PARLIAMENT.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1929, 11 December 1913, Page 7

PARLIAMENT.

A DAILY SUMMARY. Maori land legislation was again tho topic of discussion in tho House of Representatives yesterday. The Bill before the House was tho West Coast Retervus .Amendment Bill, the main object of which is to release from tutelage tho Natives ...who are beneficiaries under the trust now held by tho, public Trusteo oyer certain reserved areas in tho Taranaki district.' Two Wellington matters came up in the preliminary ..business., Sir. Walter Buchanan, chairman of the Agricultural and Stock Committee, presented a icport arising put of a petition relating to the Wellington milk supply. Tho report made somo serious statements about tile manner in which some of the rail-borne . milk supply •of tho city of Wellington is carried. Tho committee recommended the Government to exercise greater vigilance, and the Primo Minister promised to make inquiries as to what additional precautions could be taken.'

The other Wellington matter, also arising out of the. report of a petition, ■referred to a-proposal to run trams on tho Hutt Road to Kaiwarra. What tho petitioners asked, in effect; was that tho embargo "on the running -of trams on the Hutt Road in opposition to tho railway should ho romoved, in order to enable'the Onslow Borough to mako arrangements with Wellington : city ' to liave the tram service run to servo Kaiwarra, which district is most inadequately served by the trains. The committee recommended tho request to the Government for consideration, and the petition was supported by Wellington members in tho House.

In the course of a discussion as to why questions and'replies had not como up for discission, tho Hon. W. F. Massey said that tho preceding day's work had led him to conclude that tho Houso would still bo sitting next Wednesday, and that tho replies to questions could come up.thon. •.,-..

The Hon. W. 11. Hcrrics moved tlid second reading of flip West Const Set- ■ ticmenfc Reserves Amendment Bill comparatively early, in the afternoon, and explained th.o policy of .the Government embodied in it. Briefly, it was to emancipate" tho Native beneficiaries . from . tho!, supervision of the Pub- . lie Trustee, and. to give tliem the riglit, -.. so long denied them, of dealing with their own lands. ' But in giving this right to tho Natives, certain rights of lessees had to bo : considered, and tho Bill embodied an equitable compromise. Sir James Carroll denied that tho compromise was equitable, and he was followed in this argument by sundry Oppositionists. The Bill was read a second timo by 3(5 votes to 20. _ ; _ The motion to commit the Mining Amendment Bill (read a second time pro forma) was agreed to on tho voices after a tedious debate. , ' The House went into Committee on the West Coast Settlement Reserves Amendment Bill, and tho Mining A'mendriieut Bill sit, 1.25 a.m. At'the sitting''of tho Legislative Council the Nativo Land Amendment , ' Bill • lva's considered,'with amendments from the Native Affairs Committee The Bill raised but' little discussion, and wa's finally put through tho third reading and 'passed.