PARLIAMENTARY.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2161, 17 August 1907, Page 3

PARLIAMENTARY.

Press Association. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. WHLLINUTON, August 10. Thu House mot at 2.80 and wont into Committee of Supply, mid procoedod to deal with urn Colomal Secretary's Department, Audit urn partmont £U,504, Registrar-General * vDepartmont £8272, Musoiim and a had ta'kon any stops to elect a non The Premier was uiuleistooU i . that tenders were being ca.her erection of a new museum m Oriel which would also house Maori roiies and other curios. The vote passed U Undof miscellaneous services vote £ 9 SSS Mr. Fislier, referi ing to \ otes relating to the late Premier s portraits busts and so on, urged that tliev should all be put together and that tho Government should connneniorn to deceased s memory in a proper aiul fitting manlier, instoaU of trittoiinir away money bn all sorts oi objects. Air. Massey asked if the item £loo for a picture was for the one hanging in tho Whip’s room. Tho Premier thought tho amount was for tho picture in the lobby, ihc Government had not purchased tie picture iu the Whip’s room. Mr. Wilford remarked that whether it had purchased the picture in tho Whip’s room or not the Government should be called on to pay for damages as someone had put a walking stick through it. . Mr. Massey, referring to tho item “Cost of Native Land Tenure Commission £1000,” said it reminded lum of the fable m which the mountain labored and brought forth a mouse. He asked how tho amount was to he . distributed. .. , ~ The Premier said the details would bo available when tho Bill was brought down and tho payment of the Commissioner would be provided for in the Bill. The item under notice was for travelling expenses. Mr. Massey urged that the House should be supplied with details of tho £ISOO vote under the heading “Travelling Allowances of Ministers. It would be interesting to know, for instance, what it had cost the country while the Minister of Lands was travelling about tho country explaining his Land Bill. The Colonial Secretary Department’s total vote £15,554 was passed unaltered. , .. The next class taken was the Crown Law Department £4340. Mr. Hanan asked for particulars of tho work done by the counsel of the Department who was paid £IOOO a year. Mr. Joliffe, the law draftsman, had done excellent work and was specialiy qualified tor the work. Some reason should be giveu for this new appointment as there was no necessity to have two men doing the same work. Mr. Heke objected to some of the counsel’s methods. He moved an amendment that the salary be reduced to £999. Mr. Barclay said if every Bill had to remain in the Law draftsman’s office until he had mastered the details, some of which might come before him for tho first time, great delay and inconvenience would arise. The counsel would take a long time to make himself conversant with the statutes of the colony as ho had only recently come from a University and was really in tho position of a round peg in a square hole. Mr. Wilford said those who had

been in the House any length or time must recognise that if ever they had a conscientous servant who was willing to sacrifice himself and time even to the detriment of his health that man was Joliffe, who for eight years to his (Mr. Wilford’s) knowledge, had been at the beck and call of Ministers and members through long sittings, and had been called upon to draft important amendments to important Bills at five minutes’ notice. Ho did not think that the salary of £IOOO a year paid to counsel was too high. He thought the members’ objection to Professor Salmond was not that he was not a capable man, but because a capable arid proved servant had been relegated to the background. (Hear, hear.) Mr Buddo felt very sore that Professor Salmond had superseded a servant who had done invaluable service to the House and colony. If it was found necessary to p'ut an additional £IOOO on the Estimates that should have been granted to the servant who had done the work. The Premier said that some of the members had not the knowledge of the position they thought they pos- . sessed. Professor Salmond did not supersede Mr Joliffe. Thousands of pounds had been paid in the past to other than the Department’s law officers, and it was in order that this work should be done by the Degartment’s officers under the eye of the House that the appointment had been • made and it was represented to the Govommeni) that Professor Salmond possessed the qualifications that were . required and that was why he had been appointed. He (the Premier) had a very high opinion of Mr. Joliffe, and the work he had done. ; Continuing ho said Professor Sal- * *mond’s services were available for all 'the departments and the appointment - had been made with a view of saving the colony money. Since Professor Salmond’s appointment he had been offered by cable a far better position than he held here, but having accepted the colony’s appointment he declined the offer. The Government did not intend or desire to do an inju ittco to Mr. Joliffe and provision was being ’ made on the supplementary estimates to increase Ins salary. Had Professor Salmond not • been appointed some other person would have had to be apP °Mr ed \Vilford reiterated that c e salary of . £IOOO was not too high for the position. The House adjourned at 0.30 p.m. On resuming at 7.30 p.m., Mr. Tanner deprecated the discussion that had taken place, and which would cause a stranger in the gallery to think the House was merely a court of registration. Ho asserted that the draftsmanship of the Pure I'ood Bill was not a credit to draftsmen, and it

