POLITICAL NOTES

Waikato Argus, Volume V, Issue 327, 13 August 1898, Page 2

POLITICAL NOTES

(BY TKLEU ItAI'H - SPECIAL COBKESPONDENT) Wellington, Last Night. A TROUBLESOME QUESTION. A lengthy debate arose this afternoon over the report of the Public Petitions Committee, on the petition of Mary Caroline McNamara, of Wellington, the petitioner asked that a compassionate allowance should he granted to her on account of the death of her late husband, who was for many years employed in the Government Printing Office. The Committee reported that the petition lie referred to the Government for cousidertion. Mr Pirani drew attention to what he considered the unjust dismissal of McNamara from his permanent employment in the printing office, for bringing charges against the late Government printer (Mr S. Costall). This he said had accelerated his death, and for that reason the petition deserved the favourable consideration of the Government. The Minister in charge of the printing office (Mr Hull-Jouns) teviewed the position in connection with the charges made against the late Government printer. He considered that Mr McNamara had been made a tool of in the matter, but the question was whether the printing office was to be run by a committee of the men or by the Government printer. After McNamara and other men had been dismissed they were taken on as casurl hands and could earn as much as if they were permanent hands, McNamara, however, left again and started fishing. His health broke down and he applied to be taken on once more in the printing office. This request was granted and work was given to him, but he broke down again, however, and had to leave his employment. The Minister added that as a matter ol fact the charges made by McNamara and the others against the late Government primer were not responsible for McNamara's dismissal but something had appeared subsequently. Mr Hogg, a member of the Commission appointed to enquire into the charges against the late Government printer, said that gross injustice had been done to the men by the late Government printer, and this had given rise to the trouble in the printing office, which led to the charges being mnde against Mr Coatall. Lie contended that the action of the Government in dismissing the men who had made the charges against Mr Costall could not be defended. After several other membeis had spoken on the subject the matter dropped, and the matter was referred to the Government. NATIVE LAND BILL. The native people are actively petitioning the Bouse not to pass the Premier's Native Laud Settlement and Adminintration Bill. Some of the petitioners object to the Bill because they are certain that no benefits whatsoever would accrue to their remaining lands under the arrangement empowering mortgages as provided under the said Bill. They also state that under the burdensome provisions im posed by the Bill, namely—that the members of the Board arc to be paid. The payment of moneys borrowed and interest to be paid would entirely crush the land, and this would prevent permanent benefits arising to the owners of the land ; but would be of very great benefit to the Board. The petitioners hope that the purchases of land may be immediately put a stop to in accordance with the principle of the Bill. Other petitioners state the natives who are supporting the Bill, arc principally those who will not be effected by it; being either persons for whose benefit special legislation has been introduced into Parliament, or whose lands are mortgaged to the Public Trustee, or who have no lauds at all. Among the other objections to the Bill are the following : That it proposes to vest their lands in a Board absolutely controlled by the Government, which will probably exercise its powers of coutrol rather for the advantage of settlement in general than for the advantage of the Maori owners. The petitioners fear that the borrowing powers proposed in the Bill and the regulations for the disposal of lands may be used rather in the interests of the particular theories of settlement which may be advocated by the Government of the clay, than in the interests of the native owners. They also object to the transference to the Native Land Board, a body probably without judicial experience, and which may be controlled by political influence, of the powers of partition and succession, the definition of relative interests and the appointment of trustees. That there is no provision for the right of appeal from the decision of the Board and that the expenses to be paid by the petitioners out of their lands, in the working of the Bill, will be far greater than the expenses heretofore paid to the Native Land Court. Petitioners therefoie pray that the Bill be rejected or else postponed till next session, in order to give the natives time to fally consider its provisions. A WAIKATO PETITION. < Mr Lang to-day presented a petition from 40 settlers in the Whangamarino district, praying for a grant of £ 100 for the purpose of removing snags from the Whangamarino River. They point out that this is a valuable water-way, wide and deep, only requiring the obstructions removed to make it navigable at all seasons of tlie year for any vessel drawing eight feet. The petition also states that this would be a great boon to the whole district, a large feeder to the railway and would create much traffic which cannot exist without it.