THE HOUSE

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1264, 20 October 1911, Page 6

THE HOUSE

PUBLIC WORKS ESTIMATES. KEEN CRITICISM. Tho House met at 2.30 p.m. 'Mr. J. BOLLARD (Edcnj moved that the amendments made by the Legislative Council in tho Guardian Trust and Executors' Convpany Amendment Bill bo rjrocd to. After considerable discussion Mr. J. HANAN (InvorcargiU) said bo ' .1 not like this Bill. He moved as an endment that the Council's amendment ■»uld be further considered that day ■ months. Mr. Hanan's amendment was defeated, a division, by 38 votes to 27. The amendments niado by the Council iverc agreed to on the voices. REPRESENTATION COMMISSION. The PRIME MINISTER intimated that he would introduce tho Representation Commission's Report Validation BilL Permission was> given to tho Local Bills Committee "to 6ifc at 1.15 jj.m. to consider

the Wanganui Harbour Bill and further consider the Otaki County Bill.

THE ELECTORAL MUDDLE. FURTHER COMPLAINTS. Mr. MASSEY asked tho Primo Minister what was the result of his inquiries as to tho stato of tho rolls in connection with tho promise ho mado following tho reading of the telegram tho previous day from tho Kcv. Mr. Gray, of Christchurch. His reason for asking was that he had just received another telegram from tho same gentleman, which he rend as follows:— "Mado further inquiries, which confirm absolutely my telegram of yesterday. Registrars are acting on instructions that all names bo restored. Kegistered letters failed to find 1500 persons in Christchurch Sonth, 1200 in Avon, 1300 in Christchurch East, and 000 in Kiccarton. The electoral census was taken over only a portion of llicearton. Christchurch North is in a peculiar position. Tho by-election delayed tho sending out of notices of objection, and when general instructions came to stop purging, the letters wero never published." , , . Sir Joseph WARD said he had mado inquiries from the head of tho Department, and had found that electors who were dead or who had left districts wero being struck off tho rolls. The sender of the telegram was quite wrong in his assumption. Definito instructions wero given to have that done. It was rathfr to be regretted that people did not wait until thoy found the rolls were in the position be (Sir Joseph Ward) had instructed that they should be put in. Mr. Poole: Some of the registrars may have mistaken their instructions. Sir Joseph Ward: Somo may; I don t know. . ~ Mr. Poole: It is a very serious matter if they have. Sir Joseph Ward said the whole matter was receiving attention. The assumption that things wero going to be as in the telegram read was not tho case. Instructions had been given as beforo stated, and tho registrars were to have any assistance they required to carry them out. The PRIME MINISTER, in, reply to Mr. Herdman, said the provision tor a' census in last year's Act would be repealed this session. The Bill was before the House. Tho principle of an electoral censns had turned out to lie a mistake in practice. The Department was doing everything now as if tho provision was not law. He deprecated tho bombarding telegrams that wero being sent to members. It would havo been a good thing if the gentleman referred to hut sent an official telegram to him instead of doing that.

DURATION OF THE SESSION. , TO END NEXT WEEK. The PRIME MINISTER announced that ho did not propose to a* &e House to sit on Saturday next. He thought that it should sit on Monday moraine at ten o'clock to deal with local Bills. It should bo possible to conclude on Tuesday night, but it niißht be neces=aij to sit for a day or two longer. Ho did not think it should be necessary to sit until very lato hours. Ono or two members suggested that the House should make holiday on Monday afternoon (Labour Day), but tho suggestion did not prove popular, and was withdrawn. , The Prime Minister repeated that the session would, in any case, conclude next And after that the deluge. The Primo Minister: And after that tho deluge. , , , Mr. "Witty: And a lot of you people will get drowned in it, • too! PUBLIC SERVICE CLASSIFICATION. THE NOMINAL ROLL. The PRIME MINISTER asked leave to introduce tho Public Sernco Clasniication Bill. . , ~ Mr HERDMAN asked whether a nominal roll of the Service would be supplied, and whether there was any truth in a rumour that bomiKs as well as increases of salaries would be Riven. The PRIME MINISTER replied that he had previously dealt fully' with the nominal 'roll, and had staujl that it would be laid upon the table of the House before tho session ended if possible. !■ ailin" this, it would bo circulated during the recess. Th*vo was not a word ot truth in the rumour about bonuses. Increases of salaries would be provided on the Supplementary Estimates. Mr JUSSEY remarked that it seemed to him that it would be much more satisfactory to provide for increases of salary in the proper manner by an Act. The PRIME MINISTER said this was quito unnecessary. Mr. Hordman "Why has it taken three vears to get the Classification Act out.' Sir Joseph Ward: Well, I have noticed the same sort of thins published m one of the morning papers. Mr. Herdman: I have not. The Prime Minister: I do not surest that He added that statements of this kind came from people who were not familiar with tho position. The reason for tho deltiT was stated in a report from tho Classification Commissioners, which would be laid on the table of the House. Mr. Mawwy: Well, will you l«y it before the House? ' Sir Joseph Ward: "I propose to go on with my speech in the meantime. The whole thing, he continued, had been held up by the retrenchment. After the retrenchment tho officers had had to go over all tho branches of the Service a"ain. This was the reason for the delay Anyone could see that this was bound to ' have been _ the result. Leave was given to introduce the Bill. FROM THE COUNCIL. The amendments made by the Legislative Council in the Christchurch District Drainage Bill, Shipping and Seamen Amendment Bill, and Methodist Church of New Zealand Bill were agreed to.