POLITICAL NOTES.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1886, 21 October 1913, Page 4

POLITICAL NOTES.

SESSION PROSPECTS. THE DEFAMATION BILL; A definite announcement regarding tho work that tlio Government propose-? to gilt through before the end of tlio session will probably bp mado within a week or so. It is anticipated that tlio Defamation Bill will stand at t'ho head of the Order l'aper when tlio Mouso meets to-day. NAVAL DEFENCE. Tho eagerly-awaited Ministerial statement on tho subject of naval policy will probably bo made within a day or two. Tho Prime Minister informed a I reporter last night that Cabinet devoted some hours to the subjcct yesterday, but ho was not in a position to say definitely when tho statement would bo mado.

A PAIR REFUSED. Attention has been drawn in a local newspaper to tho fact that Mr. A M. Myers, M.P., who is pbout to leave New Zealand on a visit to iingland, was refused a pair by t'ho Reform Party Whips. When tlio matter was mentioned yesterday to the Chief Government Whip (Mr. D. H. Guthrio) ho pointed out that a distinction was necessarily drawn in the matter of granting pairs between members who wore absent on account of illness, or other unavoidable cause, and those who were absent for other reasons. The position was further complicated by the fact that Mr. .Myers is a declared independent. ' "I put it to Mr. Myers in this way," said Mr. Guthrie, "that I could not give him a pair, under tho circumstances, without consulting the party. Unless by express direction of the party 1 could not.ask any man to take on his shoulders the responsibility of giving a pair for such a length of time. There wero two men, Sir. E. Newman and Mr. J. Bollard, either ef whom would have been quite willing to givo Mr. Myers a pair, but that they felt that they could not, in justice to their constituents, shoulder the responsibility. Mr. Myers will be away for tho rest of tho session, and a great deal of important and possibly contentious legislation still has to bo dealt with."

THE MAORI PARLIAMENT. An explanation of the principles of tho Native Land Bill, which has been introduced by tho Minister of Native Affairs (the Hon. W. 11. Herries),' was given by Mr. Herrie3 yesterday to the Natives who have been attending the Maori Conference, representing tribal interests throughout tho Dominion, which has been sitting in Wellington for some months past. Tho Natives wero somewhat inquisitive .concerning Clause 104 of the Bill, which Ijives tho Crown power to purchase individual interests in lands vested in the Maori Land Boards, incorporated lands, and lands governed by tlio .West Coast Settlement Reserves Act. Such power of purchase does not exist under "the present law, * although it is possible for sales of Native land to bo mado when tho several owners lmvo signified their assent after consultation. Tho opinion was expressed by some of the Natives that tlio clause in question gives too much latitude to tho individual. In the Maori phraseology tho clause's "teeth are too sharp," and some of the Natives are looking for them to bo "blunted." Possibly evidence on the point will bo taken by the Nativo Affairs Committee.

GAMING LAV/. Tho opinion is fairly general amongst members that Mr. Hunter's Gaming Amendment Bill, which' provides that totahsator permits shall bo issued on thirty additional racing days, for the ueneiit of one-day racing clubs, hunt and trotting clubs, has a good prospect of passing its second reading. Ono prominent member, who takes tho view that there should bo no increaso in the number of permits, but that some should bo transferred from the metropolitan clubs to the country clubs terday that ho and others who took a similar view would vote for tho second reading of Mr. Hunter's Bill, ns a protest against the existing position, and in the hope of later 011 being given a chance to vote for redistribution of permits. The niomber mentioned oxprossed the opinion' that ' the House would in all likelihood affirm a redistribution proposal intended to benefit tlio country clubs. SAN FRANCISCO SERVICE. A largo and representative Chamber of Commerce deputation interviewed tho Prime Minister yesterday regarding the continuation of the subsidised service between New Zealand a.nd San Francisco. Tlio proceedings were not open to the press.