POLITICAL POINTS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 246, 23 November 1909, Page 4

POLITICAL POINTS.

TENDERS l'Oil OIL. -\lr. vYlasaey wishes the Minister J'or •Runways to a tale whether it is a iact tiiat in connection with the tenders lor lubricating oils the specifications arc ao arranged as to make it impossible lov any* other firm or company than the Standard Oil Company to comply with Hie ana, ii so, will he have the specilications altered, 60 that Uritisli linns or their agents in New Zealand may 'be able to compete?

A NAVAL RESERVE. A proposal' for forming a naval itserve ivas made in the House on Jj'riday night by .Mr. T. E. Taylor (Christchurch North). }lr. Taylor said he had heard 'on good authority that forty men were recently paid oil from 11.M.5. Pioneer after having served their term, and that they had received i'lo,ooo, reaping j the New Zealand scale of wages, lie I was told that not one of thea'e men was willing Eo remain in one of liis Majesty's ships, and the whole number (jtiittoil the Navy the hiomeat tiiey got their <pny. If this was so it was *a serious matter whether the Government should not open some inducement to these men to remain in some vessel in the Australasian Squadron, They should endeavor to ascertain why these men preferred not to stay in the Navy, and legislation might be passed so that they should be employed in the colony on the land or in State employment, forming a naval reserve force, which would be available whenever it was needed, y

THE GOVERNORS SALARY. There was laughter in the House of •Representatives on Friday night when 1 .Mr. T. E. Taylor intimated his intention of introducing a Bill at the earliest opportunity to decrease the Governor's salary from £SOOO to £3OOO. Mr, Taylor, however, was very much in earnest, and said that this was the only way in which to ask the Governor to step into line with those people who had recently suffered under the retrenchment scheme. It had 'been his intention to move a reduction of his Excellency's salary by £2OOO when the item in tjie Estimates was under consideration, but he had found that it was not open to him to do so. He thought they should bring the salary back to what it was at the time when the country had more money than it knew what to do witfi and raised it from AI3OOO to .CSOOO. But the position was such that although they eonld throw clerks out of employment bv the score they were face to face with this position: that one-third of the total re.vemut was removed from the sphere 'of practical criticism because it was pro vided For by statute, lie objected to that very strongly indeed. So the only way in which he could bring about the reduction in the Governor's salary wa* by the introduction of a special Bill, and that he proposed to do at once. BREAKING DOWN THE PARTY I WALLS.

In the opinion of the New Zealand Herald it is impossible for moderate men to avoid the conclusion that this Budget the thin wall 'between the old political parties has been broken down, and that unless it is reconstructed a coalition' between the moderates of both parties is sooner or later inevitable.

INFORMATION WANT!•■]). information is desired by an Opposition member regarding the cost to the Dominion of the trip to England with the Prime Minister of Hie SolicitorGeneral, Dr. Eitchett; the visit to England of Detective Cassells upon the o;cision of the Prime Minister's attendai.ee at the Naval Defence-Conference: ami the expenses of the Prime Minister and his secretary upon the same occasion.

IXCISEASIXtI VALUE OF MAOKI LAXDS. A reference'to the native land (juesii»n was made by Mr. Russell, a Christ- ■ liurcli member, in speaking on the land ijiK'sliun tli- otlw dav. "I object.'' lie •aiid. "lo va-f. tracts of native lands in the North Island being cnorinouslv increased in value by the construction of railways and expenditure of Government money in other directions. The result will probably be that in another liftv_ yonrs our children will be overruled l.y a race of Maori landlords." lie did not wish, he said, to be unjust lo the natives, but he held that th" Maori lands should pay a fair share rj taxation in common with European lands which were being improved by tin expenditure of public money. THE T'I'IAIAIIK OI'TY,

The T.yttelton Times says: "Sir .Josep'i Ward might, have reinforced his revenue without placing any additional taxation upon imports. lie could have easih obtained 1'2.'),000 or £30,000 a year from a small tax .on theatre tickets, anil .0)9,000 or ,t(i0,000 a year from an additional tax on totalizators. Amusements and gambling arc luxuries thai could well afford to make a larger contribution to the treasury than thev are making at present. Then the lieer duty still stands at a very moderate rate, and an increase of only a penny a gallon would produce .cm/wo or £40,000 a year. Probably Sir Joseph preferred the primage duty because lie thought il would meet with less opposition, but the protests That, are .pouring in upon him •mil every slflo show that lie was mistaken. It is not too late for him to amend liis proposals, and we shall' lie glad if lie can find some means of miking this particular item 'inore acceptable to the public."