■ this was the work of any official draw- ■ inf? a salary of a thousand a year, the colony was getting the worst of the bargain, and in future the House would have to exercise ten times the vigilance it had hitherto exercised. Ho also referred in terms of condemnation to the drafting of the Motor . and Fire Brigades Bills. ' Mr Massey considered tnao -vir. Jolliffo had been very badly treated in regard to the appointment of offi-cer-in-clxarge of tbo law drarfeing offico. He had given good service to the country, and yet had been superseded by a man who was not conversant with the requirements of the office. Ho was opposed to the setting up of this oflico without first consulting Parliament. Notice should have "been placed on the order paper idative to the creation of the office, or the matter should have been piaced Oil the Estimates before tho appointment was made. . . _ „ „ ~ , Air. J. Allen said Professor Salmond’ was perhaps better - huown i' l England than any other Ami Zealander as a jurist. He "as "dl known, and was-a product of Jje" Zealand University. _ Although lie had been offered a position in England tu had decided, to his credit to remain in the colony. He eulogised the - drafting of the band and Income Tax Assessment Bill, which was a line v. piece of draftsmanship. . ' The Premier said that the appointmerit had previously been made in a , r manner as to Professor Salic 1. The Government had power to make these appointments. If d hail been a life appointment then it would perhaps he reasonable for members to make objection to the appoint- • merit. It would save many hundred* of pounds to the colony, as the "ork of the legal department was increasing tremendously. : , At this stage Mr. Heko sought permission to withdraw his amendment, but members objected. , Air. Stevens urged that the question of pounds, shillings, and pence should not be unduly considered m ' connection with tho services of a, gentleman with his high attainments. The amendment was negatived 01. ' Law Drafting Office, r £ißQCr, was passed unaltered.

i'lio Crown Law Department, £l3lO, was passed unaltered. Tho next class taken was tlic I)e----fonco Department, total vote .LIS-1,-021 Mr. Jhs. Allen asked «. number ot questions as to whiut was intended to bo done in regard to the dofonco of ° U ropliod in tlio tor ms contained in tho Dofonco report. M r fisher considered that the House should have an opportunity of discussing tho alterations in tho police outlined in tho Dofonco report. It was said tho volunteer system for the present should remain purely volar tarv. 'Wlin.t did this moan f Woro we to linvo compulsory military training? The volunteer system was never at a higher standard of appreciation than at present. He urged that tln> Government should give particulars of tho Dofonco scheme, and lot the House havo the right to discuss

the matter. _ . Mr. Hogg was disappointed with the Estimates for this department, inasmuch as they woro £15,000 in excess of last year. Ho asked was it intended to alter tho regulations in

regard to ritlo clubs, so that they could regain tho strength previously he! 1. Ho contended that if reasonable opportunities woro given to residents in country districts to join riilo clubs there would bo absolutely no nee- ssiity to resort to compulsory linilitarv service.

Mr. Barber expressed satisfaction tlu.'t an attempt had boon made to be.ter the conditions of tho defence forces. Ho pointed out the defects existing in regard to rates of pay, and expressed a wish that they be remedied in tho Supploiuntary Estimate..

.Mr. McNab said the colony was loosing to see on what lines defence should be continued. If the Council was not supported and volunteering ce:\ ;ed, the colony would havo to go in for a larger and more highly-paid permanent force. If the volunteering system was not supported they would have to end, and a more eostlv system brought into force. The Government wished to warn the colony to this effect. It was intended to ex-

tend the privileges of rille clubs, and to remove restrictions on those clubs situated any distance from tho centres.

Mr. Field expressed tho hope that a butter supply of rifle ranges would be provided, especially for country districts. .Mr. Jas. Allen asked if the Council of Defence intended to keep the Royal Artillery for its own particular wo: k, as it had been utiLised for police and prison warder duty. Ho also desired to know if it was intended to ca; ry out the recommendations of the Defence Council relative to equipment.

