Political Notes.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 7867, 8 July 1905, Page 3

Political Notes.

Mr Jennings lias presented a petition on behalf ol Richard Opcnshaw, ol Waitata, praying lor consideration in respect of services rendered during thV Maori wars in the Waikato Jd Wanganui districts. The petitSoner sUtes that in 186b, when the imperial troops, who were rationed 79 mites np the Wanganui Rner, were in danger ,oC starvation he made a successful effort to dnu- tinGovernment steamship Gundagai up tlie river for their relief. He was engineer on that steamer, and had accepted the position in 1864 under promise of la gfant fit '60 acresi of land it he remained in New Zealand. The promise, he says, was never fulfilled, and as he is now a confirmed iaralid, and has been reduced to great poverty, he asks for relief.

Mr Field, M.H.R., is making a strong protest to the Government against the recent Defence Regulations which have the effect of withdrawing the railway passes to attend shooting competitions to which Government Rifle Clubs men have up to the present been entitled, but which have now been stopped as to all competitions except the annual championship meetings. • • • •

"Educational nutters are things I do not know very much about."— Outburst ot confidence by Mr McLachlan. • • » •

A "Country Party" has been formed in the House, with the special duty of looking after the interests of country districts during the session. The new party consists of sixteen members. * » • »

Ex-Constable Andrew Phclan, ol Stratford, is petitioning the House for a full enquiry into the circumstances under which be was dismissed from the Police Force. • » • »

The proposal of certain people to capture penguins on the Auckland Islands for the purpose of boiling them down for their oil has led the Hon. T. Kelly, M.L.C., to ask the Government to prevent any such project being carried into effect.

In reply to a request \>y the Hon. W. Beehan in the Legislative Council that the Government take into consideration the advisability of securing a State coal mine in the vicinity of Auckland, and to secure a site in the city for a depot, the Hon. Colonel Pitt said the extension of the State coal mines experiment would depend upon the results ot the opening ot the State mines in Westland. • • • •

There is too much millinery in the shape of shorthand and type-writ-tag— the place is flooded with shorthand writers."—Mr T. Mackcnsic, in urging that we could educate girls to go in tor some more practical and more beneficial means of earning a livelihood.

Captain Allman's Parliamentai) candidature is not actuate*! by political motive, but by a desire lo brinx before the public what he considers an urgent need—the special representation ot the seafaring community, masters and men. Our sysien of locality representation suits the settled population, but not the sea-go-ing one, Which is distributed over the colony so thinly that nowhere can it make its voting strength as much felt as its 'otal numbers justin. The principle already conceded by Parliament of allowing the sailor to vote at the port where he happens to fee, should, Captain Allman argues. .to extended so as to allow all seaBen to vote unitedly lor a special reotesentatitc. This would be simply creating a new electorate, but not a locality one. The number of men employed in connection with ships registered and owned in the colony, nine thousand, make a sufficient quota to entitle toe seamen to a representative. It would not be giving seamen more votes, but would be concentrating those votes, instead of distributing tbem so that they become a few neglected drops in sundry bucketa. The .special circumstances of seamen raise their proposal beyond *e reproach of class representation. • here is, it is contended, no other calling whose followers are eqjiallv "jnieronis and equally scattered, and •ho have the state grounds lor advancing such a proposition. Besides, were is a precedent in the special Parliamentary representation of the «vil service in Victoria. Onlv in *M» way, the captain thinks, will the *P«*ial needs o( sea-going electors ™d adequate expression. • • • »

The Government is to be asked bv Ijr Colvin if, having in view the fact pat the foreign coal is now beini* frUodueed to the colony rtuty free, •J*. i« consequence, our New ZeajAMl coat trade is hampered, and alrealising the Government charge oa all coat raised in New ■V*sd. and tbe fact that one-

fourth of our coal-miners' earnings at least goes back to the coffers of the State, thereby showing that llie coal trade of New Zealand should tic lostered as much as possible, will the Minister of JUines endeavour to ameliorate existing conditions, anil in some way compel foreign coal-sel-to contribute to the revenue oi this country, and thereby take away the disadvantages under which our locally produced coal rests a; present ?

Dealing Willi the subject of technical education in the House, Mr JasAllrn said he was persuaded that neither ;hc American nor German systems of technical education Were on the right lines, though tlicy were superior to the English system. What wc had to solve in this country w.is a system of technical education that would be suitable for the colony not only to-day, but for fifty years hence. We had tp weave into the old conditions new conditions. He did not think that anyone yet had solved the mere co-ordination of outeducation system. What he was sorry about was that our technical education was not put into the hands of those who were not more competent to deal with the organisation of it than was the fact to-day. He suggested to the Minister of Education that he would ask the High Commissioner, with some Home educational Authorities, to select for New Zealand a man who by his training would be able to advise this colony on what lines our technical education ought to go. Ours was in a chaotic condition. It was such an important matter that it ought not to be neglected. The men wc had to advise us had not had sufficient experience, and we were wasting money on a class of education which would prove of very little value. It would be a wise thing if the Government engaged a competent man to advise them in which direction their energies should be turned.