NEWS AND NOTES.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 958, 27 October 1910, Page 6

NEWS AND NOTES.

THE GOVERNMENT AND THE NEXT ELECTION. According to Mr. Wright, M.P. for Wellington South, the efforts' of the Prime Minister:on behalf of Government candidates at the last general election were not attended 'with brilliant success. Mr. Wright reminded the House last evening that everywhere the Prime Minister spoke his man was defeated. He spoke at Pal merston North and his man lost, likewise in the Waararapa, whilst in Wellington every one of his men went down. ' . _ "The coming , feneral election," continued Mr. Wright, "would be contested with more earnestness and zeal .than has previously been known in New Zealand. The Government khows that ■ this is going to be tho' calse. : It is going to fight exceedingly hard ti> maintain its position. Some people did'iiot think that they would be successful. All the money that the Government could bring to its aid would be used to assist them." "That is why you vote against them," commented Sir Joseph. , • Mr. Wright: "No; you can't spend much money in-my district. It takes me all my time to get increased accommodation at the "school." Later in the-evening the Prime' Minister said lie bad only spoken once in Wellington, and that was by request in an auction room" before; some sixty peonle. He never spoke in the electorates of Kr. Wright, Mr. Herdman, or Mr. Fisher. In a great many' of the places he went to the Government/ candidates won, not that lie meant to infer that they would not have done so if he had not spoken. Mri Wright had misrepresented him.. Mr. Wright took the opportunity of remarking that lie had not misrepresented the Prime Minister. He_ , might have added New Plymouth to his list. , HAS THERE EVER BEEN A SURPLUS? 'Tor over .20 years, there' has never been a surplus in this country." . Coming as it did from a prominent member on the Governnieiit 6ide. (Mr. Lauren6on) this reriiark | occasioned a good deal of comment in the House of Representatives last night. Mr,. Laiirenson went on to say that , when the day camo lyhen New Zealand could meet not only its ordinary expenditure but in addition the cost of public works and then have a balance over .that would'be what he would call a surplus. ■ 'Mr. Massey. referred ,to the;remark as one of the most extraordinary statements ■among statements of ilie kind which Mr. Laurenson had made in Parliament. Did the Prime Minister hold a similar view? What had ,he. got, to say on the. matter?' ' "I pause' for ' the reply," added. Mr. Massey, who concluded ; by stating that he was' sure that-, members generally would, in face of Mr.- Laurenson's statement, be anxious to lea.rn the opinion of the Prime Minister on the subject. 1 PETITIONS. Reporting yesterday on the petitions from. trainers -of -racehorses that' _ their position should be taken into consideration when dealing with the- Gaming Bill, the M to Z . Committee recommended that. the petitions be referred'to the Special Committee, which is now considering the. Gaming Bill. A number of Natives - recently petitioned Parliament asking that the Taupo. Totara Timber Company bs directed to conform to the terms of.their lease of Pouakani No. 8 6b and' other blocks. The Native Affairs Committee yesterdav reported that the matter aliould bo. referred to the Government for inquiry. Tho M to Z Petitions- Committee has recommended that Colonel Porter's petition (for payment of moneys due to his son tho, late Lieutenant R. H. Porter, for. services. in the South African war) be referred to the Government for consideration. In regard to Colonel Porter's petition that he be granted, superannuation allowance : under the Act of 1908, the Committee recommended tliat it be referred ' to , the • Government for favourable consideration of the valuable services he has rendered to the Dominion. Eeporting on the petition of T. WaterI worth, of Napier, praying for an amendment of this Dentists Act, 1908, the Public Petitions A to L Committee recommends that the petition be referred to the Government for consideration. The Public Petitions Committes has reported on the- petition of A. Stott, of Wellington, , asking: for ,an amendment of the. Dentists Act, 1908, urging that the petition be referred' to tho Government for consideration. "This committee is' of- opinion that this petition should be referred to the Government," says the Lands Committee, reporting on the petition of Hugh M'Kav, of Stratford, for a return of a deposit paid on a flax reserve,- Haurnki Swamp. During the present kssion, 52 petitions containing an aggregate of nearly six thousand names have been , presented, praying for the speedy construction of important railways in Auckland province. These petitions have been referred by the Petitions Committee to'the Government for consideration. The petition promoted in Auckland for legislation to' grant to the author-pro-ducer of any photograph tho copyright In such photograph, has been referred to the Government' for . consideration. ; . JOTTINGS, ; The Government hope to. bo ablo to introduce a Public Holidays Bill' this week. A meeting of the Hino Allegations Committee has bean called for Friday next, when it is expected that the question as. to whether all parties should bo permitted to be represented by counsel will bo considered.