GENERAL NEWS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2695, 28 December 1909, Page 2

GENERAL NEWS.

WI PERE AGAIN

The Hon. Wi Pere, M.L.C., distinguished liimsexf in the Legislative Council yesterday (says the Wellington “Post” of Friday last)/ He commenced an oration on the Industrial Schools Bill and treated the Council to some extraordinary quotations from, arid comments oil, passages from the Bible. The subject 1 matter of liis remarks had little, if to do with the subject under discussion, but members listened in patience. Later on, when the Native Land Bill was under consideration Mr. Wi Pere talked tit some length on the need for advancing the natives at least twenty millions of money for tlie improvement of their lands. The Attorney-General politely informed the member that money amendments could not be made in the Bill in the Legislative Council. “Bah!” was Wi Pere’s reply, ‘I think we are in a mad house. We call ourselves members of the House of Lords. They pay us an honorarium of £2OO per year. Now I know wliy. It is because we are not worth any more.” (Laughter.) s Stil] later in the day Mr. Wi Pere declared in a quite inappropriate way that he was afraid of no na'kelia. He would see justice done to the Maori, a These peculiar ebullitions continued until a late hour at night and at last the Attorney-General’s patience became exhausted. “I think the Council has tolerated the hon. gentleman long enough,” said Dr. Findlay with some show of resentment. _ “If he cannot see his way to behave himself I shall have to take proceedings along constitutional lines.” After that the unruly member subsided.

AMERICA AFRAID OF JAPAN. About a year ago Califorians were greatly excited over (writes a San Francisco correspondent) the question whether Japanese should .be allowed in the same school as white children, and whether they should be allowed to possess land in the State. On this coast there was a strong, feeling in favor of denying these and other privileges to the brown men. But President Roosevelt intervened, and induced the Californians, for the sake of international peace, to drop their agitation. lie was much praised, Jand America gained much credit for self-restraint and wisdom. But a different light is thrown on the incident by the declaration of Leslie M. Shaw, former Secretary to the Treasury, that the United States was compelled to submit through fear of Japan’s naval powpr in the Pacific. In a speech at Pliilidelphia, Mr. Shaw said: “There was much deep-seated alarm in Washington at the time of San Francisco’s outbreak against the Japanese. You don’t know how near war we were.. In order to avert at we had to accept every condition they demanded. Had; we been in a condition) for war, and. had ave been possessed of a merchant marine we would never have swallowed that bitter pill. ■' / •■■■/ “The great men in japan are declaring that the Japanese are the rightfill masters of the Pacific, and they are hinting at their willingness to defend this attitude with arms. I’m not trying to tell yon that we are going to war with the Japanese, but you can’t overlook. one fact: Japan has five hundred ships of her merchant marine on the water, and fifty more on the ways. Every one of them is under contract to emit commerce and start another line of marine activity at the call of the Government.”