PARLIAMENT.

Bruce Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 89, 8 December 1913, Page 3

PARLIAMENT.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. AV]ST>LINGTON, Dec 4. 'The Legislative Council met at J.dU p. m DEFENCE BILL. Tho Defence Bill was read a iirst time. MUNICIPAL CORPORATIONS. Tho Council then went into committee- <m the Municipal Corporations ■Vmcndment Hill, to which was added a clause giving local authorities power to require the attendance ol qualitiod hremen at places of public entertainmcnt" "The Council rose at 0.20 p.m. The Council resumed in committee on the Bill, and several amendments wove made. A new clause authorising councils to raise money for workers' dwellings without lirst taking a poll of tho ratepayers was added and the Bill was reported with amendments. FOOTWEAR REGULATIONS. The Council went into committee on the Footwear .Regulations Bill which was passed with minor amendments. other Measures. The'l'ost and Telegraph amendments were also passed. ' The Bills wee- read a third tune and passed. Hon H. D. Bell moved the second readiiu' of the Land Agents Amendment Bill, which was carried on the voices. The Fire Brigades Amendment Hill (1) permitting boroughs of 1000 inhabitants to form lire boards; (2) enabling lire boards in the cities to borrow up to £20,000, and (3) nrovidiug lor contributions to lire boards by thou; who insure with Lloyds, was read a second time. The Patents Designs ami Trade Marks Bill was read a second time. The Divorce and Matrimonial Causes Amendment Hill and the Law Practitioners Amendment Bill were read a second time pro forma and referred to the Statutes Revision Committee. The Railways Construction and Land Amendment Bill. Stamp Duties Amendment Bill and Fruit Preserving Industry Bill were read a second time. Hon. H. I). Bell moved the second reading of the Judicature Amendment Bill, which was carried, and the Bill went into committee.

Tho Land Amendment .Bill, the Fire .Brigades, Patent Designs Amendment, Railways Construction and Land Amendment, Stamp Duties Amendment, Fruit Preserving Industry, and the Judicature Amendment' Bills were reported from committee, read a third time, and passed. The Council adjourned at 11.55 p.m.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. The House met at 4 p.m. The afternoon Mas occupied discussing the reports of committees, and the House resumed at 7.80 p.m. HATING AMENDMENT. Hon. W. H. Herries moved the second reading of the Hating Amendment Bill. He mentioned that small grazing runs had been exempted from the operations of the Bill and pastoral leases were brought under it. Mr Ell (Christehureh South) said that the Bill Avould have the effect of reducing the ratable value of land for local rating purposes. Mr Macdonald (Bay of Plenty) said it wasT impossible to put natives on the same footing as Europeans so far as rating was concerned, but he was prepared to assist in that direction as far as possible. Mr Young (Waikato) said that the Bill was a step forward in the matter of native rating. Hon. A. T. Ngata (Eastern Maori) said that anyone wko set out to discuss the rating of native lands should first of all appreciate the difference between the land occupied by the Maoris and by Europeans. Jn the latter case there Avas a fee simple; the Maoris were tenants in common. ' The communistic system obtained. NATIVE LAND BILL.

The committee stage of the- Bill was ' postponed, and the House then went into committee on the Native Laud Bill. Hon. A. T. Ngata moved to postpone the coming into operation of the Bill till March. 1, 191-1. This was rejected on a division by 3lj to 22. On Clause 21, the constitution of the Board, Mr Ngata pointed out that there was no provision for native representation on the native land boards. Dr. Te ilangihiroa (Northern Maori) protested similarly. Mr Ngata moved an amendment to provide for one Maori representative, resident of the district, on each board. Sir J. Carroll (Gisborne) pleaded for Maoris having a voice in the administration of their own affairs. 4 Hon. W. H. Hemes (Minister for Native Affairs) said that he could not accept the amendment. His own idea was that the judge should be the whole board, with a registrar simply to do the administrative work. Provision was made for assessors, but he wanted to do away with them. The idea was to amalgamate the courts and boards. Opposition members supported Mr Ngata, contending that the Minister's proposal was contrary to British justice xind fair play. At midnight a division was taken on Mr Ngata's amendment, which was lost by 33 to 20. A division was taken on Clause 61, which was retained by 34. to 17. On the question of limitation of area Messrs Ngata and Forbes (Hurunui) protested against the increase from 3000 to 5000 acres of third-class land, the latter calling for a division. The larger area was retained by 31 to 17.

