PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

Globe, Volume I, Issue 24, 27 June 1874, Page 3

PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

Friday, June 26, [Wc continue tbe debate from the time of our going to press yesterday.] PRIMARY EDUCATION. Mr Parker moved, as a further amendment, that the following words be inserted after the word “ sale”—“ re-invested and the interest only.” The amendment was agreed to. Mr Parker then moved his former resolution, granting 25 per cent of the proceeds of the sales to the Road Boards of the districts in which the laud might be situated. The motion was agreed to on the voices. The resolution, as amended, was then put, agreed to on the voices. Itur.v,—i„ A ; on wag fhgjj re p or ted to the House; r Mr Knight moved, “ Xnai TTfinor the Superintendent be requested to taxc necessary steps, by legislation or otherwise, to carry the above resolution into effect. ’ The addition as proposed by Mr Knight was then put and agreed to on the voices. The original resolution with the amendments was put, and declared to be carried on the voices. Mr Parker called for a division, which took place as follows : Ayes ... ... ... ... 17 Noes 12 Majority for the resolution ... 5 The resolution was therefore agreed to: akaroa road. Mr Knight moved that the House go into committee to consider the following resolution “ That his Honor the Superintendent be respectfully requested to place on the supplementary estimates a sum not exceeding £SOO for ;the Erection of a bridge over Moffatt’s creek, on Akaroa road.” Sir Cracroft Wilson seconded the motion. Mr Maude said the engineer had sent in an estimate of the amount required to place this bridge in order; which was fixed by him at £2OO. The Government would bring down the amount on the supplementary estimates. Mr Knight said under these circumstances he would ask leave to withdraw the motion. Leave was given and the motion withdrawn, PASSENGERS ON THE RAILWAY. ] Mr Isaac Wilson moved that—" A return be laid on the table showing the number of passengers that have arrived at, or departed from, Christchurch station during the last four weeks ; also, the number of passengers booked at Papanui for any station north of Papanui ; and all passengers booked at Rangiora and Kaiapoi for Papanui during the same period.” The motion was agreed to. SALTWATER CREEK BRIDGE. Mr Harper obtained leave to postpone the following notice of motion : —“ That his Honor the Superintendent be respectfully requested to place a sum not exceeding £6OO

on the supplementary estimates for the purpose of repairing the Saltwater creek bridge on the north road.’’ THE RAKAJA BRIDGE. Mr typiTß moved that the Secretary of Public Works lay on the table all reports that are -in existence relating to the passing of the Rakaia bridge. Mr W ALKER seconded the motion. Mr Maude said the Government were not aware that all the papers had not been laid on the table.

