POLITICAL NOTES.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 48, 15 July 1912, Page 5

POLITICAL NOTES.

PUBLIC SERVICE REFORM. By Telegraph—Parliamentary Reporter. Wellington, Last Night. Session after session while he was a private member Mr. Herdmaji. brought down a Bill for placing the public service under the administration of an independent board. In *his capacity *is a Cabinet Minister he was asked if he intended to still pursue the game object. He replied that he 'had handed his Bill over to _ the law drafting department, with a view to having it put into working shape. LAND LEGISLATION. Land settlement and land tenure received much attention from the present administration before it was in office. Questioned on the subject, the Prime Minister said that he had given instructions to have several estates inspected, with a view to j.urchase for closer settlement. Negotiations were proceeding in several instances, and as a beginning it had been decided to acquire from the owner, Mr. J. Lethbridge, the Sherindon estate, Hawke's Bay, comprising about 8300 acres, which is regarded as being admirably adapted for dose settlement. LAND TENURE. On the large subject of land tenure the Prime Minister said that there will be some land legisation this session, but he was not prepared to say whether the Government would have time this session to face the big policy questions that would have to be dealt with. Certain matters of detail, however, had to be dealt with by statute,' and they would be brought down after the recess.

WORKERS' DWELLINGS. The Government, he went on to say, was going to push on with the workers' dwellings scheme. Land for the purpose would be acquired wherever possible at a reasonable price. SHODDY GOODS. The Minister for Customs (Hon. F. M. B. Fisher) has under consideration a proposal dealing with the appointment to the High Commissioner's office in London of an expert whose business it will be to advise the Customs Department in New Zealand of full particulars of the goods that are being exported from that country. The Commonwealth Government, says Mr. Fisher, has three officers in London doing this particular class of work. New Zeiiiand has none, and there can be no question that, from evidence in the possession of the Department. very large quantities of goods of foreign manufacture made under sweating conditions are being exported from the Continent to England with the trade mark "Made in London." The same goods are being made by people who are paid at the rate of from Is lOd to 3s a day. Those goods are then sent out to New Zealand as and so get the benefit of the preferential dutv. It is believed that the appointment of an expert in London, who would be in a position to verify the information sent out to the New Zealand Customs bv English exporters, may possibly save- the country large sums of money, and at the same time g6 .a long way in the direction of abolishing the importation of "shoddy" into New Zealand.

POST AND TELEGRAPHS. Some interesting news regarding the Post- and Telegraph Department comes m a round about way from Ohfistehurch. The Post's Chrktchurch correspondent jn a special telegram reports an interview with Mt. Ell, ex-Postmaster-General, Who. said that-»while- in control of ,ihe Department he had given directions that Canada and Australia should be communicated with, suggesting that those two.;countries and New Zealand should become partners in a State-owned cable. The cost of laying it down would be between £300,000 and ,£350,000. New Zealand would pay in proportion to its size. After consulting the Departmental officers he was convinced that the under-' taking would, pay, and would enable a substantial reduction to be made in the present cable rates. To help country settlers he had given instructions that where country settlers wished to have telephone communication on the cooperative principle, or the party-line system, or through a local body, they should have the services of an engineer of the Department to give them expert advice. The idea had been actually put into practice before he left office", and the engineers had attended meetings of country settlers. It might mean the employment of a few more engineers, but it would certainly be a good thing for the country people. In regard to automatic telephones he had carefully studied Mr. Buckley's report on the system u=ed in other countries, and he was sure that it would pay New Zealand well to establish the same system here. The need for a change in that respect was most pressing in Wellington, but it was also felt in all the other large centres. The adoption of that system' would enable the Department to extend the area of the minimum rate for private telephones to.at.least four miles. People paying the rates beyond the present one mile limit would appreciate the value of the change. The initial cost would be considerable— £40,000 for each centrebut it would bring about a large savin" in maintenance. ' "

