POLITICAL NOTES.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 322, 11 July 1912, Page 8

POLITICAL NOTES.

POST AUDIT. AX EARLY BREEZE. l)y Telegraph—Parliamentary Reporter. Wellington, Last Night. A question affecting the post audit system was raised in the House of Representatives to-day by Sir Joseph Ward. The ex-Prime Minister desired to Usk Mr. Myers (the late Minister of Finance) what was the position under the Act passed in 1910 which made provision for post audit. Mr. Massey said that he did not desire to raise any objections, 'but he wished to know whether the question was being asked by the indulgence of the House, or as a matter of urgency. Mr. Speaker said that the question would have to be asked by the' indulgence of the House.

Sir Joseph appeared concerned, and said that he had never objected to the asking of such questions. He pointedly intimated that if he was not accorded the usual courtesv he would see that objections were raised in the future.

Mr. Massey said that he did not propose to object. Sir Joseph then read from his own speech on the motion to commit the amendment to the Public Revenues Act, aiid said that instructions had been given in his term of office to carry out the Act in its entirety. That meant the adoption of the Canadian system. To put it briefly he knew that it'would be impossible to lay the details before the House in less than eighteen months, but the Act required the production of all financial payments. Mr. Myers explained that he had the whole of the details required by the Act in manuscript form,, and he moved that these be laid on the table of the House, and be printed.

The Speaker: It is very unusual for a private member to lay a document on the table.

The Hon. Mr. Allen said that he would like to see the document. The member for Auckland East had never spoken to him about the matter.

After Mr, Russell, who had been in charge of the Government Printing Office, had explained that the document could not have been issued in printed form in time to present it to the House, it was agreed that it should lie on the table until it_ had been perused by the Minister of Finance.

The question of printing was allowed to stand orer.

A special telegram published in the Hawera Star on Mondav evening saya that "Mr. F. M. B. Fisher will find a place in Mr. Massey's Ministry. His on land would clash, but the land question will be made a non-party question, and thus the obstacle is disposed of so far as Mr. Massev is concerned." Tf Mr. Massev is not going to make the land question a party matter, there is nothing worth making a party question, says our Eltham contemporary. A return presented to Parliament on the motion of Mr. Witty sets out the names of persons and companies owning land valued at £20,000 or more (unimproved value). The number of ownera of land of values indicated is as follows: £20,000 and under £30,000, 157; £40,000 and under £50;000, 59; £50,000 and under £OO,OOO, 30; £OO.OOO and over, 65. Some newspapers tell us that Mr. Massey's followers are loyal to the backbone and will stick to him with absolute solidity. We believe this to be correct, and have no fault to find. But when the Liberals evinced the same loyalty they were denounced as "service followers." and abused for their loyalty to their chief.—Eltham Argus. One thing that will tell in Mr. Massey's favor is that the late Government party appear to be so split up that it is quite doubtful as to who will act as Leader of the Opposition (says the Eltham Argus). Mr. Millar has not the physical strength, Mr. R. McKenzie is impossible, Sir Joseph Ward and the Hon. T. Mackenzie are not hankering after it, and it is doubtful if Mr. Wilford could secure a large following. A Parliamentary correspondent says: I gather that Mr. Millar's original belief that a dissolution would be the outcome of the political upset has given place to the idea that the new Government can win over a sufficient number of ex-Liber-als to run along comfortably until the end of the present Parliament. He predicts a majority of a dozen when Mr. Massey gets thoroughly into his stride.