PARLIAMENT

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3152, 2 August 1917, Page 8

PARLIAMENT

YESTERDAY'S SITTING The House of Representatives. met at 2.50 p.m. yesterday. ■ The Registration of Aliens Bill (the Hon. G. W. Russell) ami the Lyttelton Harbour Board Amendment Bill (Dr. Thackcr) were introduced and read u. first time. POUKAWA LAKE. AREA OF FERTILE LAND. " More references to the proposal to drain i'oukawa Lake were made. This scheme, when carried out, will make available for settlement an area of very nne land,' and the suggestion is that returned soldiers be settled upon it. ' The Hon. A. T. Ngata (Eastern Maori) made a protest against the attempt that was being made to take the land from the Natives, especially the area-known as the l'ouknwa Reserve. The Hon. W. H. Hemes said that besides the reserve there were other Katiyo lands in the locality which would be benefited by the drainage of the laict, and he thought .there should he no objection raised to the acquisition of .these lands, but not of the reserve, by the Government. It would bo necessary for the Government to'buy the Inuds from the owners, because it was difficult always to arrange for contributions from tlio owners of Native lands. He thought it was one of the most desirable things that could be clone ia the Dominion— this matter of the drainage of l'oukawa Lake. It would bring into cultivation «. large area of first-class land. The House rose until 2.30 this afternoon, after receiving the Financial Statement. " -