"ALLOWED EVERY OPPORTUNITY." MR. MYERS ON THE NEW GOVERNMENT. f Auckland, Fridav. Mr. A. M. Myers, M.P., this morning returned to Auckland. Seen by a Star representative on his arrival, Mr. Myers said that, speaking from a personal point of view, he was pleased to be relieved from his onerous duties as administrator of the Departments of Railways, Finance and Defence. He had not had many idle moments during his tenure of office. On the. other hand he would naturally have been glad to have had a little longer period to carry out many important innovations which he had already commenced to establish -in connection with the Railway Department. The foundations of these, however, had been laid, and he was pleased that the administration of that department had now passed into the hands of a capable successor, as he believed the Hon. W. H. Herries would prove himself to be. He thought the new Ministry should be allowed every opportunity at the hands of the Opposition to formulate its policy. If that policy was such as was likely, in the opinion of Liberals, to be of benefit to the country, no obstacles would be put in the way, and so long as no reactionary measures were introduced,' Mr. Massey would be given every/latitude to show his constructive ability.

Questioned in regard to last Saturday's critical division, Mr. Myers replied that he could only express his regret that certain members of the Liberal Party, who had long been attached to it and who had actually been largely responsible for calling the Mackenzie Administration into being, had not continued to give the party their support and allegiance. The result of their actions would, of course, be a matter between themselves and their constituents. . Asked who would now lead the Opposition, in view of current rumors upon this subject, Mr. Myers answered that in

i the meantime the Hon. Thomas Mackenj zie..would continue to lead the party, and j he did not think there were any other | aspirants :j|or the position. -•,. | - PRIVATE SECRETARIE^. ' Thomson will foe'» chief pri- "' vate> secretary to the Prime Minister (Bo,n. W. F. Massey), and Mr. P. W. be attached to the Hon. & D. Bell; Mr. W. 'Crow to the Hon>ft. H. Rhodes; Mr. F. G. Matthew to the' Hon. J. Allen"; Mr-.,>L> E. Johnson to the Hon. •■ W. 11. Herrios'; Mr. E. N. G. Poulton to .. the Hon. A. L. HeTdman; Mr. J. H. MoAlister to the Hon. W. Fraserj Mr. A. ' ' Hall I*o the Hon. F. M. B. Fisher; and . Mr. A. N. Poison to the Hon. Dr. Pomare. .\ ' It i«j understood that Mr. H. D. Grocott, jjfivate'secretary to the Son. Mr. Barian, will he reserved in the mean* time until another Minister is appointod. OTAGO'S REPRESENTATION. The Dunedin Star is rejoiced that " Messrs.' Allen and Eraser have found ... their way into the new Ministry, "be- ■. , '' >, cause both have consistently and strenu- '' \ ously advocated the rights of that part • ' of the Dominion, and Mr. Allen can be ]' trusted to see' to it that the construction , ' of the Lawrence-Roxburgh railway ■-"';■ move and move apace." The same paper- C 'i« thinks that Otago parochialism will he •*' further flattered "at a future date" by -"-f the "accession of Mr. Millar." ~'./'

Roddy Mckenzie V V* The following is from the pen of, ,* Frank Morton, the well-known critic:-*- ' ■."'. Mr. Roderick McKenzie is degenerating "*' into a mere roarer. He too went out of ,' < V ofliee jery,unwillingly; but he (unlike "' Mr. Millar) would eagerly have grabbed < a portfolio in the Mackenzie Ministry. % He was not offered a portfolio, because * nobody wanted him. On Friday night - ,' he arose in the House and stormed some- , z what incoherently at everybody. His - , bullying phrases carried no conviction, ■ and nobqdv was in the slightest degree., \> influenced by what he said. As a Minis- ' '.'' ter of the Crown, I don't think that Mr,„ ,"! McKenzie will ever come back. His " style of politician is rapidly becoming '■' out-of-date. He prides himself on his likeness to Richard Seddon, but the re- / semblance is extremely.superficial. Both ',' were burly men with beards. Seddon, like Mr. McKenzie is, was an illiterate man with an overbearing manlier. But Seddon had the very genius of leader- -v ship, of which Mr. McKenzie has no trace.

