PARLIAMENT.

Evening Star, Volume IX, Issue 2733, 20 November 1871, Page 2

PARLIAMENT.

THE DISTILLATION BILL. Mr Coll ns moved the adoption of the report of the Distillation Committee. The object of the report was that publicans should be permitted to brew on their premises. At jiresent a brewer could not brew at a less distance than 100 yards from his premises. He might mention that in some instances this clause created great hardship, and in many cases prevented the publican brewing at all, thus giving a monopoly to the large brewers.

Mr Gisborne said the clause was introduced into the Act to prevent the brewing of other things than beer. Mr Seed was of opinion that the brewing of beer might be permitted in cases where was a Customs officer on the spot to supervise the brewing. Mr Reynolds th nigh the matter sh uld be h‘ft to tlie Government. The earning out of the report would necessitate the keeping of an excise officer in connection with every little public-house. The report was adopted. railway sleepers. Mr M ‘Glashan a-ked the r olonial Secretary, if the attention of the Government had been directed to the specifications for railway sleepers for the Otago Southern Trank Railway, and by whom has such specification been drawn rut and recommended the Government for adoption? If any measures have been adopted to test the qualities and endurance of the various native timbers with that of jarrah? If not, will the Government be inclined to substitute ,other native timber, such as black pine (matai), kowi, or birch, in lieu thereof? As the period stated in specification is believed to be far too short —the first delivery of one-fifth being in January and the balance monthly—will the Government state whether they are prepared to extend the time ? If not, will they inform this House what necessity exists for so speedy a delivery, seeing that the railway works are in so backward a state, and that many months must elapse before any groat portion of the earthwork will be finished ? The specification provided that 20,000 sleepers were to be delivered at Balclutha, asd he wished to show the expense that would be incurred by sending them there Instead of delivering them at Dunedin. The 20,000 sleepers would be equal to many thousand feet of timber, and be knew, from acquaintance with the matter, that that timber could not be carried under twenty shilling the hundred feet, and the cost of that item alone would be L 1260. Mb Gisbourne was not going into a debate on the specifications. To discuss them would require an amount of knowle Ige which he did not possess. They were drawn up by Mr Blackett, and were approved by the Engineer-in-Chief, and by the Minister of Public Works. At present there were measures being taken for the purpose of ascertaining the qualities and endurance of the New Zealand timbers. The Government were also experimenting on the railways in Canterbury by using the black pine and the black birch for railway sleepers, and if they found that the inquiries were likely to be successful, as justifying the use of colonial timbers, they would be inclined to extend their use to other railways. Of course it was desirable that the native woods should be used if they were found to be suitable, but the Government had another object to look to, namely, that the material should be of a lasting description. He was told that the kowi was not a good wood for the purpose ; it was very sappy, and had not much heart. [Katene differed from this view. He considered the kowi a very superior wood.] Mr Blackett considered the kowi objectionable at anyrate, althoughit was admitted that the puriri made timber of good quality. With regard to the shortness of time allowed in the specifications, that could be extended if it were thought desirable; but one object to be gained was that the sleepers could be stacked and dried before being used, He did not anticipate any shortness of the necessary quantity on that account.

Mr E. Richardson hoped the terms of the contract for the supply of the timber, as advertised, would be strictly enforced.