THE HOUSE.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1259, 14 October 1911, Page 14

THE HOUSE.

STATEMENT BY THE PREMIER,

THE WORK TO'BE. DONE.

SESSION TO END NEXT SATURDAY.

A LIST OF BILLS. Soon after the House met yesterday afternoon, The riHMF, MINISTER (Sir Joseph Ward) made his promised statement as to the remaining business of the session. He first read the following list of Bills already before the House, which he proposed to go on with:—. Auckland University College Amendment Dill. University of Otago Council Bill. Tramways Amendment Dill. Methodist Church of Now Zealand Bill. Christchurch District Drainago Amendment Bill. Dlingamite Rehearing Bill. Dunedin Technical School Sito Bill. Shipping and Seamen Amendment Bill. Hating Amendment Bill. Land-tax and Income-tax Bill. PuUic- Works Amendment Bill. 'Widows' Pensions Bill. Old-age Pensions Amendment Bill. New Zealand State-guaranteed Advances Amendment Dill. Auckland tiranimar School Site Bill. Coal-mines Amendment Bill. In reply to members, the Prime Minister said that the Death Duties Bill and all other Dills which were not intended to come into operation until after next session would not be proceeded with this session. There would be quite enough to do without trying to deal with them. He would bo prepared to consider a suggestion to go on with the Education Reserves Amendment Bill. _ ' (Thp Prime Minister announced later that the Death Duties Bill would be proceeded with, and the second reading was carried, as reported below.) New Bills—Farmers' Banks. After stating, as above, which" of the Bills on the Order Paper he would ask the House to pass this session, the Prime Minister proceeded to deal with Bills not vet introduced. Tho first of these was the Farmers' Banks Bill, which he described as a very important measure. He proposed to take the second reading this session, and then leave it over for next session. There would be a great deal of machinery in connection with this measure, and it was not intended to come into operation until seven or eight months after it was placed on the Statute Book. He proposed to explain the measure and then allow tho country to have an opportunity _ of considering it before it was passed into law. He felt sure the country would approve of it. Railways—Land Settlement—Stamps. There would bo a Railway Authorisation Bill, to make provision for some additional railways which would bo referred to in tho Public Works Statement. Ho would also introduce a Land for Settlements Amondmont Bill, as already stated, to enable land to bo acquired by the Government for close settlement, and lie proposed to ask the House to pass it this session. An adjustment in connection with stamps was required,' and a small Bill for tho purpose would require to bo passed this session. Local Elections, There would also be a Bill to amend Hio law in regard to local elections and polls. It would be a Dill of one clause. It had been pointed out to him that, at both municipal and general elections, in largo centres, it sometimes happened that n number of people who were entitled to vote wont into the polling booth but .were not ablo to. obtain ballot papers be-,

fore the hour of- closing. Under tho Act as it stood, no one could remain in the polling booth after the closing time, and tho result was that a number of people who were entitled to vote were prevented from doing so, through no fault of their own, but only becauso they had not been able to arrive earlier at the polling place. Tho object of tho Bill was to enable everyone who was in tho polling booth for the purpose of voting before closing time to receive a voting paper, and be enabled to vote in the same manner as if ho had voted before (he hour of closing. Mr. G. W. RUSSELL (Avon) mentioned tho trouble at New Brighton, where a number of people were unable to vote because they could not get into the small building which was provided. Sir Joseph WAIJU said such a difficulty might perhaps lie. met in the ease of municipal elections by extending the hours of polling, but he did not see how the trouble could be remedied in the caso of general elections. Mr. W C. BUCHANAN asked whether the proposed alteration would not encourago people to be late. Tho PREMIER pointed out that it would only apply to those who arrived at tho building before the closing hour. Railway Salaries—Electoral Census, Proceeding with his list of new Bills, the Prime Minister said there would be a Government Railways Bill to provide for increased salaries to railway employees. Ho would introduce also a slight amendment to tho Legislative Act to deal with tho census and other matters. Mr. Luke: Bo you propose to deal with the second ballot? Tho Premier: No, I don't. Mr LUKE said he would move an amendment to abolish the second ballot system. Superannuation—Native Affairs. Sir Joseph WARD said the Government would bring down an amendment to the Public Service Superannuation Act,' to enable the investment