POLITICAL NOTES AND COMMENTS.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXX, Issue 8499, 31 July 1907, Page 5

POLITICAL NOTES AND COMMENTS.

(From Our Parliamentary Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, Tuesday.. THE PROGRESS MAD*;. Though the session is near the end of its fifth week, nothing conspicuous in the way of useful general legislation has been accomplished, beyond the passage of the Tohunga Suppression Bill, and the Pure Food Bill, through the Lower House. Tlia Imprest bupply Bills do not, of course, count, as they merely provide for temporary supplies until the Estimates are passed and embodied in the Appropriation Act. NATIVE LAND LEGISLATION. The one really interesting feature of the session has been the production of the interim reports of the Native Lands Commission, which are regarded with interest as throwing a lurid light upon the past history of native land transactions, and as eminently valuable as indictating the steps that should be taken towards the ultimate satisfactory settlement of the native land question. Hitherto ' legislation affecting native lands ' has been left almost exclusively to North Island members, South Island representatives owing to ignorance or indifference generally holding aloof from discussing the subjec*-. Even North Island members have to a large extent manifested a lack of knowledge and interest in the matter. The enlightened reports of the Native Lands Commission, however, are likely to dispel this apathy, and inspire a desire on the part of members from all parts of the colony to make themselves more thoroughly conversant with the many intricacies of a subject that is fraught with importance to all colonists, Maori and European. The history of the dealings in Maori lands of the more distant past is full of the black shadows of chicanery and corruption; of the recent past, of spasmodic, vacillating, and futile legislative attempts to reduce chaos to order. Every new enactment has only resulted in making "confusion worse confounded"; but at last there is a prospect of placing the whole question upon a footing that will result in the permanent betterment of the native race, and n incalculable benefit to the colony as a whole. This is the opinion of most members of the House whose opinion is best worth having. Legislation based upon the reports will substitute definiteness for indefiniteness and provide for the useful occupation of large arets of splendid country that have hitherto been left in a state of nature. "No doubt when the measures to give effect to the recommendations come before Parliament they will be discussed with an interest which has hitherto been a minus quantity in debates on Bills relating to native affairs. A WORRIED MINISTER. Ever since the new tariff was Lrought down Ministers have been in recaipt of co - nmunications complimentary and " protestatory" anent its exactions iv-.d remissions, and the Minister of Customs has been kept hard at work every "off-day'' listening to and answering deputations. A few evenings ago he was kept goirg by one deputation from 7.30 until 11 o'clock. On Monday he had no fewer than nine deputations from various parts of the colony desirous of setting him right in regard to tariff im positions. The interests represented were:—Coachbui'.ding industry, Automobile Association, typewriter importers, cycle importers, jewellery trade, confectionary manufacturers, local bodies, etc. To ail of these deputations Mr Millar gave the indefinite answer that the matter would receive the consideration of Cabinet. What more could he say? What more could the deputations expect? It does not seem to strike those who desire alterations in the tariff that it is quite impossible for Ministers to make any definite promise. It would "give away the show," as the sayirg is; and if there was a promise of an increase on a certain article there wouid naturally be an immediate run upon the Customs respecting that article, and prospective revenue would be seriously discounted. MiMillar has displayed unexampled patience and forbearance over the harrying he has been subjected to in respect of the tariff, but towards the close of Monday's deputational infliction he remarked somewhat pathetically:"! promise you I don't intend to touch another tariff while I am in the House." HANSARD-A SUGGESTION. While the publication of Hansard is provocative of much useless talk and waste of time, it would not be an unmixed evil if people would only read it. for there is much in the Parliamentary debates which is interesting, amusing and instructive. There are to be found in its pages occasional flashes of wit; a good deal of sound common sense illumines the great darkness of wordy "blither"; and here and there may be found an "eye-opener" as to the devious methods of Ministerial and administrative procedure. The trouble is that the circulation of Hansard is limited. In a population of 000,000 there are under 6,000 copies circulated and of that number only a very few recipients take the trouble to read anything beyond that which relates to their respective districts. If instead of sending out the full debates, a precis of the speeches were made under competent editorship, the publication would be greatly increased in popularity, and the electors would be much better educated upon matters Parliamentary than they are at present. It is a question worthy of consideration whether it would not be well to adopt some such plan as this, and extend the distribution of the condensed Hansard amongst the constituencies. After all, the people have a right to know what goes on in Parliament, and if the object of Hansard is the general enlightenment of the community it should be issued in a form and kited in a manner that will give real effect to its objective.