POLITICAL NOTES.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1469, 18 June 1912, Page 5

POLITICAL NOTES.

NATIVE LANDS.

-^vn/VTlraE 1 ' minister: IS-DOING," i; doubt'that (hove is; a r of/'hurvy-up* now,"to "g«t.lhe' : latid--nito;. ] a '.'. :^id-t-hp Hon'. .W.: 'D.-.-'S;'. Macdonsld-, (Nn- ' 'speaking yesterday, oirtho , '■ yii6jcpt:?of::Kntivo i v]niuis.rt"Siiii:el- tiio.. ! pa'iiiii'^'ofUlit)'';Laiid?;Act:'uf ,! lo()9,''-'\v]r;c'i '■. : cn'iho. juto'-sopci-flt)wi ! iin. April,'.; J910,'" 'Mr.;. ■'Macdo'uald'' continued;-'"1,025,000 acres -,o£ ■„■.. loud havo : '.,been. ; alienated by the Natives, > 'under' lease,'-;'arid'!sold,to fiuropeaus and the Crown.""-, llorsyiof tho laud bad liecu. sold, this -Ministeri-went.on to stale, 'than ■- ! lwd been leased,-'and mora had bam sold ~ :,to private individuals thou to tha Crown. ■■■ Tho:'principle that all laud-owners,..who-. , thcr'Native or European, must bear their ■:share of local taxation bad now, conio, Mr,. -. . Macdonnld-:claimed, to be fully recognised, ,atid ''it;: followed that Native -owners must .either, work:.-their land-or part with'''it.. ■Mr/'-JFaedonald..enumerated a number oi\ largo.) blocks 0f... Native' land which have' ..been, handed over to the Lands. Depart-, , 'merit'" for; subdivision..- The Unsworn,.(K'oho ;I'otae) block is now being dealt Vith'--.iu the I/and Court, and lite Lands b' is- to' proce-ed- at once- to- ssr-* • '- veya.block of ll2,liGi! acres, near Opciiki. .Other:-blocks, of land liavo been secured > hi 1 the'neighbourhood of AVoodviiie' and Dannbvirke.' -One block' of 120 ft ' acres;' ' which;.'has -been, acquired, near *\'oodiViHe/consists of very rich land, 1 .and tho '.Minister-hopes'--that it-'will, bo cut ap,., . into.; fifty-aere. sections, ■ , ~;-■"■ ? -. -j;|;ANt;iNT£RESTING POSSIBILITY; ' ' :ftVLEGISLATIVK COUNCIL LEADER- ■; .■ ■ . - ". ' ...;:■ For that portion of tho 1011 session dor* 'ins;'which, iho then Attorney-Generai was' ; absent, the- late lion. J.- SPliowan ,unpffici r .-•■_ tally represented the Government in'ihb Legislative Council, bringing'' in 'Bills, btaiiding-.spou.-yjr to messages, iircsmtiiip , ;papers; and so on. Tiio some arrangement .i.vras.obsjrved in the short session in February. '■' A ' Dominion' representative ; has .been informed that several members will iiiot.'peruiit.-a repetition nest week of such 'an'irregular arrangement thatthsy con-, . ■sitler; unfair, .disrespectful to the Council, and."probably illegal. Some Councillors; are asking how they can tolerate a ■leader in the Council who is. entirely with'.out responsibility. It is contended" thatl'i only a member of the Government can introduce a money 13111 even in' the Conn- . oil, and,'as. an Imprest. Supply Bill will have, to'be put throuplt the Council before .Imie 30,, an interesting situation is 'possible;."- More than one Councillor has., expressed., his" determination to stick-', up,,the Bill unless the Government in''tho" ■interim.: arranges that a member of the .Ministry shall sit in the Council so as !-to. lead," it when the House meets.

;t;?:; ATTORNEY-GENERALSHIP. '. 'The "BvHi>ili Australasian" of, May 9 states:—"Wo am informed, on excellent authority, that Mr. T. 11. AVilford...Ai.Pi i'or.Hntt. lias, been ottered,'.'aj»(l" hfts acecpted, the vacant 'Attorncy-ljencralsliip. in the Mackenzie A'duiiuib'tratioli." ■ ' /PENDING 'APPOINTMENTS. ' The Hon. A. It. livers stated, oir being questioned last evening.'thai nothing hail yet been decided hy the Government :'n regard to appointing a successor to Sir Joseph Ward. : as i\"ow Zealand -''reprcscnta* the on ■tlio imperial Trade Commission. .Xo officer lias yet been appointed to command the contingent'of New Zealand ■cadets which if to visit-. Canada,''.lint. ?.rr. .Myers indicated that, an .appointment would probably' be made' to-day.' ' ", : . ' THE PREMIER. '■,' '-,'-.H' ,: i: ;r:;.spEEcn at whangakei!-' ".■:' ■..'".}'■ (By I'elcgrapli —Press Association.!:.

