SPIRIT OF THE PRESS.

Observer, Volume 4, Issue 81, 1 April 1882, Page 40

SPIRIT OF THE PRESS.

THE NEWS MANUFACTORY.

The following came to us by post from, some Wellington lunatic, but too late for our last week's issue. How he managed to overhear, the conversation he does not say. He probably had been secreted in the chimney, knowing that the Government, for economical reasons, had stopped the use of coals in Ministers' rooms : — SCENE : Premier's room, Government Buildings, Wellington. TIME: 12.30 p.m., March 15th, 1882. -Dramatis Peeson^! : John Hall; Own Correspondent New Zealand Herald, Ohristchurch Press, Otago Daily Times; Editor 'Evening Post. {[Correspondent, who has asked messenger to tell the Premier that he would like to see him, is told to enter, and finds Premier correcting an inventory of the amount of red tape, steel pens, and paper fasteners in stock.] Correspondent : Busy, as usual, with the cares of State, I see. Hall: Good morning — glad to see you. Sit down. Correspondent: Fearfully windy and dusty outside. Hall : Yes — what a wretched place this Wellington is. Correspondent : There are two or three things I wanted to see you about, beside wanting to know whether there is anything fresh in the political world. Hall : lam very glad you have called early, because there are several matters you would like j to know. Correspondent : I see by the Rangitikei Advocate this morning that when you were on the West Coast you are said to have offered Sir William Fox a seat in the Council, and that the offer was declined. It seems strange that the matter should have been made public. Hall : No one ever gave Fox much credit for discretion, but I had to make him the offer to satisfy his claims on the party. I knew he would not accept it, as he wants to get in the House again. j Correspondent : He will have several chances •when the House meets with the void elections. Hall : Yes ; but then he will decline to sit for a Wellington constituency. He may come to some arrangement' with Watt if Ballance can be again beaten. Besides, he knows that we would advise the Governor to call him to the Council when he is anxious to be called. Correspondent : I see — exactly so — thank you. I had better then put the matter in this way — That in a conversation which passed between you and Sir William you made an allusion to the time coming when he would probably be found in the Upper House — just an allusion — with the addition that Sir William had a disinclination at J present to become a member. Hall : Yes, that will do very well. i Correspondent : Any native news of any importance or interest ? Hall : Yes, a good deal of one sort and another. Bryce is very angry because Tawhiao •won't see him, and has gone to Kawhia to evade any chance of a meeting taking place. ! Correspondent : Did Mr Bryce want to see him, then ? Hall : Yes. He sent Major Mair and a native to have a time appointed for a meeting, and received only a bare refusal. Correspondent : Of course this is not generally known. Hall : Certainly not. A few persons in Auckland know the fact, but none outside. Correspondent: I suppose Mr Bryce is very savage ? Hall : He wanted to make a raid on the Waikato and seize Winiata, Te Kooti, "and others. You must not mention this in your telegrams, as it is a Cabinet secret. Correspondent: This was discussed at Waiwera, I suppose ? . Hall : Yes. Whitaker would not hear of it, and Rolleston would resign at once if the raid were attempted. I told you at the time what trouble there was to keep Rolleston in office when it was determined to arrest Te Whiti. We j cannot give Bryce a positive refusal, or he may resign again. It is awkward. ' Correspondent : I understand the position. I will deny point blank that Mr Bryce wanted to see | the King, and say that some officious natives pro- j posed an interview, to which proposal Mr Bryce gave no assent. Something in that way will be best. • | Hall (reflectively) : There can be no harm in that — it is something like the truth. But nothing j about the war plan, remember. Correspondent : Anything fixed about the work of the session ? Hall : Nothing as yet. In fact, there is nothing to do. The Local Government question will of course come up again, but we shall stick to the Crown Land and Eating Bills, and the other old measures. In fact we do not expect any work to be done this session. Our work will be to keep a majority. Correspondent : You should have no trouble to do that, if you get another loan to spend. Hall : I don't know. If G-rey stands on one side, we may have all our work to hold our own. Correspondent: But Grey will not stand on one side. Is there anything further that I can say about reducing expenditure ? — that is the great card the public like. Hall (musingly) : We can do something in the Public Works, perhaps. I will talk to Oliver about it. Correspondent ; I can say that the offices will be amalgamated,' and the expenses reduced in .. consequence— the usual thing. Hall : : Something like that; you will know how to put.it. Correspondent: Thanks. Anything fresh about fchfr (fovernortf ; Hall: Don't mention him. The man is per- , fectly irreconcilable.: .' i ':: j; Correspondent: It is a great shame that he has seat of Government. ?S^JB-i 4 1 *.-.i« i . ! WK»ngi certainly ; but we would 5* hun in* Ohristchurch tha.a here. i&f fij^fesponcient i Mrs Hall and the family

Hall : Quite well, thank you. Correspondent (rising) : . I think I understand the whole position. It is important that the public should obtain correct intelligence on these matters in the centres of population. Good morning. Hall: Good morning. If anything important should happen I will send a messenger to the office. [Exit correspondent, and Mr Hall continues checking the stationery in stock. While the Premier was thus engaged a messenger knocked at the door, and, being told to enter, said that Mr — — , the correspondent of the Lyttelton Times and the Auckland Star (an employe on the Post), desired to see him. Enter correspondent.] Hall : Good morning. Mr has been here, and I have told him all the news. You will find it all in the Post this evening. Correspondent : Thank you. Nothing special for me, I suppose. Hall : No ; Mr will tell you anything you want to know. Good morning. [Exit correspondent and joins his chief, who is waiting outside, when they go to Freeman's to lunch and arrange how the messages shall be worded.]