HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1562, 19 May 1887, Page 2

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Wednesday, May 18. The House!met at 2 30 p.m. QUFSTIONS In reply to questions it was stated that the advisability of levying ad talorem duties on tea according to quality waa under consideration, but it had already been found it would ba very difficult to carry oat ; that the total amount piid foe floating the last loan was £43,000 ; that if the holders of annual railway tickets were allowed to pay for the same m quarterly instalments, the price of the , tiokets would have to be raised ; that where practicable, firewood would be used instead of coal on railway locomotives ; that alternate routes had baen partly surveyed, leading from Taranakl to a point m the North Island trunk line of railway, with a view to ultimately connect the West Ooaßt districts with Auckland. RETRENCHMENT. Mr Fulton moved tiat the resolution of the 6th September, 1833, be rescinded ho far aa it regards the wives of members ef the Assembly being paid " actual fares by coach, railway or staambout, once each way, to and from their usual residences " He said that under this head £92 15) 53 was paid la 1884, and £100 m 1885. The Hon Mr Richardson said Government would loava the matter m the hands of the House Motion was agreed to by 35 to 28, Mr Garrick moved that the annual honorarium, payable to members of tin Hou&e of Representatives be reduoed by a sum of £50, and that contingent upon the House bo resolving the Governor be requested to introduce a Bill during the present sasaion giving off act thereto. Mr O'Oallaghan eaid he should move to add t ) the motion that the honorariums of the membeisof the Legislative Council be reduoed by £100. Mr G. F. Richardson said he Bhould move as an amendment to reduce Ministers' salaries by £250. The debate was interrupted by the 5.30 adjournment. The House resumed at 7 30. OTAGJ CENTRAL RAILWAY. Mr Pybe moved the pscond reading of the O ago Central Railway Extension Bill. He explained that thay wished to obtain power to complete tbe line from Ta ; eri Lake, where Government intended to stop to Lake Wanaka. The length was 116 miles, and the estimated cost £700,000. This could be raised without going into the London market. The Bill was baaed on much the Borne lhea as the Midland Railway Bill, except th*t toe •land grant was to be 33 per cent of the value instead of 50 per cent. A private company was to be formed to construct the line. He dwelt at length on \he value of the l»nd to be opened up, and the advantages to be obtained from the railway, contrasting the way m which the Midland and Manawatu Railway Gum panics pushed on their lines with the dlUtoriness of Government cons'ruotion. Mr Balance said that the Otago Central h?d boon built as fast as any other line of dimiUr hngth. The honorable gentleman would have toehowthathissyndioate was not going to make an extravagant profit, and how the land was to be dealt wilh. It was no good to hand over the land to syndicates. Tt wuiild practically be borrowing at a ruinous rate. It was not like that given to the Midland Railway Ocmpany, useless fur agriculture, but was cf the best quality. Mr Soobie MclCer.zta twitted Mr Ballance with supporting railway construction by land grants last seeslon, and resisting it this. Mr Gore complained of £he dilatory way the line had been carried on. Sir Julias Yogel saw no reason why the proposal contained m the Bill should be refused, and he did not agree with his colleagues, opinions on the matter. The system of land grantß had been a great success, Mr Bryce supported the Bill. Mr Bryce regretted that he could not do so. Mr Hislop remarked that the line had been a disappointment to the colony. The Premier aaid that the land & fleet sd was almost the only portion m the South laland now left suitable for small se'tlemaa'a and he hoped the House woold not agree to the B 11. Mr "Fergus Bald thaV the Premier had once again contradicted hiß former sentiments. He had handed over two and a half millions of acres to a foreign company on the West Coast, and now refused a similar principle to another railway. Mr Cidman moved that the bill be read that day six months. He believed m the end the Government would have to Luy thcao railways. Mr Turnbull condemned Mr Fergus* attack on the Premier, although ho him* self supported the Bill. Messrs J. C, Buckland and Bevan supported the measure, and Mr Fyke replied. - The Premier depreoated tbe elura cast on the work done by the unemployed on the Hneß. which really was honestly and well done, and defended himself from Mr Fergus' statements that he was not acquainted with the conntry through which the line passed, aud also pointed cut that the present Government had spent £175,000 on this particular line. The amendment was lost by 31 to 20, and the bill tead a second time and passed to the Waste Lands Comnvt c?. EIGHT HOUiS DILL. Sir George Grey moved the second reading of the Eight Hours Bill. The Premier said m oommittee ho would move to prevent barmaids contracting for more than eight hours. Mr Turnbull eaid he would move to exempt agricultural laborers. Messrs J. O. Buoklfiud and Duncan spoke m the same direction, Mr Samuel remarked no doubt the mover of the Bill would make any concession to get through, but he thoroughly disapproved of it altogether, and moved It be read that day six months. After some discussion, the amendment was lost by 23 to 17, the Bill read a seoond time, and the Houße rose at 1.20 am, •