PARLIAMENT.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIII, Issue 1870, 27 September 1906, Page 3

PARLIAMENT.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL,

' PRKSS ASSOCIATION Wellington, last night. Tho CJouooil mot at 2 30 p m. Replying to Hod. W. Boehan, the Attorney General said the whole question "'tfrtfxtending tho scope and usefulness of experimental farms was under considers-, lion. The Improat Supply Bill was received .from tho House, and put through all .stages. ■ Sir Mourioo O'Boiko moved his motion, Sffi m'Dg tho desirablonoas of returning to a provincial form of Government In doing so ho referred to the tnaunrr in whioh the provinces had bron “sold." Ho spoke regretfully of tho manner in which the membership of tho Legislative Counoil was dwindling down. Tivonty years ago the membership was nearly double what it was 10-dsy. Last joar it was 44 ; this year it was 84. It appeared to him liko s deliberate attempt to kill tho CouDcii. Ho advocated life members of the Council. Hod. W. Oarnoross sooonded the motion, though ho felt it hopeless to expect to restore the old provincial institution.

The Hons. Baillie, T. Kolly, Rigg, and Trask held like views.

Hod. A Pitt, in speaking generally to the motion, indicated that Government had not fi'lod the Counoil vnoanoios because there had been an agitation for reform, but after the session, if no adverse motion were carried, steps would havo to be token to do so. The Government had made no rnovo to alter tho constitution of the Counoil.

On Ihe motion of Hon. G. Jones, the debate was adjourned until to-morrow. Tho New Plymouth Borough and Taranaki Sehrol Commissioners Exobar,go Bill (Hon, T Kalla) was read a second time. Tho Motor 'Regulation Bill No. 2 was put through Committee, and reported without amerdment. On tho motion of Hun. W Carucres?, Mr Kirkbrido's Government Valuation of the Land Bill was received from the House, and was read a seoond lime. The Counoil rose at 4.40.

HOUSE OF REPRE3ENCATIVES. Toe Hocso met at 2 30 p.m. QUESTIONS?. The more important answers were : Thai enquiries are being made as to whether the officers of :bo AdvaDoes to Settlers Offioe may with advantage prepare the mongags dookeis. A River Districts Bill has cot been prepared, aod is not likely to bo sh's ssisi.-n. As to whether “ Racing Clubs and ' others who sell tickets in ths totalisator should be prevented from deirg so" (Mr Ell’s qaestion), legislation dealiDg with the mittec will be plaosd before the House this session, It is proposed to protoot Pmadise ducks throughout the colony in 1907, If oil (Taranaki oil fiill )be found in sufficient quantities the Government willtaks ca-e that the interests of the oolony are protested, and the full benefit to the public, obtaiaed. The Exhibition Commissioners, at the request of Government, have made every efisrt to induoo the Ohristcburob Caledonian Seoiety to ohaoge their date, bat without suooess. No ohaoge will be made in the otnditioos on whioh watkrrs’ tickets ace issued by th 9 Ra'lway Department. It is not proposed to compel retirement from the railway service at 60 ysara of age, and it would be uojust to puoish the refusal (o retire of men who are quite able to go on workiog by compelling the acceptance of a lower sala'y. The proolama ion against importation of the petit s moth are now ready. Tho leaflets issued by the Agricultural Department will shortly bo gathered together into a handbook. In the matter of the request to amend tho Old Age Pensioos Act by softening the penalties (sometimes amounting to five years’ deprivation of pension) in oases of iosobriety, the reply was that it was not proposed to amend the Aoi in the direction Inchoated, Subseotioo (t) of seotion 8 of ths original Aot passed in 1893 reads as followsSeotion 8: "No suob person shall be entitled to a pension under this Aot unless he fulfils the following oondi tions: that is to say (6) that h9is of good moral charade", and is and has for five years immediately preceding the date when he established his olaim to tho pension, been leading a sober aod reputable life.” There hass been no previous demand for an amendment of this prevision, and the experience of the Department is tfcat it is only in very bad cases that appli caots are diequal,fled by tho magistrates for tho full psriod of fivo years. Such a provision is neoassary to p-otccl the de« HBrviag eligible portion of the community, and to prevent a rtfhoiion being cast on the respectable pensioners already on the roll. NOTICES OF MOTION,

Mr Alison moved for a return showiog the names of persona or eompaeiea v?ho v ; are owners of land in the Auckland proJf vince of the unimproved va'ue of £50,000 and over. - ) The motion having been extended to the bole celoDj, waa agreed to. A motion by Mr Rosa for a return, whioh would havo the practical effect of showing the namea find ages and official positions of all tho members of the railway sstvioe, was objeoted to by tho Premier as invidious and likely to upset tho superannuation system. It waa supported by various members of tho Opposition, who pointed out that the Postal j service and the Lands Dipartmant have ! similar reoords. It was defended by the mover, Mr Ross, on the ground that a large number of juniors ore aggrieved by the non-retirement of seniors at the rit!riDg ego (60) The motion was amended so bb to apply to all who aro of the Bge of not less than 60 years, and was passed after a long disoussion. On Mr Baume’a motion frr a return showing the names of land owners of £50,000 unimproved ya'.uo (ebjaeied to by Government), there waa a loag disemsion, which was interrupted by tbo dinner adjournment. RECIPROCITY TREATY,

Oae weik’a extenaioo of time waa given to the Oommeroe Committee for further coDsideia'ion if the treaty. The House adjourned at 5.30, EVENING BITTING. The Houae resumed at 7.20. immigration restriction. Tbo Immigration Restriction Aot Amendment Bill was taken in Committee, I Mr Bidey being in charge. Tbo Hon. McGowan oijmlcd to tho Bill as too drastic, and obiaiued some proposed t) amend by rcduciDß tho period of exclusion o' criminals from three yoars to two, and ieonasing the minimum of the disqualifying smtenco from one year to two. With this amoedment tho Bill passed through Comtnittee. TT antra

“ ‘ QUACKS. The Q mokory and Other Frauds Provention Bill was commuted, Mr H;rasby being in charge. , A motion by Mr Wilford to o ear the Bofferieß was defeated by 26 t 0 2a . t Mr Aitken suggested that tne Bill ouch! to bo placed in the hands of the Government, and suggested its rtferenoa

to a Committee. . L . , Mr Barolay painted out that tho amend ments placed on ths Supplementary Order Paper showed that the Government had practically taken up tho Bill, and Mr Hornsby refused to accept the reference to a Committee. , A long difeussion ensued, aft-r which the first olauße was amended by altering i tho title from the Quackery and O.her Frauds Prevention Act, 1906, to ’ Tne Medical Frauds Prevention Act, 19U6. The division was taken at 9 20, and was

42 to 17. At 10.80 a motion to report progress was lost by 4 to 62. “Board constituted under this Act was added to the list of definitions. At 11.10 the Premier advised the member in charge not to persevere, as there was no ohanoe cf progressing in the faoo of inach opposition, and it was his intention to move that in future Wednesdays be taken for Government business. Progress was reported) and the Housi -i 11 is