NOTES OF THE DAY.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2186, 26 June 1914, Page 6

NOTES OF THE DAY.

It was -an attenuated Opposition that took its place in ParHarneot yes-torck-y—a party almost as thiftas the sterfcs with which "thi* _ Plyiug Squadron'' has teea Assailing tiie ciott-ii'try electors. Absentees were: more ■iiunie-Wj-us than the • ineevbei-s pi-esefifc, and barely a detail S-iip.poi't-e-rs s-at behind' Sl.it iosßPii Wah.b,. teaviflg out of aeeoiijit the littje /party of Labour mer-nb«jr.s who peetipy batk bowches in tlw middk of ■the House'.- .The- disposition tif the. - Opposition front henehes was inter--esting.. Sir- Josew Wars «t-nd mm. : liviSSF*-L rijtained their old; plaees, i-, hnt- Ms, Wjlfgrp had inoved' do-wh to the fi'onfe bench oecjipied Utst-scs-' ■ sidii by Me. HaSAjs arid Wu.'. Mtfeß-S'.. P-ftssibjy this jjorfesds party p'rprootion for the member for jth&'.Buttt and a ■eorrcspoiiding decline ia the political fortunes of his eall'ua.guo of; : 'The pppositioii signalised- the opening 61 the sessioft by ; putting forth a veritable cloud of notices of <juest(otts and applications i for returns. In .general, these efforts Wo not taktm civer-swiously. . take them fill in all, the pitelteanKtry efforts of the Opposition at the be- ■ gi'miing- of what p-raw.-isfrs t® te an csfflcdiagly impo-rtaiit session were * a> little d'isa.piiolnting. They may- do : better, however, . whes they get xvarmed up to their business. SoiiE hlird thinking' no <j.o.iiht is b-Bing- done by th© Asti-fiefoim groups in the House of RepreSeiit'a- , tives over the l-efcr.eiice m the Govornor'a Speech to the intention of the Goverpmeat to the proh-, km -ol the ecs| pi livitig. It must prove Very Hishearteiiing to the . Wii'rdists and their. ji-IJ-ics to find this wretched Government continually doiiiig the things they are hoping it will shirk. The rsfcrenee yesterday will shock the Opposition almost as much as the prompt fashiofl in which the -'Government {which, they Wd persisted in branding as the" ally of the big landowner) 'falsified their prediotinffis by .giving that extrii twist to the screw, increasing the pressure ftf the graduated land tax The guarded nature of the statement .strengthens the Supposition that this inipMes] an' intefttlqa oft the part sf the Goyerhment. to pr-op-ose Ciistdm-s eoneessiofts; fdt legislative proposals ol this ftiitnrs are nocessarily strictly guarded On-, til they are rfittdy for presentation to the 'Hou-sn. Grahtiiig'tiiat the intentions of the Govern i-n.cKt have been correctly interpreted, some very useful 'possihilitifts ai\s ojwWd stp. Ordinarily Customs tariff revision isa, liMrassing task, inv«lTtßg a csibsirk'rablc expenditure of time Certain main heads, of Customs taxation ..