of tho moneys by the Public Trustee to be properly carried out, and to provide for transfers between the different Departments. A Native Land Claims Adjustment Bill would be brought down. This would be a small washing-up measure. There would also be a Bill to enable tho Government to carry'out important works in connection with tho iron industry and the deposits at Parapara. Labour Bills. Two Bills—the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Amendment Act, and the Workers' Compensation Amendment Act —which were before a Select Committee, would be gone on wilh. Tho Oil Industry. Another Bill before a Select Committee, namely, the Mining Bill, should be proceeded with, as it did not contain any very contentious clauses, and was necessary in connection with the oil industry. There were distinct signs that under workable conditions the industry would prove an important one, and one that would give employment to a large number of people. At present under the law there was no proper protection for those who were boring for oil, and their claims could be jumped by boring near at hand to a deeper level than that at which tho oil was first found. -A circle would have to bo defined within which protection should be enforced. Unless something in this direction was done the investment of large sums of money in connection with the oil industry in New Zealand would bo prevented. He understood that the tendency was for oil to move downwards on an inclined grade, and peoplo who spent money boring to from two to four thousand feet might have their wells tapped by adjacent wells bored- a couple of hundred feet deeper. Such action might actually prevent the discoverer from getting any oil at all. People investing their money must get a guarantee that it would not bo lost in this manner. ' Tho industry was going to be a good thing for New Zealand in many respects. Steamers if assured of a. supply would use it as fuel, and generally it would cause an enormous employment of labour. In ad» dition there were areas of land of very little use lying idle, upon which there was a prospect" of obtaining oil in payable quantities. From many points of view it would pay dustry. '*^;w.,Ai -a- • '^v ( .~.v. > - '--a Municipal Corporations. The Public Works Statement would bo brought down on Monday evening. Tho Municipal Corporations Bill would bo circulated. In all tho measures ho had mentioned there were not more than four or five that in the.ordinary acceptance of tho term could be called contentious measures, and he therefore hoped to bring the work of Parliament to a close on Saturday week. Mr., Jas.. ALLEN.-,asked if it was intended to pass' legislation giving, effect to tho recommendations'of .tl)o\Hine Allegations Committeeof :-lasfc 'session. , Sir Joseph WARD'replied'in the. negative. There would be no BilL He did not think the country, expected that re» flections should be. cast broadly upon every member of Parliament. Ho hoped to bo able to deal with tho matteriby,an alteration of the Standing Orders to prevent tho possibility of impropriety of any kind in transactions between a member of the House and the Government. He intended to give an opportunity for the consideration of the Local Bills still on the Order Paper. Tho Loan Bill would be brought down in due course. Local Government Bill. ' Mr. PEARCE asked if the Prime Minister intended to circulate the Local Government Bill, which had been so long promised? Sir Joseph WARD said he did not intend to circulate it before the election. The Bill, contained 500 clauses. It was a very important and very difficult Bill, and a whole session would bo required for its consideration. Mr. Reed: Is it drafted? The PRIME MINISTER: "Yes, it U drafted." Ho was perfectly certain that when the Local Government Bill camo up for consideration, not only would it bo necessary for local public bodies to consider it separately, but it would probably be necessary for representatives of these bodies to meet in conference, probably at Wellington, to consider the Bill. He did not consider it desirable to divert public opinion from the burning questions now before tho country prior to the general election. He was not proceeding from any strategical point of view. As a fact, ho believed that if this Bill were circulated it would do tho Government a great deal of good. A far-reaching and comprehensive measure of this kind should be,dealt with by public men when they were clear of the turmoil of the general election. The Bill would be introduced next session; circulated and considered, and ho was perfectly sure that it would take a session to deal with it. Local government in New Zealand required to be carried out on an entirely different basis to anything now existing, if it was to be successful. Mokau Inquiry, Mr. WRIGHT asked when the report of the Mokau Inquiry would be brought down. ' The Prime Minister was informed by the Chairman of the Committee (Mr. Jennings) that tho House would probably