PEARLS And PARLIAMENT

Free Lance, Volume I, Issue 10, 8 September 1900, Page 12

PEARLS And PARLIAMENT

IT was an amusing scene in the House on Saturday morning, with Mr Carroll snoring melodiously, and Mr Seddon endeavouring to make his voice heard on the Customs Duties Bill above the sonorous nasal carols of his colleague. Finally, in his exasperation, Mr Seddon looked scornfully at the recumbent figure of the Hon. Jimmy, and exclaimed : " It shows the interest some of my colleagues take in the matter." Mr Carroll snored on. Finally, with an ill -suppressed snort of rage, Mr Seddon muttered, " I'm about sick of it." And he looked it. From this and other recent circumstances, it looks as if they were not altogether a happy family in the Cabinet. # * * One of the many Lobby rumours afloat this week is that the Premier and the Minister of Eailways have recently had a big fall-out, which was the real reason of " Dick " and " Joe " making sudden and separate trips to Shag Point to interview John McKenzie. The story goes that " Jock," for once in his life, was a successful peacemaker, and that Ward has backed down. Truth is, no doubt, that Ward's success, and the favourable impression he made when he was ActingPremier during Dick's jaunt to the Islands, made the Hon. Kichard just a bit jealous. It is generally understood that when the Premier is certain of that big Imperial billet in London which he is said to be playing for, the Honourable Joseph will step into his shoes. But the trouble is that Joseph has been acting as if he had his feet in the shoes already. Which he hasn't by a long chalk ! » * » Mr Buddo has gone into figures, and finds that all the match factories in the colony only pay .£7OOO per annum in wages between them, and employ barely 150 hands. Is it for this that we have established an unhealthy industry in our midst, and withdrawn from domestic service a number of girls who otherwise might be learning the useful science of household management. w # # What is the truth about George Hutchison and the Patea seat anyhow ? Sydney Evening News prints a par. about George starting for South Africa, and goes on to say that he told a News reporter " what is not as yet known in New Zealand, namely, that he had left his resignation, written out and signed, in the hands of the Opposition, to be used as the Party thinks fit." This bears out exactly what the Lance said some weeks ago, that the real reason the hero of the Bun Tuck episode didn't resign was because the Opposition couldn't find a candidate strong enough, in their opinion, to win the seat. Anyhow, if the News story be true, the responsibility for the Patea electors being practically disfranchised now rests with the Leader of the Opposition.