POLITICAL POINTS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 227, 30 October 1909, Page 1

POLITICAL POINTS.

| The Public Petitions Committee has t no recommendation to make on the ► petition of 0. lianibal!, Egmuut Itoad, | .New Plymouth, praying fur couipcnsa- , lion for injuries received whilst l-omply-J ins: with a summons to attend the Dia- | ti'iei Court at New Plymouth. The Petitions Committee lia s n ferred to the Uovernment for favourable consideration the petition of Thomas Latimer Kyle, of New Plymouth, prating for a grant of land' for military service. The New Plymouth Kecreation and Knceeourse Reserve Exchange Bill has been passed through the Local Hill, ("inmittee of the House, and will come on for its second reading on Thursday nert. Ceitain amendments, chiefly oi a technical nature, have been made by the committee, hut they in no way affect the principle of th_. Bill. The majority of members on both sides of the House follow their leaders indiscriminately, and are in the dark regarding the financial position of this country,"—Mr. B. Dive (ligmont). "You speak fo,- yourself," suggested the Prime Minister.

The necessary road works for opening up the Rangatatau block (near Waverlev) will be proceeded with a» soon as tho public works appropriations have bren passed. It is hoped that the land will be opened for public selection come time in March next, probably under the optional system. The block was the One » here tho unemployed 'were put on duri»2 the winter at felling the r oush. A suggestion by Mr. Okey that passengers travelling second-class on the trams between Wellington and Auckland ,-diall be entitled to sleeping-berths if they are willing to pay for them does not meet with the approval of the Minister. of Bail ways, who points out that anyone who holds a second-class ticket and desires to occupy a sleeping-berth can do so on payment of the usual j'targe for a berth and the difference Icnveen the value of the first and second class fares.

Speaking on the Loan Bill on Wednesday, Mr. Okey supported a system 1 under which. Government grants -would Ibe carried out by the local bodies. If sueli a system had been in vogue during the past sixteen years there would have i, o<-n little.- need for the present loan, ji'-vernijiont money should not be allowed to be expended in districts which wore not controlled by local authorities hi. 1 which were not subject to rating. In his opinion, local bodies-should be iu-vc-U'd with additional powers. The tiovernmeut .should take over the main II Of d>« throughout the Dominion, Mr. Okev asked (he Minister for Agriculture whether, he 'would give in«trui" Hen? to his otlioers that all butter graded b" tested for moisture, and that t-io percentage of moisture contained in the butter be shown on the gradingiard when sent to the maker or shipper. The replv "given is that the duty of th? r.rpartment does not consist fn analysing butter for the makers, but samples are taken for analysis only to cheek any breaches of the law. As the suggestion, if put into operation, would involve an increased annual expenditure, the Government do not consider it advisable to 'undertake the work at present. Mr. Jlirte is asking the Minister for Lands whether, in cases where it be-

comes expedient interchanges of land for the adjustment of boundary'Vnces in rough country, he will take -lie necessary step, to allow such trans-■V-'s to be executed free of cost to tho •"I tier. The very unusual course of refusing o allow a question was taken by the Speaker on Tuesday. Mr. Okey moved ':o ask the Prime Minister if he was ware iliit after an accused person had been found "not guilty" by a New Plymouth jury, Mr. Justice Edwards reu.rkcd. ."You can go free, but you are • ihief all the same." The questioner dded in a note that a man was inno•Til in l.iw until lie was found gniltv, "il tint his Honor's comment was an :p*ult to ttie jury. The Speaker di<«Tnwoil Hie question on the grnund taai <ouh\i:fd ao implied reflection upon i Judge of the Supremo Court. M'\ lii« now given notice to ask if Hh Minister of Justice intends to'take a*>v action regarding the Judge!* remarks. . •Two Miner pessimists T have never ci. than Mr. James Allen and the I i <idel' f*f the Ooposition," said the lion. I'* McKcn/.ie the other night, amidst j hiui'hter. Some very candid remarks regarding political influence were niiule by Mr. I'auine. t tie (lovernment member for ~nd Ka>t. iu the course of his - H'ech til" other evening. "Members of Parliament," he declared, "are. to a large •\lont, labor agents. There is not one ; ■ f us who is not supposed to posses 1 some inlluenee with the flovernnient. and who is not expected to exercise that '■i.lluonce on the behalf of persons seeking fSovernment billets. The number of employees ifi increasing day by 1 iv, and I guarantee that the quantity or correspondence received by member® a-king for billets has increased out of nP proportion, even to the increase in tile number of billets to be applied for. We are -expected to write to the Minister on behalf of every billet-seeking constituent who chooses to apply to us. We are thus placed in a position in wlii-h we should not be placed. We should not b.» called ipon to do work which is not in keeping with the position that we hold. Moreover, members were practically placed in the position of seeking favors from Ministers when they should m t be called upon to seek any favor at all from Ministers." Tn advocating the m>ed for a comprehensive scheme of b<al government reform. Mr. Tlaume Inr«red thai members should have to deal oh'v with mutters of national importance. '"We should have nothing to do." hj» *aid, ''with the erection of a po-t oflice at Auckland o Y a railway station at Wakntipu. Parliament under the present s\stem was becoming more and more a glorified road hoard."