Clause 75, providing for the alienation of equitable interests, was retained by 35 to 23. On Clause 10-1, giving the Crown the right to acquire native lands MrNgata said there had been no objection to the Crown operating as actively as ; t pleased on unoccupied Maori land, but fie did object to the power taken to interfere with trust land in the hands of the Public Trustee, with vested lands in hands of Maori land hoards. The Opposition proposed to _ move amendments to put on their nrotest against the State becoming a land agent for the lesees of native land. After the telegraph office closed at 2 a.m. Hon. A. T. Ngata moved an amendment to Clause 104 which would have the effect of taking the native trust lands out of the operation of the ]Bill, but it was lost on the voices. £Mr Parata (Southern Maori) moved an amendment excepting the Greymouth leases from the Bill. „ Hon.. \V. H. Hemes said that tho Native Affairs Committee ho 4 passed a

resolution to tho effect that the Crown should purchase the town cf O'rey it' *ho natives were willing to sell. If the natives were disposed to sell he would be bound to buy, but there would be no compulsion. . The amendment was lost. Hon. A. T. Ngatn moved amendments with the object of limiting the power of the Crown to acquire individual interests, but all were defeated by considerable majorities. Tho Bill passed the committee stage at 2'Ao a.m., and the third reading was postponed. RATING AMENDMENT PASSKD. The Rating Amendment Bill was put through committee with machinery amendments, read a third time .aid passed. LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. WELLINGTON, Dec. 5. The Legislative Council met at 2.JJO p.ni. The Counties Amendment Bill was considered and progress reported. The. Law Practitioners Amendment Bill was passed. The Education Reserves Amendment Bill was read a second time.

T'ha Distress and Replevin ' Amendment Bill was also read a second time. The second reading of the Naval Deft nee Bill was moved bv Hun. H. J). Bell and after a debate the Bill was road a second time on the voices.

The Council decided to insist upon its amendments in tho Shipping and Seamen. \s Amendment Bill.

On the proposal to go into committee on tho Police Offences Bill Hon. J. T. Paul protested against strikes, but said that in. some ca.ses they were mevitible, and peaceful picketing must bo allowed. Ho proposed to a.sk the Council to in(•xM't a clause of tho English Act dealing with peaceful picketing.

The Council went into committee on the Naval, Defence Bill, which parsed without amendment. The Police Olfeuces Bill wa.M next considered in committee. A division was called for on the .sub-clause providing a penalty for anyone found ''watching or besetting a house or other place whore -such other person redder, etc." Tin* clause was retained by 12 vote* to lour.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Tho House mot nt'2.3o p.m. and tlio debate on the Public YVorks'Statonient was commenced.

Sir J. 0. Ward (Loader of the Opsaid that the Minister had .stated that tho total expenditure for last vear Avas actually the largest in any single year for over !10 years. In the beginning of the paragraph he stated that owing to the financial po-itiou obtaining at the close of last session he did not feel jusnlicd in making available for immediate expenditure the whole of tho now items appearing on tin* Public Works Intimates, and yet the loan of la-:t year was not received until after the end of the financial year. He asked how much of t' e amount to be transferred from tin* Consolidated fund of £075,000 was to go to public work', funds. Hon. J. Allen (Minister for Finance): The whole lot.

Sir -J. C. Ward: I am very glad to hear it. Continuing, he said there va.s nearly .-WO.OOO shortage on the goldiiohU roads expeiidiiure between the amounts voted and the amounts expended. He held that in other directions the amount* voted were not expended, and yet the Minister proposed to spend huge sums on new railways, the routes of which were not even known yet. Dealing with the estimates for public buildings ho quoted: the item of £600,000, and characterised it as profligate expenditure. Nearly a million extra was proposed in. that connection this year over and above last year, yet all tlie Ministry had said and said again was that it would reduce the expenditure, which was enormous. Mr Allen said that in 1911 not one penny had been transferred from the Consolidated to the Public Works Fund. Regarding Sir J. G. Ward's criticism he said that as soon as the success of the flotation of the new loan was assured the Minister for Public Works opened his heart. He proceeded to elaborate the Minister's pa,;ey of caution during the period of financial uncertainty, and held that was the true policy to pursue in order to secure an assured finance. The sum of £250,000 a year had been promised for backblocks roads prior to last election, but it was never fulfilled. Ho agreed that tlie expenditure on public buildings wa., too heavy. He hoped that in December, 1914, this country would be independent of the London market. After tho telegraph office closed tho debate Avas continued by Mr Mander (Marsden) who complained bitterly that only about £2OOO of tho new money had been voted for his district. He advocated a reformed system of local government, giving local bodies sound finance to enable them to do the necessary public works.

Mr Ell (Christchurch South) advocated the reinstatement of the lloads Department, The Public Work* Department was (in his opinion) understaffed in the matter of engineers. The road districts were too large, consequently the roads were neglected. He urged'the continuance of the co-opera-tive system of labor to provide for the weaker vessels who had to find a place in the life of the country. The Minister did not reply to the debate and the House Went into committee on the Estimates which were debated by members who welo concerned in tho votes attaching to their own districts. After four hours' debato Estimates totalling over £3,000,000 were passed and the House-roso at 7 a.m. to resume at 10.30 a.m. on Monday to consider local Bills.