,•:'-\ ■',' :.. '.-.Whannarei, June .IS. '■ The Premier ended iiisXori.h Auekln;i<i itinerary with an address to-uight;:in:;tho Drill, Hall- before.a large aiulioncc'.'/Apart •from a'-rcca'pitulalioit of recent remarks,': Mr. Mackenzie said that iho Lilwral'patty had put taxation on the shoulders of thesa best able to bear it, heiico ths squealing winch was b?ard from the moneyed classes. It was true that it took ten millid'ns'per. annum to rnu the country, but tivc-mil-lions of that came from the public-. services-, Profits oonJd not bo regarded as taxation. Notwithstanding that members of the Opposition said that (his : - w as "God's Owii Country, but kad'h devil Government to lead it," prosperity wasgrowinn more and more marked. -Regarding the land ouestion they were not a baiul of leaseholders, nor were nil thosa opposed -to them freeholders. The .Government aimed at giving tenures in accordance with tho. pockets--and other circumstances,fit those desiring land. He was fining-I? restore the compulsory clauses of the land Settlement Act if he remained in office, and would go in for a.big scheme.of. utilisine' waste areas. Ths: farmers out- ; look was excellent and . assured-, bntvho advised them not to buy lands at the pre-<-ent high prices, which he ptwictcd could not lie maintained. He would endeavour to establish central land bureaux;■'■ .tt'JlOW: tho register of any property for-fide. \nt.i Villi details, would be kept fc-r the- benodt of intending mirehasiTC % In reference to the political issue he said he lelt U-= P"---pie' of Xew: Zealand wors Liberal' lat "heart, and if Hie present .(lovernment Ird thc-opportmiitv of going baci; io !ne. country he had net the least-doubt-I Hatthev would return to power with a ,miiovi'iV of eight to (?».- it the •system; of; .American politics was going to continue,it would .drive frcm .Parliament all eonscienti'iiis and honourable men. U« would.like b know any mail w.iiq. c.out.l put! up a greater record 01 work in tin interest of New Zealand fiiriii«N--.tlnii ho had'. In reference, tq. education he suit (rat beard admiiiistration was uclier ihan ceniraUdministrafibii:';AVi)te"urtha.iK 9 and confidence was carried. ■ ■■--.-•

S n EtCH PY THP HON G W RUSSELL

: : :^rTHivROY.\I J <"OMM1?!?10N."""''""" Tolos'r'fipli'.—rress AssociatioiU. (: .. _ ■■'''■.;' ■ ■ • Ouncdin, .lune -17. I'LIV Hon. 0. V,".'Jlii*soil ailihw-eil A public iaeptinß..of tfbn.H.l.. 150 FW sPort- ("hnlmciv On'* evening-. ; H-e-s,aie<(. ilmt.nl. .Ili'c last elect inn fsrbs ind <k-...- : come nearly balanced, which ho at'.riou.lw ,- to bad ovßanisatimw had ;>ml the' .itfri-cks manVupon Joseph Vtard bv.tlip conservative, press. .-fcclerTino: tn '"the- necufJti.-ms mado azninst .\ics.-rs. ■Payne raid linbcrtsoivoC having-bruiton "their nk-uVcs lie.', sold; Messrs. Pwin.nud. JJobertson bail been returned pleusq to ~ •siipnort. tlic Liberal party., and had since . iilrdKcd : themselves to, ajjirie by (no decision of Dip omens ;iml follow whoever was selected loader. , Now Mr. Massey »'" hopimrtlial these, won would go over trt his side, and so break two solemn )iltd;"i .thai, llicv. I'.s'd nindo: There wes ■-no-.cn* r.oim; to dn it. The speaker rep :r(! at ..seme lcngth'to press criticisms and justi- '. lied the stllin" up' »f thc. ( three l>ev;;l-» Commissions. It was possible the tint ■ Commission would save the -.;o'■minian .CjO.ftCO m- XMMtih year', providing '■ the Gnvenweni with susc^;. ■rions for the belter working of tl>c fcrvsei v in the. future-. The Cost of-Livim; Urn- ■ *niis.-ion would oswrlnin where iheremiscjoiis of Custom, duties Rrantod' .for tli«.. benefit of ih? jicople .-omo years ago had ; gone, niul if it was aseort.iir.ed lint trusts had kept these from 'the,'people' the divtir* ■ could bs rcimposed and some, oilier means- - found to (rive the benefit „fo the l'tople. As a result of- the inquiry the <iDv«rnment miffht send to,, gaol, if ncccss-My, ' men'who had created these unholy trust*. „ ThP' Education Commission v.oiiid im; doubt produce, on illumiiMtiiig report. It' miftbt ■ reduce tlw> expenditure, but lint did not matte if .the. education ol" th<> peo-plp-eould-bp-»ripwved,--A-v,r i ;inimoiis vote, of thanks and coitfidoiim.was carried.