Seddon was a man of hnge personality- ' ' and overpowering force of character; ■■, whereas Mr. McKenzie's . personality merely repels, and in place of force of character he only presents a certain blatant obstinaev. He said that he etood t

at the grave of the Liberal Party. If , . this is so, he 1 may accept the assurance that he helped to dig the grave. In modern politics there is no room and no> '■; place for the man who roars and capers. Perhaps Seddon himself would be out-of* f '. date by this, had he lived on. If Mr. McKenzie is in any sense wise, he will ~._ now sit still and think hard. The sort , ', of conduct he delights in may be air • , very well for the electors of Motueka, and may commend him to his constitu- -y ents; but it will certainly never commend him to tie country as an aspirant W for Ministerial office. He is a sort of anachronism, a political pterodactyl or resuscitated Hun. ' , \ The same writer says of Mr, Millar:— 9 Mr. Millar held his own because the country esteemed him as an honest and resolute man. Deserting his flag at a, ■ '•■)'■ moment of crisis, he necessarily for- » feit9 much of the esteem in which he has been held. He still says that he will

not follow Mr. Massey. Nonsense! He ~ has followed Mr. Massey; however he may dodge and shuffle about it, he is k Mr. Massey'ft man. He is in an undig- , nified position, which he has utterly failed to explain and justify. There is one thing to be urged in his excuse—he- - •' is a very sick man. He ought to take a long rest.

THE DEFEATED MINISTRY. The defeat of the Mackenzie Government brings no disgrace to the Prime Minister and his colleagues (says the-- .. Lyttelton Times). Had Sir Joseph Ward been well-advised after the election he would have resigned on ascertaining the constitution of the new House and left. Mr. Massey to deal with the complicated" problems it presented.. His intentions £ in taking another course were entirely admirable I>ut they were sadly mistaken, and the penalty for his error has fallen ' '■ upon Mr. Mackenzie. We do not wish to utter one harsh: word that can be avoided, but it is due to Sir Joseph's ' successor to state once for all that the position he has occupied during the last three months was not 6f his own seeking. We are speaking with firsthand knowledge when we say 1 that Mr. Mackenzie, was persuaded to accept the leadership of the party against his own wish and even against his own judgment, and that he strongly urged his friends to appoint Mr v Millar, on the ground that - he was next in succession and had a right to expect tlie position. Having taken ' office against liis will and against his judgment out of a high sense of loyalty to his party, Mr. Mackenzie has borne • himself admirably throughout the whole piece. He made what seemed to us a, .' grave mistake in the selection of his colleagues by appointing four Canterbury members to the Cabinet, but here, again, he was largely the victim of circumstances and was the chief sufferer from his fault, for the rest, he has shown remarkable ability as an administrator, has taken a broad, statesmanlike view of the needs of the country, and has stooped to none of the petty tricks of the mere .politician. It is a record of which his friends may well be proud ; ant which shoidd bring them abundant . ';,; consolation in the hour of his defeat. No man finder the same conditions coulij have done more.

' PRESS COMMENT. A paf-ty that'.can remain out of office for twenty-one long years and still fight as Mr. Massey and his friends fought up to the very hour of their success, deserves the applause and even the sympathy of its opponents. We, are sure that the Progressives, who are still in a majority in the House, and we believe in a large majority in the country, will give Mr. Massey a fair trial if he can form a stable Govern'ntenVand that they will not hesitate to accept Liberal legislation from the new Prime Minister as readily as they have accepted it from Mr. Seddon and Sir Joseph Ward and would have accepted it from Mr. Mackenzie. We do not expect to see another appeal to the electors before the present Parliament has run the ordinary course. The Liberals'and Independents who have given Mr. Massey his "turn" will be anxious that he should have an •opportunity to justify their action, and holding the balance of power as they do they can choose their own time for submitting themselves to the judgment of their constituents. What ins judgment will be will depend* of course, upon the use Mr. Massey makes of lus opportunity, and for ourselves we are quite prepared to wipe the slate clean and to hope, perhaps not confidently but still sincerely, that he will cover it with a record that will be to the abiding advantage of the country and . ;, its people.—Lyttelton Times. w ~i J ......... . "