Sir Cracroft Wilson said that what was wanted was the report of the Provincial Engineer on the passing of the bridge, and also the report of the engineer of the General Government, when passing the work. Mr Montgomery said the Government had endeavored to lay on the table all the papers connected with the matter, and in order to make a fair selection of the papers the Government had asked the late Secretary for Public Works to confer with them as to the papers to be laid on the table so as to elucidate the matter. He trusted the House would at once acquit the Government of any desire to keep back any of the papers ; they were only anxious to bring before the Council all the information procurable. Mr White said he had looked through the papers, and he failed to find any report from the Provincial Engineer at the time of his passing the work. He also believed that the General Government Engineer had passed the work, but he could not find them. He did not wish to blame the Government, but the House was entitled to have all the information on the subject before them. (Hear, hear.) Mr Maude asked whether the reports referred to by the hon member were public or private papers ? Mr White —Public papers. I have seen them. ‘. , Mr Maude said the Government were only too willing that all the papers should be laid on the table. The motion was then agreed to on the voices. CEMETERY RESERVES. Mr Potts moved that —“ His Honor .be Superintendent be requested to reserve ten acres of land for a buiial ground on the south side of the Hurunui, on what is commonly called the Scab, reserve, and five acres of land, conveniently situated, as a burial ground.for the Little River district. The motion was agreed to. GRANT TO CHRIST’S COLLEGE. Mr Kennaway moved that— “ A respectful address be presented to his Honor the Superintendent requesting him to place on the supplementary estimates a sum not exceeding £250, to be paid over to the Christ’s College,' in continuation of the annual grants hitherto paid to that institution.” Last session the'Council had decided to pay an annual subsidy rather than a lump sum. He did not. know whether the Government as a whole were prepared to support this resolution, but, he believed several of them were prepared to <3o so individually. He need not call the attention of hon members to the services rendered to the cause of education in the early days of‘the settlement by .the institution. That was well known. Some sessions back a complaint, had been made that the school was not doing as much as they might do in the cause of technical education, but he believed, after inquiry into this matter, it had been found that .this had no foundation. The institution was now receiving_ applications from other .provinces to admit pupils, and it would be a great advantage to the province to. have in its midst an institution which would afford a high class of education, , and this in itself entitled it to some consideration at the bauds of that Council. He would not longer detain the House but would move the resolution. Mr Walker seconded the motion. No one could deny that the college had done good work iu the past, Its advantage had been enjoyed by all classes, all ranks, and all denominations, and on this ground he hoped the House would pass the vote. [Hear, hear.] , Mr Webb would support the resolution, the more so as they had not yet got the Canterbury College in working order, and, therefore, he thought they should continue their annual grant to the college. Mr Higgins opposed the resolution, as he looked upon it as a return to the denominational system. Mr W. B. Tosswill considered that the college had very good claims to this grant, as it had done good work in the past. Besides, it was practically carrying out the principle laid down hy the Council in dealing with education, viz, that they should continue to'support these schools until they were prepared to, supply their places, witvothers under their own system hould rt it would meet inside and outside The position gained by scholars from this school in the examination for scholarships proved most conclusively—as one of the severest' tests that could bc—thnt the institution was’ doing its work well. •"-He, therefore, strongly supported the resolution. , . The motion for going into committee was agreed to. In committee, Mr Kennaway moved the resolution, which we s agreed to without discussion, reported to the House, and adopted. HOSPITAL FOR LYTTELTON;

Mr Webb moved—“ That a respectful address be presented to his Honor the Superintendent, requesting him to give effect to the prayer of the petition from the Borough Council and inhabitants of the town of Lyttelton, asking for hospital accommodation in' that town.” Th£y had now a wretched, dirty little place which was •oalled a casual ward, but it was totally inadequate even for that purpose. They had now a large number of working men on the railway, in addition to the number of seamen visiting the port, and hospital accommodation Was urgently needed. He did not intend to ask for a ward for chronic cases, but simply a ward where the accident cases could bd treated, • Hon members would seethat the : many removals necessary to take a bad case of fracture, say to the Christchurch Hospital, rriust militate very much against the chance of recovery. [The boa member - then read letters from Drs Rouse and Macdonald, urging strongly the necessity for hospital accommodation in Lyttelton, the cost being estimated as not likely to exceed *250 per annum,] He hoped the House would agree to the resolution as it was very much needed. 1 Mr Potts seconded the motion. He believed that the Government would meet the requirements of the public and alleviate much suffering if hospitals on a small scale were established throughout the province. It might he done very economically by working it in connection with the Immigration barracks, of which might be utilised.

