PARLIAMENT.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 692, 17 December 1909, Page 5

PARLIAMENT.

I —.— LAND SETTLEMENT BILL. DISCUSSION IN THE COUNCIL. mO-NIGHT SITTING OF THE HOUSE.^ ' STRONG PROTESTS. THE NATIVE LAND PROPOSALS.

The Council got through a lot of business, yesterday, wbon sittings woro held both in tho afternoon and the o\enng Among the Bills put through their final stages were tho Friendly Societies Bill, Industrial Schools Amoudincnt Bill, and Land for Settlement Administration Bill. After an all-night sitting, the House finally passed the Public Works Amendment Bill at 6 a.m. J 'yesterday. The Minister agreed to strilo out Clause 13, which proposed that in certain casc» the Governor might order public ■porks and recover the cost from tho local authority. In tho afternoon, tho King Country licenses Bill, among other measures, was introduced, and Sir Joseph Ward made an important statement (reported in another column) as to tho business which he hopes to get through this session. Sir Joseph stated that he hoped to finish tho Thursday next, but he still suggests the possibility of meeting after Christmas if sufficient progress is not made After that tho House was occupied in considering the Native land Bill in Committee Tho consolidating clauses were rapidly gone through, but new clauses were constantly held up for explanation by' Mr. Masse}, Mr. Buchanan, Mr. Reed, aud a few other members to a less extent A number of minor amendments wore suggested, but divisions were not jenerally insisted on.

COUNCIL. BILLS BEAD A FIRST TIME. When the, Council resumed its sittings yesterday afternoon, The- Coal - Mines Amendment Bill and tho Public Works Amendment Bill No. 2 were read a first time.

-LAND FOR SETTLEMENTS ADMINISTRATION BILL. AN INTERESTING DEBATE In moving that tho Land for Settlements Administration Bill bn committed, Tho ATTOKNEY-GENER VL stated that at present monevs borrowed for tho purposes of lands for settlement were included in the national debt. That fact expoted the Dominion to the criticism that tho Government was increasing the public debt at an enormous rate. It was absurd to treat money borrowed for tho purchase of land for settlomont in tho same way as money borrowed for the purpose of, say, carrying on some Department of State which was absolutely unrcmunerativo. The lands which had been acquired in New Zealand" were, ho was told, worth nearly 50 per cent, more than they had cost tho Government as a result of tho operations of tho gottfers. Critics in regard to, the increase of the public debt seemed to forget that with respect to the moneys bo.TOwcd for lands for settlement they were mot with a complete answer m the assets on tho other sido,of the lodger.- '

