NOTES OF THE DAY.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1827, 13 August 1913, Page 6

NOTES OF THE DAY.

The irresponsible gentlemen who have been circulating wildly inaccurate rumours concerning the Government's intentions regarding the Public Trust Office will find it rather difficult to reconcile their misrepresentations with the provisions of the Bill read a second time in the House of Representatives yesterday. It is indeed curious how often those critics of the Government who bellow denunciations of Ministers and their measures come tamely in to heel when the crucial moment arrives for them to record their votes. Their insincerity is manifested by their fear to act in the direction their utterances tend. . Last evening those who had so loudly professed their belief that the Government had designs prejudicial to the Public Trust Office showed how little reliance can be placed on their assertions by allowing the second reading of the Bill amending the Public Trust Act to be carried without even calling for a division. As a matter of fact it is generally recognised by those who have given any attention to the subject that the Bill provides for material improvement in the working of this important State. Department; and the changes in, view all have the approval of the Public Trustee, who must be assumed to know what their effect will bo on the operations of the office. The Minister for Justice in closing the debate last evening delivered a severe and well-deserved castigation to those who have been'so ready to suggest evil motives both to the Government and to the Commission of Inquiry which investigated the management of the Public Trust Office. In view of the frequency with which the critics of Ministers are forced to draw 011 their imagination for grounds of complaint, it is growing increasingly plain that they can find very little in the actual performances of the Government on which to bass their attacks;It must not be assumed that all of the leaders of the "Liberal" factions in Parliament are attempting to retrace the reckless step which carried, the party over the border line in support of the aims of the "Hied" Federation and the Socialists. While the majority no doubt bitterly ■regret the impetnousness which has driven a wedge between the moderates who in the past have supported "Liberalism" and the Radicals who are preparing to desert "Liberalism" and drag it at the heels of Socialism, there is a section which does not flinch from the step taken. One of these apparently is Mn. J. A. Haxan, ex-Minister for Justice in the "ten-minute" Mackenzie Ministry. Mn. Hanan, who is by profession a lawyer, was a delegate to the Unity Congress as a bootmakers' representative, which may perhaps account for his present attitude. Yesterday when the Public Trust Office was under discussion he went out of his way on moro than one occasion to describe the institution as a "Socialistic institution," and it was very plain from the manner in which he acted that he was playing down to his friends of the "Red" Federation. Indeed he was followed by Mr. Payne, another Unity Congress delegate, who also laid stress on the Socialistic nature of the Public Trust Office. If challenged as to whether or not ho is a Socialist Mr. Hamax probably would evade the question by a quibble as to what Socialism means; but it would be less easy for him to dodge the question of whether lie believes in the policy of the "Red" Federation, otherwise the Social Democratic, party which he lias suddenly developed such an admiration for. While Sir Joseph Ward is trying to make up his mind as to whether lie will accept the leadership of the Opposition, the list of candidates fur the position, if the member for Awarua should prefer to piny a less conspicuous role, appears to be steadily growing. The latest aspirant to show his paces is Mr. Ngata, and, judging by the prominent part he has taken in recent debates, he is evidently satisfied that he is making a good impression. His performance ia the all-niKht sitting caused

by the obstruction of the Old Age Pensions Bill cclipsed that of some of the other leaders, and yesterday lie was again one of the chief exponents of anti-Keform views on the Public Trust Bill and the Local Bodies' Loans Bill. If Mi;. Hasan, Mk. Macdonald, and Mr. Kcssei.l do not look to their laurels Mi:. Ngata will soon become the hope of the "Liberal" party. Such a superabundance of talent offering for the leadership must be getting quite embarrassing. If many more "stars" make their appcarancc the anti-Rc-form section of the House will consist of nothing but leaders with no one to follow them. In any case Mh. Noat.vs claims to be included in the "committee of public safety," as the spokesmen of the "Liberal" party have been termed, can hardly now be ignored.

The evidence given yesterday before the Special Parliamentary Committee of Inquiry into the allegations made respecting the appointment of Mr. W. 11. Simpson to the Westporfc Harbour Board was of an extremely interesting character. The points worthy of special attention are the statements of the Chairman of the Licensing Bench, Mr. J. S. Evans, S.M.; the circumstances surrounding the convictions recorded against .Mn. Simpson, and tho general; attitude towards that gentleman of the majority of the people of the district in which he lives. We do_ not propose to comment on the evidence given, but in view of the nature of the attack made on Mn. Simpson it is only just that attention should be drawn to the facts elicited bearing on the allegations made against him and the inferences to be drawn therefrom.