He wished while on this subject to call the attention of the Government to the close proximity of a slaughter yard to the Orphanage. Dr Rayner supported the resolution. There were numerous cases in which life might be endangered by the removals consequent on accident cases being taken to the Christchurch Hospital. He supposed that the hon member for Lyttelton meant that this ward should be under the medical supervision of the gentlemen practising in Lyttelton. [Mr Webb —-“Yes. J He thought that this would work very well ; but he hoped the Government would be very careful in the selection of the nurse for the ward. He heartily supported the resolution. Mr Knight said that he hoped the hon member for Lyttelton would tell them who had now the supervision of the casual ward in Lyttelton, which he had characterised as a dark, insignificant, dirty hole. It might be the two former, but there was no reason why it should be the latter, and he trusted the Government would see that the new wards were under different supervision. Mr Jollie said that the Government fully recognised the importance of this motion, and there was a vote on the estimates for wards at Lyttelton and Ashburton. What they intended to ask the Council was, to authorise the Government to put up such a building as would allow of cases of sudden accident being received —cases where immediate removal would bo inadvisable —until sufficiently recovered to he removed to the Christchurch hospital. [Hear, hear.] He desired to point out that the country districts were very much worse off than Lyttelton, as many cases of accident had to be brought in to the Christchurch hospital, not in all cases by railway, but by carts and other rough conveyances ; whereas from Lyttelton the Government had provided all appliances for the transit of cases to the Christchurch hospital with as little pain as possible. The Government intended to bring down a vote of £2OO or £3OO on the supplementary estimates for the purpose he had pointed out. Under these circumstances, he would ask the hon member to withdraw his resolution. Mr Webb, in reply, said that the place he had referred to was in a bad situation, being some five feet below the street and close to it. He thought they should appoint a man and bis wife to look after the ward ; the medical gentlemen of Lyttelton acting as the medical staff. He hoped the House would pass the resolution. The resolution was agreed to. SURVEYS ON BANKS’ PENINSULA.

Mr T. S. Tanceed, for Mr Pilliet, moved quire, during the recess, into the state of existing surveys in Banks’ Peninsula, such commission to have power to call for documents and maps, and to examine witnesses on oath ; the report of such commission to be placed before the Council during the ensuing session.” Mr Maskell moved the adjournment of the debate. The motion was agreed to on the voices. NATIVE EBSEEVB. Mr Isaac Wilson moved that the House go into committee to consider the following resolution “ That his Honor the Superintendent be respectfully requested to place on the supplementary estimates a sum not exceeding £IOOO, for the purpose of making roads on the Native reserve at Kaiapoi.” Mr Dixon seconded the motion.

Mr Montgomery said there was no information before the Council as to the cost of this road, or as to whether the proposal would serve any beneficial purpose. He would ask the hon member to withdraw the resolution, the Government undertaking that they would look into the matter during the recess and see how the object which the hon member had in view could be accomplished. Mr Wilson would under these circumstances ask leave to withdraw the resolution. Leave was given and the resolution was withdrawn. EMBANKMENT OF THE RIVER EYRE. Mr Isaac Wilson moved that the House go into committee to consider the following resolution '“ That his Honor the Superintendent be respectfully requested to place on the supplementary estimates a sum not exceeding £SOO for the embankment of the River Eyre.” Mr Dixon seconded the motion. Mr Maude said that the Government would put the sum on the supplementary estimates as a grant in aid. If the hon mother would accept this the Gov‘>~~ liieul ' nacl no objection to the ~, The moti^^ r 'S oln S mto committee was to, and the House went into committee on the resolution. In committee Mr Wilson moved the resolution. Mr Maude moved as an addition that the words “ as a grant in aid ” be inserted after the words “ River Eyre.” Mr Wilson accepted the amendment proposed by Mr Maude. The motion as amended was then put and agreed to, repiorted to the House and adopted. SUNDAY TRAINS. Mr Maskell moved that one train in the morning and one in the evening be mn on the Northern and Southern railways on Sundays. He moved this resolution for several reasons, but in doing so he did not wish to tie the Government down in any way. Hon members said that it would not pay ; that they would get no one to use them. Well, if it did not pay to run Sunday trains they could soon stop it. . He thought it would be to the convenience of the public wishing to attend church from the country. Besides, passengers arriving by steamer from Dunedin or Auckland were unabte to get to their homes on Sunday, having to remain in Christchurch over Sunday and until Monday morning before they could get to their homes. He also moved it because it would allow a large number of persons to get to church on Sundays ; more particularly the members of his own church, who were unable, from the absence of churches in the country districts, to go to church, and he thought that this would commend itself to hon members. If it was right to run trains on Sunday from Lyttelton to Christchurch, it was equally so to run trains between Christchurch and Rakaia and Christchurch and Rangiora. Therefore, he hoped the House would agree'with the resolution, as he intended it merely as a trial ; to be discontinued if it was found found they did not pay. Mr Maude said that the Government would not object to this resolution as an experiment. If the trains did not pay the trains would be stopped. Mr Higgins opposed the resolution. Sir Cracroft Wilson supported the motion. Mr WEBB would oppose the resolution, as no necessity had been shown for the prac* 1