in iL'h t be tackled, however, so as to / confer an important hottefit upon the cwisniaing' public, The Opposi-tion-eoulrl nut reasonably raise any possible objection to sutch.a course, for they have lately been declaiming from many platforms about the Gavenunent's pledge t.y ryducs taxatittft. Tin? Covet-tunci-it has already rc-daoii.i-ed many pledges., and would have redeemed more but for the obstruction for which the; Opposition has been 'responaihk. If the ficiprni Party adds this additional good point to its record by proposin-g substantial. Uugtoms ewieessioiis, it. is. hardly : likely that the Opposition would dare to obstruct. It Would bis necessary, of course, to make good; the revenue lost in' Customs, conc.es-; sioiis, but thwi arc several ways in which this miglit bo doae. One good way of partly making up the loss would be to double this present duty on beer, for the increase could listaiinct the consumer, -end would have to be paid by the magnates of the Dra.de. I*o this also the Opposition no doubt would find it advisable to lend their unwilling assistance, PMiiTESESs denjaiids that wa should take soft© notice of the letter frwa Mr. EoßEßfseji, M'.P,, which appears in another columsi. Th-s letter ■ is the outeome of a- retuark of eut's ■to the effect that Mr. llobejiisoS must have 'it, very peouiiaf idea of the inteJligcflOS! of the electors of Otaki, This e'oiß-m-un-i-oation... though ifttendod to dispel that idea, merely ■confirms it. Oar original comment was. -based on a- statement made by the member for Otaki i» a .reee-nt spe-eofa in- which he sought,to porstiaae his sonstituc'nts tti'it the gtcifers in the big strike of last year were ife 'sym- ■ riathy with, -tile farmers, and were, indefetl sr> fi'-iendly thstfc they had -even, allered through liifli to load the fa*mers'' produce during the strike. Of courses this stat.eiwc.ut was Werely so iiittoh electioneei'iiig ao-usmiso., and as , such might have provoked no tuotc I than, the passing eoraffi.ent whieh We gave it, Mjj, feaKEßifsos, however, how iudiscrcotly attsmpts to .itistitj his stataiiieut by .reterrittg to a i rontark he mad® soflie months ago which appears in llamnrd. It was that he had offered that "the daky; produce that was iyijig in railway trucks at tli.® station wovild he pat into cool sfcojo to prevent it going to v.a,ste. ! '' It was it© tloiibt veiy riiagnn,nimoiis of Mr. iloßs-RTsoj; to make this offer Ots behalf of his friends the ■ strikers. But etea if. tlie offer w<;rej seriously p-vi-fe fofwiitd, dftes he really | think that the- fanners ti the- eo-ttn-j try wanted their pi-ottttce bekfld tip in the cool stores, whtlc they paid l storage charges? Does, he really] think that they caiujot distinguish] befcweexi putting prodwe in cooi stores afncl loading it on the Homo-' boiiud steamers J Does he thi&k the. farmers have forgotten how the I strikers endeavoured to force them, to yield.: by ealling out the crews. ol vessels, after they had bee-n laden' with produce, seeking, thereby Cripple affid perhaps ruin those.who; badly needed the' Jnojetcy which . tlie sale. of their produce in -the njapket's abroad Would bring thewi'v l>6cs t})is' ; glib., gen-tdeman forget that hi>stpikav friends in. one. ease at lejist SUficecderf ih iodticing thij. fivenien of. a vcjssgl to .i'ef'use. : to work -because- tJic feinVirs' .grddu.ee' had been .put -oh. board j Docs. he... thiitk the lai-iners ai-ff l-ikcl.y to-ftfr-" get the faei that .'they t-teni-sijlTes had to provide volivnteei's frpiu their. ghi'y to wtjrk i'lie vessel'to ISBgia-iwll-Aad ttes Ms. EptoiiisoS, So.eialfia-; mpcrat, friend of fc!i.| n\n-, giiio wlien he tells the fsriaiers whose votes h« so badly wants that the; strikers had: ho dtWe to injure thettj. that tl» .■'femer.s an-d iteir wives have forgotten th» brutal -fchvaate of hftxiSe-bui'-nißg mvi the other forms', of 'reiaiiation whidi Were to be prap s tfeed ivi: the couiifcry districts whi'ie theia.r.mal's -aMtt their sans werc^aivny ; m : t-ii.e eifcifrs i.oa4ing. tick produce; asid assisting to uphold la* and; order? %ln.