PUBLIC SERVICE REFORM.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1554, 25 September 1912, Page 8

PUBLIC SERVICE REFORM.

DETAILS DISCUSSED. POST & TELEGRAPH DEPARTMENT. "BILL PUT THROUGH COMMITTEE.

■ Soon' lifter the House of Representatives ;met yesterday, Mr. G. W. Russell gave notice of a motion calling upon the Government to announce its intentions in regard to.reform of the methods under .which, members oto elected to the lower House,;' before proceeding to a discussion of its proposals for the reform of the Legislative Council. The Prisons' Amendment Bill was received from the Council, and an amendment made by that body was agreed to. The Hawke's Bay Rivers Amendment Bill was' received from tho Tipper House and read a first time. The Annual Taxing Bill (the Land Tax and Income Tax Bill), which on this occasion contains the proposed new scale of graduated land taxation, was introduced', by. Governor's Message and Tead a first time. \ ' The'PrimOf Minister intimated that he would move to set up.a committee to consider and report upon the petition presented ;.tb Parliament a few days ago by Mr. Joshua Jones, of Mokau, Taranaki, the committee to confer with any similar, committee set up by the Legislative Council.' Similar action was taken in tho .Council. -The greater part of the afternoon was epent in a discussion upon the administration of the.Cook Islands, which took its rise.from the'presentation by Mr. H. J. H.. Okey of the M to Z Committee's report, upon the petition of .Mr. W. R. Reynolds asking for a public inquiry into the Islands administration. The . Committee reported against the petitioner. The report of the committee was allowed to lie on the table without amendment. Just before the dinner adjournment at 5,30 p.m., the House went into Committeo upon the Public Service Bill. Thirty-three clauses of the Bill had already been passed. ■ v '.Clause. 34 gave rise to'a,long debate, end was not passed until shortly before 11 p.m., but afterwards rapid progress was made. Half an hour later the House was discussing Clause 49. The remaining clauses were quickly dealt with, and new clauses proposed by the Minister were added. Progress was then reported, and the House rose at 1 a.m.