tice. It seemed to him that it was not necessary to run trains on the Sunday between Christchurch and Lyttelton. He could see that the resolution would be carried, but he could not allow this motion to go without raising his voice against it. Mr J. N. Tosswill said that he should oppose the resolution, not on the ground of the Sunday question, but because the country districts had not shown any request for this' being carried out. ’ Mr Turnbull opposed the resolution. It was a natural result of the opening of the Museum. By carrying this out they would compel a very large number of people to work on Sunday, and this he contended was a wrong thing. He thought they would be doing a very great wrong if they passed this resolution.

Mr Knight said he was surprised to see the way in which the Government had treated the question. They had done so in a most frivolous manner, saying if it would pay they would cairy it out. It seemed to him that they were the most accommodating Government that had ever sat on those benches. As his hon colleague (Mr Tosswill) had said, there was no wish in the country districts for this ; indeed, they did not want it. The Government had no right to deprive any man or body of men of their right to a holiday once a week. If they passed this resolution they would give the opponents of the opening of the Museum on Sunday a very good opportunity to point out that the evils prognosticated by them when the question of opening the Museum was discussed had come to pass. They were now asked to allow of Sunday trains running, and the inevitable result of that, if carried, would be that the public-houses and hotels would have to be opened on Sunday. [“ No, no,” from Mr Maskell.] Well, it seemed to him that this would naturally follow ; and he should not at all be surprised to see some alteration in this direction proposed in the Licensing Act. He must say that he never expected to find the words of those opposed to the opening of the Museum come true so soon. Mr Fisher would oppose the resolution. On a previous occasion when the enquiry was made of the Manager of Railways, it was elicited that it would involve the employment of thirty men to carry about twelve passengers, and he did not see his way clear to vote for making a number of men work on Sunday. [Hear, hear.] Mr Healey spoke in favor of the resolution. Mr Wilson was addressing the House, when The Speaker said the hour for adjournment, 5 p.m., had arrived. The Council would adjourn until 7.30 p.m. COMMITTEE OP SUPPLY. On the motion of Mr Maude, the House on resuming went into committee of supply. The following items were agreed to : Class 4—lmmigration, £17,187 10s Id. On this item being put, Mr KennAWAY said he should like to ask the Government, who had had the control of the immigration during the past six months, whether they were satisfied with the class of immigrants sent out ? Rumors had been been floating about, and he thought that the immigrants themselves were entitled to have this matter cleared up by a direct expression of opinion on the part of the Government. Mr Montgomery said that this was a very large question, involving as it did the character of the immigrants sent out by the agents at home. He might say that the immigrants as a whole, were generally an acquisition to the province, and the Government had no reason to say that they were a bad class of immigrants, or that there had not been every care exercised in their selection. Of course there were some who were objectionable, but this was only to be expected, owing to the large number of ships sent out. There had been a large number of families sent out, but these, of course, would make good colonists bye-and-bye. Mr Kennaway was glad to hear so decided an expression of opinion from the Government benches, as it was only fair to the immigrants to have the loose rumors which were circulated contradicted on authority. Mr Montgomery said that the Government had given instructions to the agent at home to send out immigrants in the harvest months rather than in the winter months, as of course the families were not so readily absorbed. Indeed, the Government found that ‘oo many immigrants were coming m l usfc now, but he hoped the y absorbed during the spring and ensuing summer. [Hear, hear.] Mr Tosswill pointed out that considerable care should be exercised in sending immigrants up to the cottages now in course of erection. The Road Board of which he was chairman, had erected five cottages, and only the other day had sent through the chief immigration officer for two agricultural laborers who arrived in due course, but one was a cabman’s groom, and the other a greengrocer. [Laughter.] These men were of course not fitted for the country, and he warned the Government if these men were sent out to the country districts the Road Boards would not undertake the supervision of these cottages. [Hear, hear.] The Hon Mr Buckley pointed out that by far too many families were being brought out. The province was not prepared for them, but could take any number of single male and female immigrants. [Hear, hear.] . Mr Knight urged upon the Government the necessity of a strict medical examination being made of immigrants before they were brought to the colony, A great proportion of the immigrants brought out were totally unfit to labour, and were constantly in the hospital. Mr W. B. Tosswill corroborated the remarks of the hon member for Lincoln (Mr Knight.) This was now becoming a matter of very grave importance, and he hoped the Government would take some steps to remove an evil which was rapidly becoming very serious. The fact was the immigrants came on board some twenty-four hours before the ship sailed, when the medical officer could only make a slight and hurried examination.

