POLITICAL NOTES.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 877, 25 July 1910, Page 4

POLITICAL NOTES.

CHAIRMANSHIP OF COMMITTEES. THREE ASPIRANTS. An interesting situation has arisen in connection with the contest in regard to th£ position of Chairman of Committees in the House. . Originally two Government members, Sir William Steward and Mr. Davey, intimated that they would be candidates, but on Friday Mr. Massey gave notice of his intention to move that Mr. Fraser, a prominent member of his! party, should be elected to the position. Presumably with a view of settling (he point as to whether Sir William Steward or Mr. Davey should be Hie Government nominee, the Prime Minister (Sir Joseph Ward) brought the matter up at the-Government caucus on Friday. In referring to the matter after the caucus, Sir Joseph informed the press as follows: —"1 also asked members of the party their view us to the position of two members who are. desirous of bising nominated lor the position of Chairmua of Committees. As u result of their consideration of the matter l-hey favoured Jlr. Davey." As a result of this announcement it was at first understood by members outside the Government. party that Mr. Davey had been selected as the Government nominee, aud that in consequence of the caucus vote Sir Wm. Steward was standing down in his favour. Such, however, now proves not to be the ca.se. When approached or the matter by a Dominion reporter on Saturday, Sir William Steward declared that any statement to the effect that he would not be a candidate was entirely unfounded. "I was not responsible for report of the caucus," he continued, "and the mutter can easily be cleared up. There were U5 members present at the caucus, and 18 members favoured Mr. Davey's candidature, whilst 17 members expressed themselves by their vote in support of my candidature. If it had not been, that a number of my supporters were absent I would have gained a fair majority." Sir William added that ha was out against all-comers for the position, and was certain that he would be successful. Referring to the matter also on Saturday, Mr. Massey, Leader of the said: "I don't expect to be suocessful in getting Mr. Fraser elected to'the position, though probably. there'ia no other man in. parliament who ia possessed of so many qualifications for the office. If the Government, which, of course, has the arranging of the Order Ptti'sl', allows meto move my motion that Mr. Fraser be elected, I am prepared to go on with it in order to test the opinion of members on the question." Mr. Massey added that his object m proposing llr. i'raser was moTe in the nature of a protest against the undue delay which has- occurred in filling the vacancy.

THE LATE MR. BAUME. The body of the late Mr. E. E. Baumo, who was member for Auckland East, and who died in Germany, is expected to arrive at Auckland by the s.s. Kumara today. The funeral will take place ■■ on Sunday next, and Messrs. A. E. Glover (Auckland Central), A. M. Myers (Auckland East), and other Parliamentarians will go to Auckland to be present at the interment. AUCKLAND WINTER SHOW. It is said that about fifty members of Parliament are likely to go to Auckland to attend the winter show in that city, if the special train arrangements that have been suggested are. made. "HOW TO LIVE WITHOUT WORKING." "He is trying to convince the unia> telligent section-of the communities in New' Zealand that the ideal policy is: 'How to live without working.' That ii his ideal policy. When you attain thai state you will have attained the perfect state. Ho wants people to believe that the day is yet to come when the dust- ■ pian will collect garbage in a, motorlandau and when navvies will work ir goloshes. Let the hon. gentleman tali that sort of stuff if he likes, when he is on what I call a third-rate platform, but-»he will never convince the intell> gent people of this country that that doctrine is going to succeed. It will not succeed."—Air. Usher on Sir. Laurenson. WHAT MEMBERS WANT TO KNOW, Mr. T. E. Taylor is to ask the Minister for Defence whether he will give the House an undertaking that the taxpayers will not be asked to pay the cost, and that money essential for reading, public works, education, etc., will not be wasted in sending any. men from the Dominion to share in any military display in England, that may fonn part of tho ceremony connected with the Coronation of his Majesty next year. Mr. T. E. Taylor will ask the Prime Minister whether he will consider the possibility of abolishing "the; custom which calls for the employment of several able-bodied members of the Defence Force to constantly parade as an armed patrol before the residence of his Excellency the Governor, and make tho money so saved available for an extension of technical-school buildings or other useful and essentially necessary purposes. THE AUCKLAND COMBINE:. At the beginning of the session tha Auckland members determined to combine to obtain a fair proportion of public expenditure for the Auckland province. A meeting of members from all "over the province was held, and a committee was set up to formulate a report on the fair needs of the province in the matter of expenditure and legislation. Since 'then nothing has been heard of the "combine." Ihere is a tacit understanding that it is advisable to "lie low" for a time on account of the hostility which the first meeting excited amongst southern members. It has .been thought advisable, to let this feeling abat-e uefore further action i 3 taken. Then there remains the somewhat ticklish question of what works ■arc- to be put forward as works of provincial importance and unitedly advocated.