The Manawatu Herald. Saturday. January 27, 1912. NOTES AND COMMENTS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 1099, 27 January 1912, Page 2

The Manawatu Herald. Saturday. January 27, 1912. NOTES AND COMMENTS.

Th# open letters which have been published between the Flaxmills’ Employees executive and Mr Tregear —representing the two sections of divided Labour —have brought forth some comments from the Dominion newspaper antagonistic to Mr Tregear. Our contemporary accuses Mr Tregear of trying to push Labour under the wing of Wardism by sending a telegram to the Government candidate prior to the second ballot to the effect that Robertson had no connection with the New Zealand Labour Party. Mr Massey also sent a telegram which covered the Labour candidate beneath his wing, therefore Mr Tregear committed no greater sin than did Mr Massey. In any case Mr Tregear’s telegram did not influence many —if any—votes in the Government candidate’s favour, for on party lines, the Opposition are on top in this constituency, and with both their candidates out of the running at the first ballot it is unreasonable to suppose that they would support the Government nominee. The point as to whether the Labour candidate was a Federationist, Socialist or New Zealand Labour Party man had nothing whatever to do with bis return. The Opposition supporters used him as a stick wherewith to punish the Ward Administration.

As is well known, there is a division in the ranks of Labour in the Dominion, and efforts have been and are now being made to cement the two parties into a united whole. Professor Mills is labouring to this end. One section, prominent among whom are Messrs McLaren, Tregear and Hindmarsh, have leanings towards the Liberal Party, while the other section are out to end the Ward Administration, and in order to accomplish this have entered into an alliance with the Massey Party. When Messrs Veitch, Payne and Robertson have done this they will have repaid the Reform Party for having given them political existence, and will in turn attack the Reform Party in its most vital spot, and the day will come when Mr Massey will have cause to regret his action. Mr Massey made a tactical blunder in entering into a hustings alliance with the Labour Party.

The Dominion, discussing Mr R. McNab in connection with political possibilities, says A good many people hold the opinion that Sir Josepn Ward will not lind Parliament a congenial place with a seat in the cold shades of opposition. After more than 20 years of office, the later years as Prime Minister, it is a little difficult to picture him settling down to the role of a private member. Many of his own party attribute the defeat of the Government at the polls to his leadership, and he is blamed the more because he has so otteu gone his own way, with little regard for the feeling of his followers. His hereditary title, for instance, which may perhaps influence any decision he may come to regarding his future movements, was a bitter pill lor many of “ the faithful.” in the event of Sir Joseph Ward resigning his seat, Mr McNab has been spoken of as a likely candidate for Awarua. The ex-Minister has met with so little success in his last two political ventures that one would imagine that he would hardly care to intrude on an electorate where the Reform candidate put up so fine a fight as Mr Hamilton did against all the power and influence which the head of the Government naturally possesses, in addition to the large business interests which Sir Joseph Ward’s firm controls us Awarua. Still Mr McNab is ambitious, and possibly those who hold-the view that he will be a candidate in the event of Sir Joseph Ward resigning the seat, may be right.

A CONTRIBUTOR to the Auckland Star, who claims to speak with authority, says that leaders of the Opposition have been deliberating and exchanging ideas in view ot eventualities which they believe to be eminent, and that the personnel of the first Massey Ministry has been settled on the tallowing lines :—Massey, Prime Minister, Minister tor Lauds, Minister in Charge State Advances Department ; Herries, Minister lor Railways, Native Minister ; lleulmau, Attorney-General and Justice Department ; Fisher, Labour, Marine and Customs; Rhodes, Post-master-General, Internal. Allans ; Allen, Minister for Finance and

Defence; Thomson, Kducation and Mental Hospitals: Fraser, Agriculture and Mines; Hine, Public Works, Roads and Bridges ; Pomare, Member of Executive Council without portfolio. There are no Opposition members in the South Island north of Christchurch. Marlborough, Nelson and Westland are not, therefore, considered, and one extra is allotted to maintain a proportion of North Island 6, South Island 4-

Yet another religious order has sprung into being, and a representative is now in New Zealand. He explained to the Oamaru Mail that people of various creeds look forward to the Second Coming of the great Spiritual Teacher. Mrs Annie Besant a year ago announced in India that this event will occur within the next twenty years, and the pamphlet of the order states the grounds for this opinion. As a means of preparing the way, by drawing together all who entertain that great expectation, Mrs Besant founded an order called the “ Star of the East,” and invites believers in the Second Coming, of all denominations, to become members thereof.

The following resolution was carried by 14 to 10 at the University Senate meeting at Wellington last Thursday:—‘‘That the Senate regrets that the Government did not comply with its request last session for an amendment of the law to enable the Senate to grant degrees in divinity, but hopes that the Government will this year comply with the request by submitting a measure to Parliament.” The Chancellor (Sir Robert Stout) declared against the motion which he said was contrary to the non-sectarianism of the education system of the Dominion. It was only where there existed a State Church that degrees in divinity were granted by State universities.

The agreement arrived at between the New Zealand Federation of Labour and shipowners and employers will cost the Wellington Harbour Board about £, 6000. This the public will have to pay. The Board had proposed to make concessions totalling by reduction of the harbour improvement rate toll on shipping by 2d per ton (making it qd instead of 6d) and inward wharfage charges on general goods by 2d per ton (2s 6d instead of 2s 8d), thus bringing these charges back to the old rates in force up to about two years ago. The Board, however, has to raise an extra to meet the extra demands and will not now be in a position to give the promised rebates.