YESTERDAY IN PARLIAMENT.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1561, 3 October 1912, Page 8

YESTERDAY IN PARLIAMENT.

THE lOKAU PETITION.

LAND VALUATION.

■' ■'. The Hou'sei. of.!. Representatives spent ; -ialf an hour:, in transacting formal rmsj- : •■' ness yeste"fday7"and"""neaf]y"' two houry ; were occupied' in discussing the replies of ■ ' J Ministers to questions by members. . y Mr. Ngata attempted to.draw tho Prinifc- ,- ■ Minister on.the (subject-.of nayal policy, ;• .asking whether tho .Hon. J. Allen's re, i cent speech -before -tho Navy; League represented the policy of !th'e'Government. i • Mr. Massey"feplied that the ..Government : was in' communication with tho Imperial. : "authorities.; in legaid to'naval dofenc*. 1 and''.that; its ,'policy would be announced ' ,'in due course. ' Mr. Ngata,'Sir Joseph ;-. ;,Ward, and Mr. B.uddo. objected to any div I ; parturefrqm, the'policy' of nialdng; money 1 I contributions .to,the-Navy; ' (; Mr.Mnlcdlm ; contended'that. Sir -Joseph. -.Ward J onil :.,:. Mr.'.Kgata' were..-;inconsistent■ .since'-they :, both defended , .the. Dreadnought'gift,.'and i y'o.t; said that;money contributions only : should be. ;nia,de .to.th'o : . Iniperial Navy.. : In his "opinion, it\ woniil.be necessary to ; present ships'tb'the' Navy in-, order to ; . maintain..enthusiasm.. It-was also iiecesi. saTy that New_ Zealand should havo.re::.':presentation -upon..the/Imperial' Council !.. of Defence; He agreed that thero should j . /be no division of control in naval mafc- ! -te'r's.'- ~No Ministerial of naval. ' ; policy was'; made; ".." ...•.......? '• ■ . :' . : - A. proposal by' Mr. ;E; Newman to set •:-.■', up; a •Parliamentary,: Standing Commit- ; tee on Public Works, was discussed at J'.-- some.length. - The-Hon.. W.'Fraser proj niised that'the.matter would have tho i; , .attention , of the Government during the /■-'■■■; recess. Several members' suggested, that ';. a permanent board of experts would be more, valuable assistance, to the, Minis■ tet\ for Public .Works tliaY a Parliamen- ! tary Committee';-;^':',"": : >'-.':V-jf'- ' ;. : The Public J Bcvrenues Set ' . Bill was introduiyd^by'Governor's',Mes- ; Bage and read'.a : 'first..time : ;' : ''■ :, ''.;"; ! i . ; !n both the , .'.House of- Eep'resentatives ,'a' Teport-was i. received. from, the Joint : Committee; sst ■V tiy to investigate', the '.petition of : Mr. • Joshua Jones,, of Tarnuaki, re- •;■ commending, that the'sittings, of the com , -' I • mittee^be';opcri.'to' ! thc'.pressj .tndtthe Gov- ; eriiment should provide fees fer- counsel i . for. Mr. Jones,; and: that the Government J' be represented ; by,counsel No exception r.''; was, taken'ih'eith'er'Chamljer to the first | : 'recomniendat'ion; ~ did notI deal with i'ilie, recommendations regarding : , counsel, and the House' did . not, carry : - them into .-"effect. Instead it added two .of, f its legal "members (Messrs. W. H. D. I Bell and R.'MJCallum) to the committee.. i . At the evening sitting the Water Pol- • , lution Bill was-Tead a second, time pro ■ !:/ forma, and refei-red to : the-Agriculturo, : -.ami-Commerce "Committee'." .■ : •"■ The Justice's.'of' the- Peace ' Amendment ; Bill passed".throughiCommi.ttee'. without '; ';.,,,,;.,., :',,,' •:■ When ,the."Pharmacy Bill 1 . was in Committee the Hon. E..H.-Ehodes i: accepted an additional clause, proposed by '■ ih. T. H.-i)avey, and designed to prevent, collusion between.''doctors'- rind chemists) • and the payment . of-..,commissions ;by ■.'. chemists to medical'men. ... ■ ■-.'■■.,.. ■■' A lengthy discussion took . place-. in.' the second rendi-ng debate upon the'Valua- ! tion of Land ' Amendment-.-Bill, a .short but important;measure, introduced by the Prime Minister; ..; ..'.'■ -..'-• ■• , Country members on both sides' of the , House approved the'Bill, ;b,ut exception .'■ was takeh ,; f6 its" provisions 'by a -minority '.' of.city membsrssitting.in Opposition..The , '. Trime MinisteivTsplied,. very.,briefly, njul ; . Hie second,,reading:was'. agi-eed. to on "the i' ■ voices.. :■'; : ,;._ .'•■." '■•'•;'.;' . .-.'... .•'■ The House-rose at 0.2 a a.m.. ' '. . ; . Something;in the; nature' of;a. surprisd I fras sprung in the Legislative Council by the : defeat on the third reading of the Hon. J. !■ Bigg's Workers Compensation l Amendment 1 Bill. The Bill had gone .through all its' i early stages'without much opposition, al-. \ .. though the Lea'der.'.of..the..Council--had op- , ' posed the principle; of .the ; Bill. The ; -npponents ...'of.: the measnre .asserted ; themselves at the third reading, and they v m-entually had their way with a margin \ of eleven votes. . .•• ; ■ ' ; The Auckland Education.Reserves Bill !. was put through its final stage, and the. Hon. H. D. Bell moved the second reading: •'■■' of. the Civil Service Bill,,.the debate on : which, was adjourned until', to-day. .'■■' .'.

RHARRACy-AHENDHENT- BILL

GOVERNMENT PROPOSALS APPROVED.