Mr. Laurenson hoped tho increased vote would prove advantageous. He emphasised the necessity for encouraging volunteers and rifle clubs. One way to encourage volunteering was to give non-commissioned officers who made themselves efficient positions in the permanent forces. It had become recognised that it was impossible in the permanent forces for a man to rise from the ranks to the position of a commissioned officer. He urged on tho Minister that opportunities to rise to commissioned rank should be given the rank and file of the forces.

Mr. Davey wanted to know wliat system was adopted in appointing commissioned officers. Sir. McNab said Mr. Laurenson

was entirely in error in saying noncommissioned officers were barred from promotion to commissioned ranks. Only recently two non-com-missioned officers had received commissions, and it was the intention to extend the system of promoting to commissioned rank. Mr. E. G. Allen advocated a system of rifle ranges of 200 yards for the use of oadets.

Mr. Davey asked why a, gentleman from Auckland with one and a half, ear’s service in the permanent force had been appointed Assistant Adjutant-General at Christchurch, whilst a volunteer officer who had risen to the highest rank he could obtain in the .volunteer force, and who had 20 years’ service, was altogether ignored? The man had now left the service.

The Defence Department, £10,586, mas passed unaltered. —Mr. Fisher, referring to volunteer encampments, said if the money was going to he spent by the Council in the same manner as by the Commandant, a great deal of it would bo wasted. As an officer he bad been present at a parade when there were more officers than men—he meant there were three officers and two men —and capitation should not be paid on such a turnout. He asserted that the Submarine Mining in Wellington had been in a state of mutiny for 12 months, and should he disbanded. He asserted that if the Minister were conversant with the source of the trouble in this corps he would settle it in 24 hours. He suggested that when volunteers displayed enthusiasm, as in the case of-the Wellington Engineers,, they should be encouraged, and expressed the hope that a sum would bo placed on the Supplementary Estimates to encourage volunteers. —Mr. McNab said that although only a small number might turn up on parade that -va? -'o ream why _ these who turned up shouiu ue punished by the refusal of capitation, because the main body had not attended. —Mr. Eidier urged that when a corps turned out regularly with less 'than twothirds of its strength it should be disbanded or turned into a rifle corps, and so save capitation. . A corps in Canterbury consistently turned out w.iJi less than two-tliirds of its strength, and yet claimed capitation on its full strength, which was a fraud of the very worst class. He assorted that numbers of volunteer officers never took their corps up a hill, because they were unable to climb it the nselves. Others were unable to see even with field-glasses. Numbers of officers did not take the trouble to make themselves efficient, and he knew of an instance where a number of officers refused to take instruction from the instructor, because, being a non-commissioned officer, they thought it infra dig. Such nonsense should he put a stop to. —Stores and magazinos, £5453, was passed unaltered. • Mr. Thompson, replying to a question by Mr. Herries, said that instead of commemorating soldiers who fell in battle by the barbaric practice of tombstone decorating they should cre-d'e some sort of scholarship. As it was few people took the trouble to rerd gravestones. —Mr. McNab said he approved of keeping the graves of fallen soldiers in order, and would not allow, where it was known, graves to remain unattended.—Mr. Tanner deprecated Mr. Thompson’s remarks as he thought nothing tended to make tlv young generation patriotic _so much ns the association of historical events and records. —Mr. Thompson said lie was quite in favor of erecting monuments in public places to commemorate soldiers’ deeds. —Mr. 1 0010 the ight the upkeep of historical records’ and graveyards containing remei is of soldiers should be tlio duty of local bodies.—The Defence Department, total vote, £184,024, was passed unaltered. . The next class taken was Working Railways Department, £1,830,000. — At he amount £52,809, allowances to employes receiving not more than 10s per day, also allowances for Sunday iluiv and special services, Mr. James Alien asked what amount was expended last year when £45,000 was vo ; i-d.—The i’rcmier said that under the present system it was not possible to state the figures in detail, but the tol d amount expended appeared at tlio foot of tlio Statement. —Mr. Massey pointed out that tlie detailed expc liiture appeared in the Post and Telegraph Estimates, and if it could be done in the Postmaster-General's Department he could not understand why it could not he done in the railway department. He urged that stntionmasters should ho better remunerated as compared with postmasters. —The Premier said he intended to submit an amended classification and fo improve the remuneration of a number of railway employes.