THE HOUSE.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 909, 31 August 1910, Page 9

THE HOUSE.

] OLD SOLDIERS' CLAIMS. : A . SPEEDY SETTLEMENT URGED. , AVhen the House resumed its sitting yesterday an into-.esting discussion wuh reference to the. claims of old soldiers l'or a military pension of 10s. - per week, instead of tne old age pension, arose on the petition of a veteran. ' Mr. HERRIES (T.auranga) said that al-l-hough tho claims of old, soldiers were being .inquired into by magistrates, he did not think enough . publicity hail '/ been given tb, this, fact by. advertisement in tbo daily papers. ' , Mr. ..HOGAN (Wanganuj). urged that the. pensions should bo granted to war veterans this year. He was willing that each military settler should have a pension, and if tho House had the -opportunity it would confcf it without, the veterans . having to go through the forms necessary to obtain nil old age pension. Sir JOSEPH WARD said that on'receipt of the reports of the magistrates the Govornuicnt would consider them. Mr. Massey: Do you expect to get them this, session ? - ■ . Sir Joseph Ward said he did not know whether they,would be to hand by that time/. He thought,members were .misInformed when . they, said that,: the fact 'that .inquiries were-being lmld by ningistrntcfi -vrati 'Hot generally, known. ;.. Referring to the,claims of war.veterans tor a-special pension/ Sir Joseph said tho .recommendation of ,th<rcommittee was, a ' reflection upon tho old' ago., pensions system, , as underlying it. was a suggestion that-that was a system of charity. Thoro was the old age system' of pension, the military pensions,and it was now proposed to institute a third system. Many of these ineu wero now, receiving the-old'age.pen-sion, "and there were some'of them who would not be granted a pension by a military board. Ho was opposed to passing legislation to give special pensions as requested. To whom should' the pension ba granted? If it were granted to tnu holders of the.medal many'worthy ...men !■ would be excluded. |' iMr. WILI'OEIJ (Butt) complaincd that the: investigations of the magistrates into old soldiers', claims were hot,proving in' I every case satisfactory. He -quoted a letter from ■ Mr. - Samuel .Smith,.. of,lhe .Hult, who is nearly 8(i. years, pfjifee,;cpin-. plaining that, when ho had given his- iige , and described -his landing near Petone andvother, incidents of . the early days his veracity was doubted. Ko would liko to knoiv ivhethor the' inquir;' that was taking place was of a'perfunctory character, or .whether claimants " were being given every., opportunity ■ to Any solicitor would, he' felt siire, be ,giad 1 to help the old veterans to get their pensions .free .of cost. He'-thought that l'ailiameataiy - authority, should ,bo giveu to meet the .claims oi'- the old soldiers. , Mi. MASSEI", saiu that many veterans, had-, written to, him asking tho date and details as-to the form of inquiry. Others again had complained that the. magisterial- examinations..wero of a- porfunctory character. claimants Were asking rwas not- unreasonable.- It ivould not Deed a larjio sum to provide military- jiensions for the veterans. This country had willingly voted the .'Dreadnought, and would just as willingly vote ,tho money .'required, for this purpose; . - > . ! : Mr.' . BUICIC '. (Palmerston , North} thought that tho claims should be set(le<l 'without-the slightest delay. He kneiv Mr. Samuel Smith when he was \ member of tho' Sir George Grey Rangers. II Mr. Smith had;nover received,a military pension there was.somethiug radically wrong., Mr. T. -E. TAYLOR (Christchurch North), considered that the claims should be settled as soon as..they .bad been decided. ' ■' - ,'. ~ Sir-Joseph -Ward: But we must wait nntil .legislation, is, pusscd, and tliero must bo finality on this occasion. Mr. ..FISHER .(Wellington Central) slated that some claims had been dismissed on the ground that tho claimants wero only militiamen.. . . . - . , .'Sir Joseph Ward: The.proper timo to find ..fault with the magistrates 'when "spedfle cases aro cited. . -' ' Mr. BROWN (Napier) contended that a grant of £5000 or JCIO.OOO might be put. on the Supplementary Estimates to meet at. once cases as they were decided. , Sir Joseph: No, I.cannot agree to that; this 1 appears to be'a- case of every mcin--ber trying to go on© better than tho 0t CRAIGIE (Timaru) said, that the New Zealand Medal was granted only to soldiers who had been under fire. There were 4000 of such medals struck. It. was known that large numbers of the recipients had' gone to settle in Australia. /-Ifpon the recommendation of the committee, the petition - was referred to tho Government for favourablo consideration.