•■.-.': :.';:;' ; ..-.^dd'.that-.closcr;B6ttlement^,'shbiild ; n6t.',be:,car-' ■ /.;:ried' : ',out ■'ih/vSUchfa:iviolent"'manner'.'"as was, '";';-..';:^^nbyv'rjr'pppsed;//;'Lahd-owhers( : ;should, ; :be'given. ; ri/'on:oppbjrfeuury/.to.'re:arra.iigo/itheir-/plans' for. .thevfuture'.';':'';He also'opposedV.the 'restriction: :,. j of:/the'areaiwhicluvmight-,',be. retained .by,' tho Yv. owner:, of !;an [acquired 'estate;, and.- the rcduc-;; ■:!-y tion-;in .the, area!; which'.- might !be 'held' by... a . '-JEefctler.-./.'.' .-,. ; '...'-:5, .'/;/"v.-//,'..;•"«•'/!':•, "■■,;">'-'/ :-'''':';. ; //Th©':H«io;'^:''A'NSTEY-;(Cantotbwy).''faVo'ur€d. . ,jthc /new.-provision.jirith; reference j-tp. the divi-i ; t^ip^bli(j'i'dcbt../>;lt,lwas!ihis'.'opinion : 1 .'\that;tho fbatiohal ! ; debTt i i!fl6u'l3'- r ilot; 'include 1 * :,'.: moneys :'thatv,were;:deljtß:.'which./: : wexe, wholly Vowned'.by;.private:individuals^'and mpneys for) .:,/pul>lic''sernces.su^ V users' provided the whole 'of," the. interest. •' He' ,:i,:felt .that the- area;which';might ; .beßetained by purr. '.'chased; had! been'Teduoed':far -too .suddenly,, i: ,Tho f .Governmbht.'"shbuld ; en'epurdge landlords to ; -'■,-.. cut, up. their, lease: them. .'Owing -to■f'/\theip'rpVisions;:bf":;tHe'!':griduafed 'land'',.tax' ■ X ..;,- owneM..-'we»/.prOTe'hfeiii-;'froiii ;:f. adppting ; ';•■ that ~;'; course. '; ; Ho 'strongly'felt ; that' preference.:in !its '■f''-'' : tr^/ttim.' : ;shbUd;;"alfeayij" , ibeJ''givJßii 1 to; workers -.-•: on! ah/estate 'which Swasi acquired!/ '■-: •' -v : ':".'!.':! ;:;- : -. the.'jprbposal . ; wi,th} reference 'to ; the; division of -;: .the.;public debtJmeahtj.only;a-nominal'Tediic-, f■! tkn'/.of .dobt.";'?AU mb'neys'iborrowed -_■:, '.wero.;;av;debt : ;^r./ i K.a,WlitT;.''6f/!6pme; kind,' and . ;. t^ey^/were.'.'aH',;taken',;into'i consideration /by ■;:>fihanciers.':::;He would aupport'the-Bill'.!' .■;',/,: >;.:•: "TWvBOT;^Hi/^;?;VwKEAII'/.(Canterbury) ' the'diyisipn,:of the ■'■',;■•. r :'.v.'..'t(ie;::lahdßV'f<)r-''Mtllen>eht:.--syste^i'yas'-,inaiign- .. / rated!;','He 'did'.'not';like;!the ". idea■ of. "the; prb-..•V^fpbs^.-;oh^goysd'-<'sudaenly!i'.at-..thJs''':stage,'''as it ! : /vrould:;,areus9.coulment'.i;.lt .would'be-different ,;' : if.;'the'i",prpMsal,;.Wß :..),. .'the'un-pro- ;; '&''.-'' : \ ■'• :"'-.' .•;." : :Dr.;:Khdla7V'iWl|iy;':&V! ; extehd; ; rtlie 1; pi'in- '., ciplo.:.to.include''thft:railway. , debt etc/?. .' • /-; ; said: that' al- ;: though :-t.he;pop'ulatibnfwas'i. hot "growing: at a '! .'v.-. 7?? T i r a Pid<rajte; there!-V7efe-a great-.niany: land- ;, Dominioh../.: The:, only ,way .' •;. tti ,mbet ''.ih'B;;dim6iilty,:'wa»': in: his bpiniori: to.'.r'e-/,•.--.V.'d'westhejarea;!to^.bb/allowed !each settler. He i:..,,tdld\not,:kii# l thing to-omit'i m ''which''homos': and!'home / terms '■':■:'.:■■ ■--?, ■-.?■■''<■■■■-:■:■■'■ X : : said it!was ■ ' ;oaly-:^™al',that-;,there' should-'be ''opposition ; .; /to of 'Tho T .GoVernmcnt" ■•:: •■: ehpuld takeJthe.ipower -.tb-compulsorily acquire /'' :to n d,:tu :.,?£•, adjoining*;a! borough '/for •'. : -^^^Pii^als^pnithe:^^^/ha! thought :;'■■:/ "rat ;tho,:BulS;was';a;highly./satisfactory,:mcas-" 1 -"•,- •■••-.'aj'e'.r.v-:-"-.^:Vv-f^Siv-':»;»'i'r.--'-,■.:-'-'':i : . : /;! /- ;■ *'.:- ■■■■■-' '■ - ' ; M^ardle^B<Joiian,:':' ; and :y';/.!? a Wey:alsp^ok ; :pa,rt.!in.;the ; d :':;!:V;-DrvVJF; ridijay^iRep fies.M^ife ; 4''V*./!-;:''^/:.; c ; r : : !/V:-,^//':.'' : ?■'- ; - i; declared! :ihat ;!'.-: .y Mtt:yowed "of "a" bygone ;:.:.:' proVerty : . : : ; : : ."..-v' ? IV S^^^The^redßction/ip!!the !!area■■ which .;,.,, he/might ::Tetain/ ; was:.iustfiable, i because"'! the ./../.:o^er ; wuld'^aU!en,'the::,Gdvornment::!to 'take ,/..;! we/whole.,pf;; v the/nrpperty< 'and!!there /were: .-j !•/ Many/ propbirbesanjiNew/Zealand! of-' 1000 acrW : ■ : ' SSSIS^ g ' % / Mr.-Ahstey,vhe ■■'<■■■ - : *?3T^- | h^fctV;obligiitWibf "the ::.;■ yated cbridition:,that. .. :■ - the r- l?ndhp)ders,:ieased/ I th6irV.lands,: it "would :.:,. ; .be,iound/ j that^ry: : :;i\ttle.'graduated : ; land '~.■■ :•'; ; .t^-a^uld:/'be! jrcollected;!,?nnd/!thaV- a :of:V,Slefces '"'■' were! not .; :; , b^na ; :fide^eases x fQr,!,;the !/piirposei' of settle- ••• ; ;■;• njent., ■■■, He ,-vagreedV.:; with / : Mr. Riga: if! :- :^i^ nd lT^ f 9 T^P*e rs'homes and,farrns ■'"-■ - 52= n '' ■ by:compulsion, '/:!:y thß /p o y«nnient l ought./to !h'ave 'tha!tpbwer, but '^'y&t ? ' ?r e ¥? t ;S'h<!re;.'liad::not been'' any' /,:; v di^ulty^ i that;regardJ":With'regard toHhat :,,:: portion: of, the,na,tipnai: debt-which'was rcpro-!!•!'d-S^l^JI !^ totalled./.405; in: ■'■!!;-..■;l9e#.>.'Hß , ,™t;gri(ifleafat"th'e reception whioh' v . :! '/!■ W wa V««n.:fgf<ed : :.that! - should ,;.;,,:/ Bill;!!/''":'.,i;'" ■/,:■