have the report on Wednesday. Shifting the Capital. Mr. BUCHANAN presented a petition from Mr. Coleman-Philips, praying that the site of the capital might be shifted from Wellington to the Wairarapa. Auckland University Site, Replying to questions by Auckland members, The PRIME MINISTER stated that, in view of opposition to the measure, it was not proposed to proceed with the Auckland University Site Bill that session. The common-sense plan seemed to be to let the people settle the matter during the coming election. There would be no delay in. the final completion of the work, as nothing could be done in any case during the next six months. The Imperial Conference. Mr. NEWMAN asked the Prime Minister whether ho intended to give- tho House an opportunity of discussing tho Imperial Confereoico? The PRIM]'; MINISTER said ho had already intimated that anything that required legislative sanction would necessarily be laid before. Parliament. One sueh question was naturalisation. This might he dealt with during tho present session, but he was doubtful. He did not think it would be possible to taro a

general discussion that session upon questions raised at the Imperial Conference. Parliamentary Buildings. Jlr. MALCOLM asked whether tho proposals for the construction of the new Parliamentary buildings were to bo submitted to Parliament that session!' The, PRIME MIMSTEK stated that, a vote for the construction of the Parliamentary Buildings would bo placed on the Public Works Estimates. That probably would he tho time at which to discuss" anything in connection with the matter. The committee that had sat to hear the assessor's report would be asked to sit again next Monday in connection with work that they had in hand. Upon that work being completed, or upon the item on the Public Works Estimate?, there would bo a definite statement to Parliament on the subject. The Hine Inquiry Again. Mr. HINE asked why the Government did not intend to bring down legislation giving effect to the. finding of the Hino Committee, especially in view of the resolution moved by the Primo Minister? It seemed strange that the Government should be able to override the will of the House in tho matter. Ho hoped that the decision of tho Crown Law Officers would be laid before the Hous-e. Tho PRIME MINISTER said he had always held the opinion that public men should not receivo any monetary benefit from any transaction with the Government, lie had moved accordingly as a member of the committee. Ho had not at any time, either on tho committee or in the House, proposed that anything different should be dono than was done in any other countries, or by which public men in general would nave a slur cast upon them. Tho Standing Orders were at present being altered to do what was necessary to meet tho ease;. The report of the committee showed that some men, not then members of Parliament, had had something to do with the sale of land to the Crown, and that a Maori member had personally benefited by tho .sale of land by Natives to the Government. The House passed a vote of censure upon that member. The hon. member (Mr. Hine) had asked ; that men should bo mado honest by legislation. He was no 1 : going to introduce legislation of that kind. Any member of Parliament was responsible to his constituency and to the country. Mr. Hine: What did you propose it for? The Prime Minister said ho had taken measures to do the thing in a proper way. lie was not going to give the hon. gentleman a chance to go on the platform and say that he was the only honest and virtuous man in Parliament. A BATCH OF BILLS. ■ The following Bills were read a third time, and passed:—Auckland University College Bill, University of Otago Council Bill, Methodist Church of New Zealand Bill, Christchurch District Drainage Amendment Bill, and Dunedin Technical School Site Bill. ELINGAMITE RE-HEARING. Sir Joseph WARD moved tho second reading of the Elingamita Re-hearing Bill. Ho stated that, since the wreck of tho steamer Elingamite, it had been discovered that the Three Kings upon which she' was ' wrecked were several miles out of position on the chart. It was possible that a great injustice had been done to the master of the Elingamite as a result of the Board of Inquiry believing that the Three Kings were correctly placed on the chart. Power was given under this Bill to commence the inquiry de novo. Mr. POOLE testified to Captain Attwood's merits as a man and a seaman. He urged that this case should impress on the Government the necessity of providing for a thorough survey of tho New Zealand coast. . Mr. WILFORD said that as England now had a treaty with Japan, copies of, the charts that were required might be' obtained from the Japanese at Tokio. (Laughter.) The city of Wellington had been surveyed quite recently by Japanese officers, who made a start near the kiosk at helburnc. Mr. Poole: They did Auckland, too.: LUKE, LAURENSON, and uitfUiK united in commending tho measure, and