Dr Turnbull said his experience of the medical inspection of immigrants was that the surgeon went on board and only just inspected the hospital, and there his responsibility ended. It was far different with troops going out to India, and he contended that it was highly necessary that the examination of the immigrants should be as strict as an insurance examination. [Hear, hear.] Mr Jebson thought they were expecting rather too much of the Agent-General. Even in England itself it was difficult to get good labor, and he did not think they could expect any agent to get the best laborers and artizans to come to the colony. Mr Montgomery said that as regarded what had fallen from the hon member for Waimalc there were 3600 immigrants on the way, the larger proportion of wlr’ch were

general laborers, and though they might become useful colonists, they were hardly the class the province required. They were of a class which would be better in towns. The Government had telegraphed to the Agent-General that they were sending out too large a number of laborers for the season of the year. Regarding medical examination hon members must remember that the conduct of the immigration was in the hands of the General Government, and the Provincial Government could only make representations. [Hear, hear.J They had brought under the notice of the General Government that a large number of immigrants were arriving with chronic diseases, and the General Government had replied that if these diseases were such as should have been discovered by the medical examination at home they would provide for the immigrants. [Hear, hear.] He mentioned this to show that the matter had not escaped the notice of the Provincial Government. [Hear, hear.] Mr Kennaway would desire to ask the hon member for Lincoln (Mr Tosswiil) whether the two men referred to had families ? Mr Tosswill replied in the affirmative — one had four children and the other six. Mr Kennaway said that Mr Duncan had been specially warned by the Provincial Government against sending out men with large families, and also not to send general laborers, and to see that men who were sent were accustomed to agricultural pursuits. It was not necessary to pay the passages of the class spoken of by the hon member for Lincoln, as they would come themselves. He would like to ask the Government respecting the building of cottages and immigration depots, whether they were aware i ; the province has been dealt with on the same footing respecting the cost of these cottages as other provinces? Mr Montgomery said the General Government had stated they would put up the one at Addington, but that in future the ground on which the cottages and depots were erected must be conveyed to the General Government. The Provincial Government had replied that they were not in favor of conveying the ground to the General Government, but were of opinion that for the sake of the £2OOO, the cost of these cottages, it would be better for them to retain the land in their own hands. [Hear, hear.] The cottages would be very useful to Road Boards, and the Government considered that it would be better to keep the sites throughout the province in their own hands. [Hear, hear.] The hon member for Seadown would see that the Provincial Government had not lost sight of the matter. ' . Mr Walker asked upon what terms the cottages were occupied by the immigrants. Mr Montgomery replied, that the cottages ,and occupants were under charge of the various Road Boards. The occupants were supposed to Temove from : these cottages as soon as they got permanent employment. After a few remarks from Messrs Andrews, Tosswiil, and Montgomery, the item passed as printed. Class s—Road Boards—£loo,946 10s. Schedule C.