The Feilding Star, Oroua & Kiwitea Counties Gazette. Published Daily. TUESDAY, JUNE 18, 1895. PARLIAMENT.

Feilding Star, Volume XVI, Issue 295, 18 June 1895, Page 2

The Feilding Star, Oroua & Kiwitea Counties Gazette. Published Daily. TUESDAY, JUNE 18, 1895. PARLIAMENT.

The members of the House of Representatives will meet for the transaction of business on Friday next. It is expected that the attention of members will be directed to the new Tariff Bill (based on the report of the Tariff" Commission which closed its labors a few days ago), the Local Government Bill, and the Licensing Bill. As to what direction the tariff proposals will take we areof course ignorant, but the fear is openly expressed by many that very high protective duties will be proposed with a view to increase the revenue and attempt to stimulate local manufactures, and thus increase the cost of living in the colony, which is already sufficiently high for those who are in employment, leaving the unemployed out of the question altogether. As to the Local Government Bill, ratepayers have been told pretty plainly what they may expect in the way of increased taxation by having to undertake public works, whether remunerative or not, to find work for the unemployed. Mr Buchanan, a Wairarapa member, in a recent spepch, said he considered this Bill would still further harass capital and impede general progress. Mr Buchanan is an experienced politician, as well as a thoroughly practical settler, and his opinion is worthy of considerable respect. The battle over this Bill will be fought by the town against the country, and as the latter is always in the minority it is easy to foretell who will win the victory. The Licensing Bill will, as usual, bo a bone of contention which Ministers will throw down for members to worry over when it is necessary to gain time or to block other measures which may be unpalatable to the Government. The skirmishes and battles which took place last session are an indication of what we may expect in that now approaching. However, we take it that the advocates of the temperance cause in the House will have learned by experience, and in the coming contest will not allow themselves to be divided and pitted one against the other as on previous occasions. Altogether, we anticipate the session will be a lively one __even though the members composing the Opposition are not only disintegrated, but numerically weak — because the policy of the Government — at least so far as it is understood at present — offers so many weak points of attack that the temptation may prove too strong even for the most loyal partisan to resist. Time will show.