in urging that the coast should . oo properly surveved. .iirMrrvBUGHANA'N spoke in a similar strain. Tho Hon. J. A. MILLAR remarked that it was pleasant to hear the commendation of tho Government proposal to have a rehearing in this case. This was not a Bill to exonerate tho officers of the Elingamite. It would provide for a rehearing in which the original evidence .would bo considered in. tho light of the lately-discovered fact that the Three Kings had been wrongly charted. It was also pleasant to noto the wonderful chango of opinion in regard to surveying the coast. In former years ships of the Imperial Government had been employed in surveying the coasts, but the Opposition had protested continually that the money thus spent would be ; better spent on. roads and bridges. He ; would bo very, pleased, if the Imperial Government would, .undertake the work •of surveying the local'. coasts. .-The. PRIME. MINISTER said ho assumed that the. suggestion of the member for Hutt to obtain charts from Tokio was facetiously intended. He had no doubt.that the Imperial Government ' would' undertake the . necessary survey work, and he thought that tho New Zealand Government might very well set aside .£IO,OOO or .£15,000 to cover the cost of the work. Ho would like to see a continuous system inaugurated which would terminate only when the work was completed. The second reading was agreed to on tho voices. SHIPPING AND SEAMEN BILL. The Hon. J. A. MILLAR moved the isecond reading of the Shipping and Seamen Amendment Bill. Ho stated that a section relating to bills of lading to which the Imperial authorities had taken exception was repealed under this Bill. Tho principal Act was amended in regard to 6ick-pay allowed ,to seamen' left on shore. Now Zealand ships trading to foreign countries were not yet covered by law in this particular, but this Bill would make it clear that a seaman landed sick in San Francisco or any other foreign port was entitled to sick pay. • The Bill also provided that a man treated in his own home could claim sick pay, but he could not claim more than would lie paid if he were treated in a public hospital. Mr. J. P. LUKE (Wellington Suburbs) pleaded for better equipment for the technical schools for the training of marine engineers. Tho MINISTER said there was no intention of lowering the status or qualifications of engineers, but there were hundreds of youug men who could not afford to go to Canterbury College, and this measure would enable them to take an equivalent training at less cost in the technical schools if the technical schools could offer as good facilities. .The schools must 'havo- tho equipment before thev would be approved by the Department. Under thoso conditions a young man could qualify for a third-class certificate by thTeo years' practical training and two years' study at a school. The second rex-ling was agreed to. RATING AMENDMENT. Moving the second reading of the Rating Amendment Bill, The Hon. D. BUDDO stated that it was intended to remove existing anomalies in the case of small local authorities which had adopted rating on unimproved value. The BilJ gave authority for a poll to bo taken on the question of taking tho whole of the rates, including those for gas, water, etc., on the one system. It was practically an optional Bill. Mr. WILI''ORD said he intended to move in Committee that tho taking of a poll on the question of collecting all rates under one system should be made compulsory in all coses where the unimproved system obtained. Mr. WITTY concurred. Mr. FRASEK stated that some districts had adopted rating on unimproved values on tho distinct understanding that it should not apply to special rate for water, gas, sewerage, etc. Referring to the Rating Act of last year, Mr. Fraser declared that in some instances the rents of small grazing runs had been increased enormously. .The greatest injustice was done in the caso of tho very poorest lands. In some instances the settlers were required to pay twenty-fold. Mr. Buddo: Not on lands of that class, only on the good lands. Mr. Eraser retorted that the hon. gentleman did not know what he was talking about. It was precisely in the case of poor lands that the injustice was most marked. There was no comparison between the email grazing runs in the North s

