PARLIAMENT.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXIX, Issue 3769, 1 August 1907, Page 3

PARLIAMENT.

TUESDAY. The second reading of the Otaki and Porirua Empowering Bill was postponed for one week. The Whangamomona County Bill (Mr Symes) and the Hutt Park Bill (Mr Wiltord) were read a first time and referred to the Local Bills Committee.

In moving the second reading of the Million Loan Bill, the Premier stated the Government would have a total of available for public works expenditure as

against ,£2,040,319 last year. It was important that the House should authorise the raising of the present loan. Last year’s loan realised a profit of ,£4xl6. The amount raised last year ,in the colony was ,£659,500 and in Australia ,£340,500 the total raised being ,£x,006,800. Referring to the present loan, he said he had received an offer of the whole

amount at a premium of 2 per cent., but he had refused it as he had reason to know that he could obtain half a million outside the colony at 102 by paying a brokerage of one-half per cent., which, he thought, very satisfactory. The Bill was discussed by Messrs Jas. Allen, McGowan, Herries, Mills, Fraser, Hogg, Barber, T. : McKenzie, Thompson, Hanan, 1 Mander, McLachlan, Major, Gray, ' Field, Symes, Seddon, Rutherford, Flatman, Barela} 7 , Poole and Malcolm. At 12.45 yesterday morning the Premier, Sir Joseph Ward, rose to reply. He said he had brought down the Loan Bill at this stage, realising that he would at least have had the assistance of the hou. members in putting it through. He did not take exception to the criticism, but merely desired to point out that members, knowing the important legislation that required to be dealt with, should have co-operated .with him in putting it through. Instead of that there had been this protracted debate. Dealing with the criticism of the member for Bruce, he asked what position the Government would be in if it adopted the Post Office rate in its borrowing at 3 per cent. ? What position would every banking institution in the colony have been in as a -(result? To retain their deposits 'they would have required to come up to the 4 per cent level, and every leading institution • would immediately have been affected. It would have practically meant a tightening of the money market, resulting perhaps in a financial panic. At 3 per cent their loan would have cost them ,£140,000, and that meant they would have got ,£860,000 for their million. Regarding our railways, he maintained that they were now in a better condition then when they were first laid down, and they had not be»n allowed to depreciate in any way whatever. That would readily be admitted by everyone connected with the service. In connection with the Midland Railway, he strongly deprecated this cry of North v. ■ South, for it was an extraordinary provincialism that should not exist. This Government had not authorised that railway. It was authorised over twenty years ago. This country, year in and year out, had been providing large sums of money for it. They had got to definite points east a«d west, and, being practically completed, tiiey could not allow that railway to remain in its present condition. The second reading of the Bill was agreed to on the voices. The House rose at 1.20 a.m.

The Noxious Weeds Bill.

It is with regret that we (N.Z. Times), are obliged to say that the attitude of the House of Representatives over the Noxious Weeds Bill, introduced by the member for Motueka, is a disgrace to anything that bears the name of Parliament. There is no attempt to deal with the Bill seriously except on the part of one or two members. The bulk of those who speak on the measure present the spectacle of representatives of the people deliberately and of malice aforethought, wasting in folly the time which they are expected by those whom they represent to devote to useful legislation. Only one Wednesday more will be available for private members’ Bills, and it is most improper that members should wantonly stand in the way of other members who have measures to introduce.