GENERAL NEWS

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 42, 10 July 1914, Page 6

GENERAL NEWS

A "FAUX PAS." A picturesque figure amongst the Maoris and half-castes who arc offering themselves as candidates for the North cm Maori seat in Mr Hauraki Mailing, the son of the celebrated Judge Maning, the author of that classic of the North, "Did New Zealand." Hauraki Mailing, whose mother was a Hokianga native chioftainess, has been living for many years in Australia, but he returned this year with the intention of contesting the seat now filled by Dr Te Rangihiroa. He is a man greatly admired by the Hokianga people, chiefly because of his athletic prowess. Like his father, lie was a man of splendid muscular powers, and the stories of his early exploits on the running track and in the wrestling ring are still told in the north. But recently lie was guilty of a little ! indiscretion of speech, an indiscretion in : a political sense of course, which may ! have cost him his chances of a scat in Parliament. In the incautious moment, Hauraki allowed his tribal pride 10 loosen the curb lie should have kept on his tongue at election time. "The maim of the Ngapuhi," he said, "has been taken away because they are represented by a man of the Turanuki tribes, a remnant of a people our ancestors have killed and eaten." The interesting, little illusion to the cannibal days might have, been applauded by say, the L'rewera, but the Ngapulu considered it a great breach of native etiquette to taunt the young gentleman who represented them in Parliament with being a fragment left over from the feast as it were (remarks a writer in the Ljttoo ton Times.) Dr Te Rangihiroa bad been invited to enter Parliament as a token of gratitude tor Iris people's caire of the late Mr lione Hoke, and it was altogether a faux pas to revert to the memories of the "long pig" era. Ngapuiii certainly .did wreak havoc in Taranaki with their tomahawks and large white teeth, but those episodes are politely avoided as topics of conversation in mixed tribal companies for fear of giving offence. Mr Hauraki Mailing's electioneering campaign obviously is complicated with the delicate problems which do not trouble the pakeha parliamentary candidate. FUELING RUN'S HIGH. Party feeling over the Irish question has recently been so strong in London that it has been imported into social life. Kail Curzon gave a ball in honor of his daughter, and not a single prominent member of the Radical Party was present. Lord Curzon was Viceroy of India, and was brought intimately in.;o contact with most of the members of the present Government. But neither Mr Asqitith, Mr L. llarcourt, Mr Churchchill, Lord Crewe, fjord Morley, Lord Haldanc, nor any of Radical leaders in tho House of Lords attended. There was, indeed, a noteworthy absence of Radicals, and it is now stated that the word went round toi boycott the functivjj. Party feeling was thus introduced on a lai'go scale into social life in London for the first time for years. NON-PARTY QUESTION*. The present Government state that there arc a number of political mioasureM which must be regarded as non-party questions. Defence, for instance, must be kept "above party," the Bible reading in Schools, totalisator legislation, and prohibition. Members are to lie graciously permitted to exercise their individual judgments in regard to all these vital arid controversial subjects. Very well. 'Why should not all the matters" of public 'interest be regarded as non-party questions? Or rather, why should politicians be. regarded as mere automata, voting at their party's call when l.he aCteinative is .so simple? It is quite obvious that the Masscy Government is side-stepping Bible-reading, grog-selling and the tote because it is inconvenient for it to show its hand on these questions, or, rather, because it has not got any collective hand to show. That explains its willingness to make these problems open questions in order that each member shall vote as pledged, or, "as his conscience dictates," or as the cat jumps, or any other reason which may occur to him. It will occur to a large majority of people'pretty soon that all public questions are too important to be decided by the crack of the party whip, or, in other words, that party government is pretty much of a sham and a fraud whichever wayit is looked at, and that the sooner we change over and adopt a saue and sensible method of voting as reason and common,eii»w dictates, the belter it will be for the country whose interests oar public men have so very much -at heart. —Christ-church Star. Tilt: TlinFF.-FIFTIIS TI'SX. l! look-, likely t'i:it the Lower House will, under pressure, vote to continue the liirce-niVis test fur Cue local option ami concede the lil'ty-live hundredth-; to,- national prohibition. Hut when the Bill ire is to ih" Upper House full-backs. there i- very little likclih 1 that the prohibitionist-; will be allowed to get behind Ike opposing goal posts—Chrislch.uvli .-tar. IMPGUTFD FLol'R. The flourmiiiers of the i>'outh Island are becoming anxious because considerable quantities of Australian flour are being imported to the Dominion. The AusirnUan article lias to pay ;i duty of 11 per ton, and y-1 it van .be sold in New Zealand at a lower rate than the Im-a! article, In these circumstances, il would be well for local millers to turn their atieiitij,! to some other -busines'-. It is quite certain that Parliament will j not permit an increase in (lie duty on Hour, tin the contrary, there is rci- ] son to suppose that- when the reciprocal agreement is made with AuslraPa Hour will be admitted duty free. Wheat-growing lias, we are aware, been an important, industry in Canterbury for a number of years. It !-= slowly fattening trade, ami by dairying, and ilis e.iilv a que-lion oi vc.tv- when there will be a ron-ieerable'shorter- in the wheat supply of the Dominion. The Hour-millers must accept the inevitable and Parliament inu.-t con-id.-r the nqiiiremcnis of the great eoiis-nining puhlic heforo the iiitere-t- of indi-viduals.--Wairnnipa Age.