Parliamentary Jottings.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume III, Issue 188, 13 August 1901, Page 3

Parliamentary Jottings.

o— —— (rtfo 1 !! DOR SPECIAL 0 • RaKSPONDENX.)

Mr Herbert Easton, who* name has become known-to th public through the mining colums of the newspapers, as an energetic, vigorous protestor against the manner in which gold-dredging companies have been manipulated is in Wellington just now. He has come to enlighten the House as to all the dark doings that go on in the mining world, and certainly scory he has to tell is anything but a very pleasant one to those who have some faith left in human nature. Stringent provisions are being drawn up to be inserted in theCompahies Aniendment Bill, with a view to preventing sodie of the scandalous transactions that appear to be nut an-, common. 'For instance, the other day a case occurred of a company -in which the directors sat and, drew fees for over twelve months, although they had never paid even the allotment money on I thoir shares. Mr Easton alleges that a bad offender in the com- ‘ pany promoting line is Mr W. E. Cook, of the firm of Cook and Gray. Of twelve companies floated by this gentleman or his firm, nine, at least, says Mr Easton, must go into liqui iation. Cook and Gray, he says, acted as brokers, promoters and secre--taries, and Mr 'Cook as a director in addition. Furthermore, he

alleges, large sums of commiason were obtained on derelict and more or less “ paper ” companies, flouted on air, N and kept alive for the sole benelit of the promoters, and vendors. It is also said to be a common practice for directors to receive fees, strike calls, and. invoke the law against share- : holders at a time when the directors themselves were in arreaiv. and in some ci&ses had not pUid; up anything at all of what they owed the -company. In answer, to a.question in the Home on the subject, the Minister of Justice' said he “ recognised that there were a number of men who eti-j deavoured to uiakfe money in a way that many would think was not strictly honest. They were' enabled to do that as the law at present 'Stood. The Government Were, however, dealing with the question in another ’place, and he thought the measure Would meet the case of those who traded on the credulity of the public and injured a legitimate and profitable industry.” The rejection of tlie Referendum Bill by the Council was not unexpected, but the division list was a tremendous shock. The “ ayes ” were (or the “ aye ” was)

1, the “ noes ” 29. The 1 was the Minister in charge of the Bill. The secret of the unanimity of the Lords is that one acute legia- ; lator pointed put that if the House passed twice a Bill abolishing the Upper House and the Upper House twice rejected the' measure, under the Refere&lum Bill it might then be'submitted to the people, and if the vote was in favour of the .proposal the Bill would then become law, and the Legislative Council would be wiped out, if hat was altogether too great a risk for the lifers ” to run, so they rose with one accord and solemnly damned the Bill.

A very unsavoury debate, is; promised on a Bill just introduce! by the Premier, entitled the “ Sale of PreventativOs Prohibition Bill.” The Premier has been nfuch distressed by the fall in the birth rate of late years, and he intends to raise it forthwith. If he depends on this nasty Bill to effect his object, I fear he will be Considerably disappointed. It is on the cards that the Hill will be vigorously opposed. Unpleasant rumours have been going about lately to the effect that the Government is considerably straitened for ready money. At all events it seems to be a fact that £IOO,OOO was lately borrowed from the A.M.P. Insurance Company, and two days ago £25,000 from the Citizens’ Life Insurance Company, which would certainly seem to show that cash was anything but plentiful. However, we cannot expect to boom ourselves up as a big nation, keep small armies in the battlefield, and entertain Royalty A LA, Sbdbon without paying the piper. There will be some fan when the Financial Statement comes down. Members are very carious to see . the accounts for the quarter . ending Jixne 30th last* Which might to

h ive appeared in the Gazette some tune (*go, bm have failed to do so. Thus* is the in which all the heaviest payments "have to be mu le,-tor-interest, etc., and in view of What seems to be the position of affairs, members are wondering what vve shall see when the "accounts come down. Very likely the Government will not publish them mill after the Financial ■ Statement is brought down. There will be considerable -indignation if this course is followed.

Mr George Fisher, member for' Wellington, the other night - moved the second reading of the Libel Bill. This was a Bill to afford some redress to persona who considered themselves aggrieved by statements made eon- 1 ’ ; cerning them in newspapers. Everyone was to have by law the right to reply and to have the reply published in as conspicuous a place as the original attack had been made. Mr Fisher made mlliant speeches in moving the second reading and in replying,: md there was a lively debate on the Bill, in which the Wellington f-bapefs came in for some very severe knocks. But next morning neither of the local “ rags ” published a single syllable that was uttered. They calmly ignored the Whole affair, merely, stating that Mr-Fi-her introduced a Libel Bill and the division list on the second reading was so and so. Mr T. Mackenzie, the member for Waihemo, was dressed down

very cleverly by Mr Fisher in his reply. Waiheiho is the prince t)f advertisers. It is_questionable if the Premier could give him jfc'oihls in that respect. Ha can hardly eat his breakfast without getting a long account of that interesting operation published in the newspapers. Ho never does anything very particular and rarely says anything of much importance, yot to read the Otago Daily Times and the Dunedin Evening Star, one would think that at the very least the sun rose anti set iii the person of “ Tam,” as he is familiarly designated. Such shameless pulling usually defeats its own ends. Men who depend entirely on newspapermade reputations almost invariably go down in the long run, as did Mr Mickenzie’s namesake, Scobie of that ilk. Such, at all evfents, is Mr Fisher’s dictum. It is noticeable, too, that even the report of the Press Association was of the most meagre character.