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Waikato Argus, Volume V, Issue 360, 29 October 1898, Page 2

There has been quite a breeze in the House over Mr Scobie McKonzie's motion on the question of the committal of the Mining Bill. It reads thus :—That it be an in struction to the Committee that it has power to insert a provision by which any Minister of Mines or other Ministers of the Crown shall be debarred from occupying paid positions on Mining Syndicates or Mining Companies operating in the colony." Mr Cad man was very indignant that such a motion should be proposed and said, that if even a small mino: rity of the House considered that sucli a provision was necessary in respect of the present Minister of Mines, he would not long occupy the position. This, of course, was only a little touch of political bunkum, as he knew full well that the motion was in consequence of the Premier's position on the German syndicates, ' id there can hardly be a man in the country who would defend .the Premier in this matter, certainly not one do so on logical grounds. The motion was only negatived by 29 votes to 20, so that if Mr Cadaian desires to prove his sincerity, his resignation may soon be looked for. Surely 20 votes against 29 constitute more than a small minority. As we have often explained the reason Ministers should not hold such positions, is because the mining laws leave sueh large discretions in their hands.