Political Notes.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 7880, 24 July 1905, Page 4

Political Notes.

The Minister in charge ot the Ad- I vauces to Settlers Department, is lie- ! ing asked by .Mr Hemes .whether lit! j is aware that the Department is en- \ -deavouring to compel mortgagors to \ insure in the Stale Fire Insurance ! Depai im.-ni ; an.i, n .mi, whether thai I is in,- avowid policy ol the Govern- I inent '.' ' .... j Mr Hogg is to ask the Minister for ; Agriculture it he iias considered the , gli*'iail}-e.\prcss<-.l di-Silc OU sHock- | owners that tliv importation of hone- i dust into the colony should he stop- ' ped until efteciual prccaulionaiy j 'meausres lor sterilising the same ami j preventing the further .spread of an- | rhrax are adopted ; if so, what steps ' does lie propose to take ? j There is onl; one member ol the , House who has decently cut clothes, j says Mr Rutherford, wiio added that it was easily seen that the said clothes came from outside the colony. From enquiries made it seems unlikely lit* the Government will bring down this session any proposal with regaid to the electoral law in tlndirect ion of the absolute majority or the second bulloi. The Government will go to the polls on the present system of voting. The end of the debate on the Old-age Pensions Act Amendment Bill supplied the final piquancy of the bramlied cherry at the bottom of the cocktail. During the debate Mr Hcke announced that ire would give the Opposition a chance of showing its opinion on the matter, and when the question was put the only "no" against the third reading was supplied by him. There appeared, however, to be a difficulty auiul getting tellers when, alter his reiterate.! 'no" on the second putting of the question, Mr Hcke forced a resort to a lobby division. For a minute it appeared that a second teller could not be found to assist Mr Hcke. Mr Parala, however, stepped into the bleach, and the difficulty was solved. Contrary to the usual custom of self-sacrificing Government tellers on such occasions, however, the two native members forgot to make the customary explanation, and will appear in Hansard as opponents of .the third reading. The Premier, on Tn, division-list being read, invested the occasion with a special holiday air by immediately moving the adjourn meat of the House with a joyous emprcsscmenl. * * * • A curious incident occurred on last Friday night, when the House wa in Committee on the Old Age Pensions Bill. The Chairman of Committees ruled the .Speaker, who was ■.ilting as an ordinary member, out of order upon a point he raised. The House laughed loudly, and one member suggested that Mr Guinness diould appeal to himself as Speaker against the Chairman's ruling. « » ♦ • "Message from His Kxcelleiiey tin Governor." exclaimed Mr Speaker o; Thursday. The House at once stood as though in the presence of in sovereign. But Ihere was a hitch The Message Was there all right, am signed '•Plunkelt, Governor,''' in dm order, but there was nothing in it The Premier cast a lurid glanci around, evidently seeking for some official on whom to heap the vial--if his wrath. No official, however was at hand, and with a smile itresponse to the loud laughter from the House, lit- retired for a,few min ules, filled in the. omission, and tin .Message was read to tile House witl all the solemnity that befitted tin occasion. •'lf there is a reconstructed Ministry three or four of the Countn Party ought to he in it."—Mr Ruth crforif's view. One of the Government Whips was called to order the other night, fit was quoting from a re-port- of •• speech by the Leader of the Opposi lion at Duncdiii, where he was reported to have said that the receipi of a pension affixed a stigma to the recipient. The newspaper rcportc that at this statement some one pre sent said, "You are a liar." Mi Flat-man, who was reading the 'extract, was at once pulled up by th Speaker, who pointed out that ;. member could not read any languaj: which would be unparliamentary il lie were io use it himself. "Yo» did ayi mean it offensively," said t!. Native Minister in an evident attemp to help the Government henchman out of a difficulty. "I did m.-t mean it offensively," repeated Mr Flatman.

« • • • During the debate on the Pensions Bill the Opposition accused the Premier ol bringing down the bill as a ■lcctioneering dodge, in view of the general elections. Mr Scddon indignantly denied this in replying on the third reading. He informed tlnHouse, and the leader ot the Opposition in particular, that a good man; chimerical schemes had ere this been suggested. Numerous schemes which to-day were working satisfactorily, had only been dreamt of,years ago, and the Government had now in operation legislation that had in the past only been in the clouds. Old age pensions had liccn written and talked of long before he (Mr Scddon) came into the Mouse, but those on the Government side claimed thai they had placed the pensions scheme On the Statute-book of the colonv. They could claim also that it had been copied by ihc Australian Slatesand Ire thought they could further claim, as the years rolled on, thev would have some similar scheme in operation in the Mother Country, "and," added the Premier, "(rod' semi it as soon as possible." If ever Mr Massey led the House, and lie wanted progressive legislation passed and he Was aware of what was suggested by public opinion, lei him, suggested the Premier, bring it forward a-l the nearest- possible time. It was not a question of electioneering, but a question of taking the right lime and of doing the right thing, and the leader of the Opposition Would lind whether tl i not if public opinion appreciated ii If he did wrong. |„. (Mr Massey) would be hurled ■ mom t|„. Government benches. If he did right then he would,be retained. But the leader of i he Opposition must guage the right time and watch his opportunity.