EXHIBITIONS BILL. PASSES ITS THIRD HEADING. , When the Exhibitions Bill was again under discussion in Committee, / , The Hon. J. A. MILLAR moved an amendment to the effect .that .no. :oiie should be allowed to sell, intoxicating liquors in an exhibition, instead 01 to dispose of alcoholic beverages. Mr.- HEKKIES (Taurauga) thought that as it stood the clause would, even if so amended, prevent exhibitors of • liquor, etc., from taking wholesale orders in an exhibition. The proposal was, however, agreed to. In lieu of. the clause providing.. for exemption of exhibits from Customs duties, the Hod. J. A. Millar moved v the. insertion' of the following clauses:—'(l) Ihe Governor' may, by Order-ni-Council, remit ot reduce, as he thinks fit, the duties of Customs or excise payable in respect of goods for tho purpose of any exhibition named in the Order; and (2) the Governor* may 'also, by Order-m-Council, modify, suspend, or alter the provisions of the Customs Law. Act, 1008, the Beer Duty Act, 1908, or any other Act relating to-Customs or excise with respect to goods for any exhibition specified in the Order. ' After a "division, tile substitution .was, Hon. J. A. MILLAR-moved, a new clause as under: "This Act shall apply only to such exhibitions as are declared by the Goveruor-in-Council. to he exhibitions within the meaning of this Act." Mr. BIIOJVN (papier) thought that a provision should be inserted, to prevent unqualified persons from selling spectacles in exhibitions. Tho MINISTER said that such-a clause would bo useless, as there was no law to prevent such persons from carrying on their business outside the exhibitions. The Bill was then put through its remaining stages.

FOREIGN INSURANCE COMPANIES' DEPOSITS AMENDMENT BILL, The Foreign Insurance Companies'.Do-, posits Amendment Bill was then read a third time and passed. EDUCATION ACT AMENDMENT BILL. Tho Education Act Amendment Bill Was then introduced and road a lirst time.

RANGITAIKI LAND DRAINAGE BILL. AN INTERESTING POINT. Tho Hangitaiki .Land Drainage Bill was then considered in Committee. . The PRIME MINISTER, in reply to ft question, stated that a public meeting iu Totokapo had- unanimously approved the proposals. , Jlr. T. E. TAYLOR (Christchurch North) inquired if the Priino Minister had nersoMiUr inspected tbo lands. , Tho MiDU'i MINISTER explained that he had oncn been through the district. On a matter of tho kind, howoveiy a Minister should be. guided by tho head of tho Department. Mr. TAYLOR said that he did not think -that that' ought to bo tho position. If, for instance, tho-Minister had been guided by . the head of the Lands Do-, partment some years ago the ICaikoura district, would never havo been closely settled, for. it had been doscribed by tho official in question ao being unfit for close subdivision.- > Sir Joseph declared that it would be nmrise.for.il Minister to placo his own judgment abovo that of his chief officers and engineers, no matter how experienced ho might be. In the course of further discussion tho Priiii-i Minister - stated that, as a matter of fact some years ago public men stated that the light sandy country in tho Waikato was no good. Mr. Buchanan: Tho Waikato? Sir Joseph: If you had thought tlioy were any good you would have gono there. Members: So he did, and ho did very well. .. (Laughter.) > Mr. Taylor: Then again, as. regards policy, the Minister should make tho officials think their way. ,Sir Joseph: The Minister is always responsible for the policy. - - .The Bill was then further considered in Committee, only minor amendments-being made. • v ■ ,