PARLIAMENT.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1214, 24 August 1911, Page 7

PARLIAMENT.

THE COUNCIL, . PENSIONER SETTLEMENTS DISCUSSED, DEGREES IN DIVINITY. The Legislative Council met at 2.30 yesterday afternon, and after transacting formal business an adjournment was made to enable the Address-in-Keply to his Excellency the Governor's opening speech to be presented. FIRST READINGS. The Guardian Trusts and Executors Amendment Bill, , the Wnnganui School Site Amendment Bill, Mental Defectives Bill, and Friendly Societies Amendment iiill were read a first time. DEGREES IN DIVINITY. Sir G. M. O'EOEKE asked the Hon. J. ITGowan, as representing the Ministry in the Council, whether it is the intention of tho Government to comply with the request of the University Senate of its last session, 1911, by introducing a Bill enabling tho Senate to grant degrees in divinity as ■ well as in veterinary science, agriculture, and tho many other subjects legalised by tho University Degrees Act, 1110-i. The Hon. J. M'GOWAN said the Government was considering tho question, "but it was a matter that involved fi «ccd deal of consideration. It was desirable that, any diplomas granted by the University of New Zealand should Iμ in every way equal to Homo diplomas.

PENSIONER SETTLEMENTS, Sir G. M. O'RORKE moved that in tho opinion of this Council it would be-, desirable- to establish a. few pensioner settlements along ■ the Main Trunk railway, between Tβ Awarautu and Morton, such as Sir George Grey established in the vicinity of Auckland during his first governorship, about the year 1517; each pensioner to receive a cottage and one acre of ground in' the settlement, and 20 acres of laud within 5 miles of tho settlement th.ree years after his arrival; «ach pensioner to be a married man, and to be accompanied by his family; that the Commissioners of Crown Lands for the Otago, Canterbury, Marlborongb, and Nelson Land Districts bo requested to report to tho Government whether it would ba desirable to establish such, settlements in the thinly populated portions o'f those land districts. The mover said-ie did not suggest that the settlements should be close to the large cities, but in the more unsettled quarters. The Main Trunk line, he thought, would suit pdmirably. He had never had experience of a better and more industrious class of settlers than •could be found in tho old-time settlements he had referred to. Tho Hon. S. T. GEORGE (Auckland) seconded the motion. Instead of small settlements of tho kind, suggested he wonld like to soe contiguous farms of, say, 100 acres in, sayi tho outlying parts of the Auckland and Napier provinces. There were largo areas of pumico lands there, and it bad bce,i proved that this could be turned to account. To his mind the motion should bo enlarged to cover email farm settlements. Tho move to get the waste lands settled was in tho right direction. ■ : :.-... The Hon. C. M. LUKE (Wellington) thought the moverhad" touched a vital question. Ho. thought tho country was ■not being developed as fast as it should be. Unless wo developed the railways and tho waste lands we would surely drift astern of Cnnad-i and Australia. Wo should wake up and mo that our waste lands wero settled. Tho whole question of immigration and tho development of onr public works required' consideration. .The Hon. C. H. MftLS (Wellington.), did not think thu scheme proposed would be practicable nowadays. For one thing ho did notthink they would bo assured of getting, the Tight class of people; and again, the colonial people would ask .why. this was not done for., them. There were more local applications for land now than could be met. Tho Hon. W. W. M'CAUDLE (Auckland) referred to the difficulty the Department iowai in getting surveyors to carry on the surveys of lands whioh had to i bo' opened up. The lands could not bo opened, up quickly enough to meet our own demands. ' • Tho Hon. It. A. LOUGHNAN (Wellington) supported the motion, but suggested that the details might bo.altered with ndvan-tase. . The Hon. Major HARRIS (Auckland) opnosed fcho motion. - The 'Tfon.i J. BARK-' (Canterbury) did not think there was any necessity for tempting people to Now Zealand with a bait of freo land. Wβ had plenty of people here willing to go. on the land. Ho could not see that there was anything in the motion to support.

The Hon. J. M'GOWAN said ho sympathised -with tho idea which prompted the mover in bringing forward the motion, but he. wag entirely opposed to it. There was no occasion to offer any of the land of New Zealand es an inducement to people, to come here. Wo had not enough land to play with in this way. The debate was adjourned on tho hioifton of the Hon. W. Beohan.