—Class I.—Railways. Under this head the following items were passed:— Selwyn bridge, £I3OO ; goods shed, Christchurch,' £ll3O 8s ; increase of shed at Lyttelton, £2OOO ; new shed at Lyttelton, £6OOO purchase of buildings, Lyttelton, £6OOO ; goods shed at Papanui, £4OO ; additional roads and sidings in Christchurch goods yard, £3000; sidings, material, and labor, rails for extension of bread gauge sidings,’ £10,000; conversion of gauge from Rakaia to Addington, narrow gauge line from Addington to Lyttelton, £40,000; Christchurch passenger station, £IO,OOO ; Heathcote station platform, £l5O ; drainage of Christchurch goods yard, £BOO ; porter’s room at Lyttelton, £2OO ; porter’s cottage at Addington, £250 ; cottages at Ashburton for engine driver and fireman. £3OO ; ditto at Rangiora, £250 ; repairing shop for narrow gauge rolling stock at Rangiora, £4OO ; narrow gauge engine and carriage sheds. £SOOO ; railway workshops and machinery,’ £IO,OOO ; contingencies, £2OOO ; Styx goods shed, £4OO ; spare axles and wheels, broad gauge 10 under contract and 10 spare sets, £950; five weigh bridges, £ISOO ; thirteen cranes, £2OOO ; steam fire engine for railways, £ISOO ; branch railways, £SOOO ; Timaru and' Temuka, £7OOO ; Washdyke to the Point, £25,200 ; weighbridge, Lyttelton, £250; rolling stock, sft. 3in., £1350; locomotive and cranes, £4500 ; rolling stock, three feet six inches, £22,600 ; extra cost of broad gauge, Ashley to Kowai, £13,000 ; rails Ashburton branch line (301bs), £IO,OOO ; extension telegraph, Dunsandel to Rakaia, £l5O ; cottage and platform at Mein’s, £l9l 12s ; pathway and fence from Boatway to Gladstone wharf, scc., £IOO ; additional roads on reclaimed ground, £2OO ; extension goods shed, Kaiapoi, £BOO ; alteration platform and roads, Kaiapoi, £230. Class 2. —Harbor Works. —Lyttelton harbor works, including additional amount for dredge, £152,996 Is 3d ; graving dock, Lyttelton (survey), £500; extension of boat jetty, £400; head of bay (Akaroa), £SOO ; Barry's bay (Akaroa), £4OO ; crane for jetty for ditto, £120; Akaroa jetty extension, £750; goods shed on ditto, £500; repairs to present jetty, £4OO ; new jetty, Akaroa (grant in aid), £350 ; Leßon’s, Purau, Little Akaloa, and Governor’s bay, Governor’s bay (quarry), and Wainui jetties, £2OOO ; contingencies, £764 3s lOd; Timaru breakwater, £50,000 ; Timaru survey, £2OOO ; Timaru harbor light, £IOOO. Progress was then reported with leave to sit again on Monday next. RAKAIA BRIDGE. Mr White said he desired to ask leave of the House to make an explanation in reference to his motion respecting the laying all the papers on the erection of the Rakaia bridge on the table. He wished now, to explain to the House that the report alluded to in his motion was amongst the printed papers, and that he had overlooked it. [Hear, hear.] WIDTH OP TIRES ORDINANCE 1874. Mr Knight moved the second reading of this Bill. Mr Westenra seconded the motion. The motion was agreed to and the Bill committed. After some discussion progress was reporported, with leave to sit again on Monday next. FENCING ordinance 1874. Sir Cracboft Wilson moved the second reading of this Bill. After some discussion, the motion was agreed to. In committee, the Bill was advanced a stage when progress'was reported, with leave to sit again on Monday next. Notices of motion having been given, the House adjourned at 12,35 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday, .....i;:,,