and in tho South Island. In tho North island some of tho lands so classed were worth ,£5 or £6 an acre. In tho South Island they were often tho lower spurs of baro mountains. With tho snow and rabbits and difficulties of all kinds that these men had to contend with, it was not fair to expect them to pay big rents. Sir 'Joseph WAXiJJ .agreed that if the present Mill had been incorporated in tho principal Act, many peoplo who had consented to adopt tho system would have resisted it. Jlo also agreed that the taking of a poll should be made compulsory as suggested hy tho member for flutt'anil others. The .Minister for Internal Affairs, with whom ho had discussed tho matter, concurred, lie believed that in practice it would be as well to have uniformity in tho rating system. Hating on uniniproved values had worked very well upon the whole. An Unjust BurdenSir Joseph Ward stated that the provision in regard to small grazing runs had been inserted to meet tho case of tho improved small grazing runs in the North Island. He admitted that it operated unjustly in the case of South Island runs, consisting of land of poor quality, and said ho was satisfied that tho thing would have to be put right that session. The valuations upon many of these runs were fanciful, having been fixed at a time when no rates were levied. It was true, as had been stated, that some tenants were now called upon to pay twenty times as much as formerly. In other caces the annual payments had been increased four, live, and leu fold. It would be unfair to allow this position to stand. Mr. ,Tas. ALLEN contended that if the Bill were passed as it stood those who had large holdings in cities would havo an added incentive to vote for rating on unimproved values in order to lower their rates. Complaints of Injustice. Mr. H. G. ELL (Christchurch South) said he would support the clause as it stood. lie delivered a general address in favour of the system of rating on unimproved values. Replying to an interruption lie said he would visit Auckland and would induce the people there to adopt the system. He had never yet been beaten in such a campaign. Mr. E. NEWMAN (Manawatu) referred to Hie case of the holders of small grazing runs in the North Island. He said the runs were taken up on the inducement that the rates were particularly light, but the Eating Act of last year greatly increased their rates—quadrupling them in some cases. They had the worst tenure of any class of Crown tenants—2l years' leases with no certain right of renewal. He suggested that they should bo allowed to change their tenure to renewable lease or lease with right of purchase, as a set-off' against the hardship as to rating. It seemed to him that what had occurred amounted to a breach of contract. Mr. I?. W. SMITH (Rangitikei) also spoke on behalf of the small grazing runholders, and thanked tho Premier for takln gthe matter up. Mr. W. D. S. MACTIONALD (Bay of Plenty) said the small grazing ruu tenure had been one of the best for the tenant on account of the lowness of the rents. Great injustice had been done to the general settlers by enabling them to oscaue their proper liabilities as to local rates. He was speaking of the North Island runs, and when he worked for the amendment last year he was not concerned with the pastoral runs in the South Island. Mr. J. B. HINE (Stratford) also contended that tho tenants of the' small grazing runs had been unfairly treated. The Hon. D. BUDDO said the position required a good deal of thinking out. Nobody wanted to see injustice 'done. He agreed that "may" in Clause 2 should be altered to "shall," in order that it should be obligatory to take a poll before extending the system of rating on unimproved values in the manner provided for. Tho second reading was agreed to. LAND AND INCOME TAX. Tho PRIME MINISTER (Sir J. G. Ward) moved tho second reading of tho Land Tax and Income Tax Bill, which ho said was merely the formal measure passed annually to authorise the raising of these taxes. There was no alteration. The second reading was carried on .the voices. ~0 , ; [\/~- '~ ':,-..;.','.".". "v .... SPEEDING UP. Tho PRIME MINISTER intimated that he would move on Monday to suspend Standing Order No. 51, so as to enablo new business to be taken after 0.30 a.m. Ho added that he would ask the Speaker to consider whether the time had not arrived to suspend the Standing Orders so that Bills could bo put through all their stages at one sitting. The SPEAKER stated that he would make an announcement ou the subject on Monday. DEATH DUTIES. .The PRIME MINISTER said he had inadvertently statel that afternoon that the Death Duties Amendment Bill should be withdrawn. This had been a mistake. Ho de.sired now to move the second reading of tho Bill, which gave effect to promises made in tho Budget. Mr. Jas. ALLEN said that the hon. gentleman had not been explicit in regard to tho gift duty of .£IOOO. Under tho present law ,£SOO might be given every six months. It was now proposed that .£IOOO might bo given in twelve months. Where, was the benefit? He suggested that tho hon. gentleman should allow the period of six months to stand. He would be glad to see the exemptions from succession duty mado even larger than in this Bill. The PRIME MINISTER contended that the anendmentin regard to the .£IOOO represented a real concession. It would enable a gift of ,£IOOO to bo made in a lump sum, whereas now six months must clapso between two gifts of ,£SOO each. The second reading was carried. PUBLIC WORKS AMENDMENT. The Public 'Works Amendment Bill (Hon. R. M'Kenzie) was read a second time. The Erase adjourned at 11.15 p.m. until 7.30 p.m. on Monday.