1 , a view, to alteration of the law next- ses- , ■ -.;;/,: Xv. 1 ( ', served by inaking public tho names of. and particulars regarding :the ■'officers-of .the- Valuation Department in Dunedin, who' have.-;been; retrenched..' : ..Those 6fiioer9:.who tak«:'iip,£eryice;in.other-callings do :not'necessarily; desire publicity.:;; ;i;, ;: '■:;•', ■:<:-■;■; • ■ Children.committed to industrial schools may be 'keptrunderfguardianship .until.: they/reach the:.age-'6f,, titcniy-one,-'or- they, may .bel : oharged,; : .:by.',warrant of the.Gpyernqr,': at,'any. ■time:p_rovi6nsly. In i :pract}ce, /f .ft9,vperiod is determinjod.by.:Suoh considerations"'.as-:to:,the character.: or , circumsianoes of the of ..tho'fitness or: unfitness of ; tliejtparehis..to -assume control pi- them.' .Unless there .isgobd reason -for the restriction, .no; inniate I :is Wevented:from':communicating friends..' ';'• It"'hasvbeen the' invariable offl|tom:"of ;, the PuUw"Wqrkß. Department' to inorejiso the number: of on public works in-the : winter and : roduce;th : e -number ..invsiiinmer'.. Men re- 1 .quired '.for,, Governinent ..works \are;. omployed through:tho ordinary channels,- but, ; ;during. the summer .'months, it .generally .happens! that -a large number leave' in order.'. tei \ take; up private employment'.- '..'.: \ ; :: :<; ; ".v. : ;■ -i

1 JOTTINGS, "The Native Lend Bill brought down gives the ground-work on which a thoroughly good policy could be built up," says Mr. Ilernos A claim for compassionate allowance has been made by Helen Jl'lntyre, widow, of Wellington. She states that her lato husband was a railnny auditor. He joined the public service in August,' 1879, and was still connected vith the public soivicd when ho died in Novomber, 1908 A coal stnko would have _ no effect on the railways 01 private industries in tho South Island if the witcr power of the- Rakaia, Rαngitata and othoi mers was praporly utilised. -Mr. T. E Taylor. "The more na cm safely inoreaso the functions of local authorities, the better they will b? ablo to disohnrfO then other duties, tho more they will feel tho icsponiibihtios of then position, and the bettei the work thej will do." —The Hon O Samuol.