ABOUT PARLIAMENT.

Taranaki Daily News, 26 August 1915, Page 2

ABOUT PARLIAMENT.

AGRICULTURAL STATISTICS, By Telegraph.—Special to Daily News. Wellington, August 24. When giving notice in the House this afternoon of a question concerning the collection of agricultural statistics, Mr. James G'aigie, member for Tiinaru, protested very strongly against the perfunctory way in which this work had heen done during recent years. "The manner in which these statistics have been collected during the last live or six years," he said, "has made them worse than useless. They have been grossly inaccurate in many instances, and their inaccuracies have misled both sellers and buyers, and occasioned confusion and los-s throughout the whole country." In the lobbies, it is suggested that if Canterbury, the principle grain-growing district in the Dominion, had been more fully represented in the Cabinet, this matter would not have been neglected so long.

ANOTHER INJUSTICE TO IRELAND. Mr. Hornsby. the member for VYairarapa, who strongly deprecated last week the publication in New Zealand newspapers of German imputations against the loyalty of the Irish people, returned to tbe subject with increased vigor this afternoon. It was simply scandalous, lie said, that lies and slanders manufactured in Berlin for the purpose of influencing public opinion in neutral countries, should be distributed broadcast by the British Press. Of course, everyone within the Empire knew that the Irish people had proved their splendid loyalty atM dauntless courage in a tliou-Haint;3lard-fdiiglit MMn, ..tatmithe' U<\t'that a lie was an obvious lie, and a r slander an obvious slander, provided no excuse for their repetition. Mr. Hornsby had a congenial subject, and he also had the sympathy of the House. Several members have called attention to the readiness of certain newspajpers to reprint spicy extracts from American journals, ■ which evidently were intended to tickle the palates of people who had no goodwill towards Great Britain and her Allies. ■FINANCIAL STATEMENT. It is understood that the Financial Statement received its final touches at a sitting of the Cabinet that was held last night, and that its delivery is delayed till Thursday merely in order to allow of its distribution, under seal, to the various postmasters, who will hand it to the newspapers directly the document is before the House. Though thirteen Ministers, presumably, are now acquainted with the contents of the documents, not an authoritative word has yet transpired in regard to the taxation proposals. It is known, of course, that the Government will require between two and three millions a year in the way of additional revenue to meet the fresh calls upon the Treasury, and it is easy to deduct from the figures already published that nothing but an extraordinary ruii of luck can save the National Cabinet from a deficit at the end of the current financial year. Beyond this, all is surmise and speculation. There is sure to he increased land and income taxes, and there may be what "ministers of finance," in their euphemistic way, call adjustments of the Customs tariff, but further predictions would be merely guesswork. A direct tax on war profits, an increased beer duty, and substantially higher railway charges, are popular tips, but they have few confident backers.