\ Ko.Bfi-hxS.dsr tunst- think : the farmers and their wives great fools if he expects the'ni t@ .gwallw the s.oi't of rubbish with which he. galed his audience .at Otaki, aud: wiiieh lis aw seeks to justify, A pleasant note was soundst jn the .House-.of .yesterday : when Bin JdSEpif WAjip, .oa behalf of the Oppositidil Party, congratulated the PttME' JlKfsiEi?,, _in a friendly speeih, ; u-pop his elevation- to, the Privy. Council. ( Tfc is easy to discount such courtesies as heiiig niei;e i I.V fornial■ and. wiii):ipoi.:taiit.'bwt to; those who are a little 'Wearied, oftho eternal bickering of our teyOeiWs pdlHicfe, 'thesij JSttle ihteriw)e| i *i ! e: distinefly and eotte. pvc too ipfreo;u»n-tlf. As a .gehcyal thing; ■ a greftt deal ni.ore heat is .generated in. our politfcs thn.ii noccsri.ty Avar-, rant-S: j*tiiiticians intist »( necessity sti'OiiUoti.siy oppose one anoth-er, fst; that is the- esseiiee of the politicaljfystem, but tliete is no real feces' 3ity that their differences should, dft* wfop into a-vendetta estcndHig in|o: ■all the relatioas- of life. Sjippily] the bitterness that to marked, poiK- : tie.al «ojitesta ip Mew' Zeakiid in r*- : eeaat years has not yet gone stt far: as ttv .p:reve.iit the tcafer of, ih» Op-: poaitwn afi oppafent ■. upo.n a wd}l*desei : ve.d honow, . arid. dniftg it with ■obvioti.s s.ineerity aAd '■ good fooling, liEFEKENefis niade by M.R.. teigtE,' the- member for HciScwS. in the I&iise.; of Kcprcsctt-la-tiyes yesterday, tt>- th'a; C'ustoiJis A-!ncßdm.e:ilt Bill of -Jastj session were in as p.ooc taste as a« m \ many of his contrilMttitms to poiiH tbai (Son&roversy. In tlie first place,, ho traded npon the good nature of, the' Sppak-sv By iusidtOiisly iirtvoclu&ißg controversial faa:t)tci'in'tQ.a.,h(}ti-ec. of' qitestioa from which, Vindflr tliei Htfcs of t:li<} fiouse, all siteii matte!: is supposed to be exd'-uded. ;As a ie-su-lt/tn.e tpiestiori, upoft reviow-, was struck mi, and does not appear on the Order Paper, piling;one offence upon anotlierj M.a. Af-iiSftE ai, otocorailed against the? Governor being .albwed to iirtrdduee. fitanipagno. ahd other things free of, duty, :a.«d ac*- 1 etised the; Ministry of wpnglhg Sis : Excellency liy bringing Win |nto,a matter of this kiusl. It ha-s already been shown again aiul that, ail; that was done Was ts Mlow a sugg.es-; frion of the, Ho'me Office to bring 'the Law of Hew Ze.akhd into eonfarntifcv with the law of other over-, sea parts <*f &nt Enrpttc. ■ If Bin.: Ainetjip gsi-V* a- little more ..attention : to pubiie aff-airs or a iitTO. less to '■ airing his eloquence, he Would save i himself the htviiiilifttioit of heiftg told • thai hfa own party has refunded i duty m\ ihipftrtatidfta Jer Goifcra- ; weht fld-use, ahd has dw it in a , maiiiier much nipre Qpeii to. ohjeetiort, Rnt this indiseveot yoiing membrsr Wont eV.ea fn.ftlim*. Jn set terffls h& aeMvsed the GoVfirhment af. smuggling the Oustmns Amenditient Bill tJirough the House without afty indieatiofi bring given o'f the miture 'of the Ab i' Mwtier n'f fact, it lWs teen *:l«Hy shows ilia I, ■ not inlly wa?. the B.iiJ (Jttclnding (he.

pvopGsal folatiiig to ths CiovcitrOr's j effects) es : |)teiiw.d to ifee Ko'u.s'c, but; it wmr referred to a Sjpcciai Committee, of which 'Bin Stisixn. Wahd and other Oppositionists were members. It ihevpfure appears that; themetabex for Nelson,, pursuing lils ; habitual policy of rabid f.aul'k''fin'rtittg, flier-ely suctoKied in accusing his o\vii Irt/.idoi' and. a lniiribei' of life eflllragires of crass incojupetoAce ancit twgliSfib of their jorcliriiiv-y duties. On toj) of that, since Jtn. AfstoftE ftyidsjiUy did ft« 4 hear the explanation of the clause exeraptitig tJie ■ (.fowfs&tn effects which was given/ by the Hon, F, At. JJ. FisitEiu it is] reasonable to Assume that tte mmt- \ bm- for Nelson did not show last s«H sion that application to duty which.) his constituents lave a 'tight f*e*. . _' |