PARLIAMENTARY.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2179, 7 September 1907, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY.

Press Association. HOUSE 0"F REPRESENTATIVES. COAL SUPPLY. After midnight on Thursday Mr. McGowan said he could suplpy coal at Palmerston North at 375.6 d per ton. In reply Mr. Massey said they had to supply a particular kind of coal to the Railway Department, and had to utilise slack as best they could, otherwise they would have to at once increase the cost of screened coal to private consumers. Mr. Barber said the Department should he worked on business lines, and more energy displayed in carrying out the business of the Department No business individual would drag along in the manner the Department had been dragged on. He urged that mo”t* depots should be established. Mr. McGowan pointed out that it cost just as much to get a ton of slack out of the mine as of good house hold coal. He added that he had endeavored to spread the supply of coal as evenly as possible. He suggested that municipalities should take coal and supply it to consumers. Mr. Poole urged that the Government should open a mine in the Auckland district, as coal there was at a prohibitive figure. Mr. Colvin said the State coal mine at Seddonville was as well managed as any mine in the colony. Mr. Wood pointed out that coal could be landed at Foxton at £1 2s Sd per ton, and with 4s added for railage could be landed at Palmerston for £1 •6s Bd. Yet tho Minister said he could not deliver it under 37s 6d per ton.

Mr. Guinness asked if the Government intended to open up any furtliei areas for mining under the Department. He understood prospecting had been carried on and showed favorable results. He urged that the Go vernment should acquire the whole field at Point Elizabeth and allow miners to take up sections on lease-in-perpetuity. He contended that the streets of the township should hr pushed on as speedily as possible. The Minister, replying to Mr. Guinness, said they were building houses for miners and allowing them to pay for the same at so much per week Replying to Mr. Massey ho said the inspecting engineer was paid £3 3? per day by way of salary and travelling allowance and had his steamer and railwy fares allowed. He wai only paid that salary when actually engaged on the Department’s business. The vote was passed unaltered. LAND FOR SETTLEMENTS. The next class taken was lands for settlement, total vote £8435. Mr. Millar, in reply to Mr. Guin ness, said it was not intended to ereci workers’ dwellings in the smallei towns were land and rents’were com-paratively-cheap. Mr. Buddo suggested that the 'Go vernment should try the “flat” sys tern of housing workers. Mr. Laurenson said such a step would be. in the wrong direction. They should aim at providing something for the worker to do in his spare hours and it was essential they should have a little land. He advocated train services to take workers out into the country. The vote was passed unaltered. MAORI LAND SETTLEMENT.

The next class was Maori Band Setlemenfc Act, £2o£>o>. Air Hornsby urged that payments made by the Government agent shouldbe made at a place where the money would not be spent in drink. . Air Carroll agreed with the suggestion. The vote was passed. THE ESTIMATES FINISHED. The Government Accident Insurance account, £8490, was passed without comment. State Fire Insurance vote, £10,460 Air Fisher urged that better salaries should be paid to the officers of tin Department, The vote was passed unaltered. The vote under the Advances to Workers Act, £2320, was passed unaltered. The Estimates were completed, and the Houso rose at 1.50 a.m.