■■ -Revision: Commifctoo' were adopted. ;Secbon2l: ; was;altctod ! . to-read- as follows i-r-'Tn order,; to;, give /greater:,'facilitics tir: establishing B :for,:workflr S| land may 'Jfi/,Wflir^,; ;^.,: telwav ; rmtbin:; any, notifowcr than orio .thousand inhabitantslacoordiliß to the latest census, «hirM,viuid ; iwithin ; ;a radius of twenty. ,™»?s l «om;.the;bonndary:of:'a-borough/'' -;i . -■"^S^ we're ..would-'be-beneficial to ■a t borough.:-r^^|>J,^;-v : ;V r^:;;:.:;;; ;.; ;;,.;■,.: ..: : <'.<■''■',■■'■' v, : -"'- -->.. X'. timo^'and _pa^d. i ;j^: : ■' ";,"'•-.; -'. : '■','•■■

TWO BILLS PASSED. 'The Industrial Schools Amendment Bill and Inferior Courts Procedure Bill passed through committee without amendment, woro read a third time, and i/SRd,

FRIENDLY. SOCIETIES BILL. In moving the second leading of this Bill, The ATTORNEY-GENERAL said it was largely due to tho co-operation of tho friendly 'societies that,the Bill was before Parliament. Tho. measure embodied much of the oxisting law, and also contained a good deal of now matter from the Imperial Statutes and / soma new proposals. Ono of the principal objects of tho bill was to provide that no society should bo allowed to carry on unless its rates were sufficient to maintain its financial stability. Tho Bill represented the best that could bo found in" the -law' of othor countries. Tho Hon. W BEEHAN (Auckland) approved the Bill generally. He objected to loans on personal security. Members, in his opinion, should reccivo supoiannuation on leaching tho age of Co years. Tho Hon. T. TRASK (Nelson) also approved tho_ Bill. ' No amendments woro made to the Bill in Committee and, later, it was read a third time and passed.

. '■;; STATE ADVANCES BILL. ■ N .'■ : The second ■ reading of this Bill was then, moved. The ATTORNEY-GENERAL said that tone of'the. cardinal principles of the Bill was to sot on n proper basis the liability of. the State .withpreference to the moneys advanced to settlors,- arid another aim of tho measure was to extend-tho operations of the Department along the lines which experiments had justified. It might, bo stated' that- tho amount to be raised .was a largo one, but if the'money were wisely lent'no ono could say that it was not a proper/piece of State-craft. Operations of.tho kind by tho State could do a "great deal to avert ,the -disaster which accompanied a financial crisis. Tho transfer of the assets', and liabilities to indopendont corporations would enable the people, to see whore the Dominion stood; If* the principle were extended," as had been'suggested, it would still further go to illustrate how really solvont this country was. In conclusion, he would add.that if:the assets of the .colony, wero.put against, the liabilities, so far from the conntry being one groaning towards bankruptcy under a burden of debt, it was in a healthy position financially, and those who held to adverse criticism either did not know ..what- they were talking about or. bad a sinister object in trying to injure the credit of, the country. ■ '■; -.- ':. ;-.. •• ;-... ', At this stage (9.i5 p.m.) the Council-; adjourned .until' to-day. : ,.