PARLIAMENT.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXII, Issue 8891, 10 August 1907, Page 3

PARLIAMENT.

House of Representatives

Per Press Association. Wellington, August V. The House met at 2.30.' •The Fire Brigades Act Amendment Bill was read a first time. The House went into committee, on the Reserve Fund Securities Bill, which was put through the committee stages without amendment, read a third time and passed. The House went into Committee of Supply. On Public. Buildings and Domains

Estates, Mr Massey said the item of £2OOO appeared against “Parliamentary Buildings.” Last year £1535

was spent on the buildings. Ho desired to know what the alterations were going to cost. The Hon. McGowan said the amount appearing on the Estimates for the maintenance of the Parliamentary Buildings had nothing to do with the additions being made in Svdncy Street, but merely referred to the' usual maintenance expense's incurred from year to year. Mr Massey urged that the expenditure on Parliamentary Buildings should ho set out in detail, as members had a right to know how such a large item as £ISOO was expended. Ho did not think members should he asked to vote on items totalling a cost of £2OOO and £O7OO without first of all receiving information as to details. The item Public Buildings and Domains. £30,007, passed unaltered. The House adjourned at 5.30. The House resumed at 7.30,

Class 8, Maintenance of Roads, Mr Wilford urged that instead of making roads by a system of devoting so much each "year until completed, an amount sufficient to complete any road undertaken should bo granted and the work finished. A system of rotation could ho devised by which each district would bo served.

Mr Hornsby considered the present system beneficial.to the great hulk of the settlers iu the back blocks. Mr Massey urged that main roads should ho provided for by Act of Parliament out of the Consolidated Funds.

Maintenance of roads, £25,000, passed unaltered. At the Native Department vote Mr Herries asked if the time had not arrived for a complete change in this Department. Mr Hogg asked what particular qualifications wore necessary for a Native Laud Court Judge, as ho had found some of them as green as cabbages. He also desired to know how salaries^wore adjusted Mr Carroll said it was difficult to auswor Mr Hogg’s question, but so far as could be ascertained men wove selected who showed special ntucs,' « for the positions, but they must certainly possess legal knowledge. Mr Massey said one qualification was that when a man had beep a member of the House and a consistent supporter of Government, and was defeated at an election, ho was considered qualified to act as a Native Laud Court Judge. The Native Department, £27,Bfii, passed unaltered. At the “Justice Department”— Mr Wilford asked if it was intended to transfer bankruptcy business to the Public Trustee. He bad urged this reform for three years, aud intended to continue. If only treated for centres, under this suggestion it would save a thousand a year to the colony. Mr Aitkeu suggested that a debtor should bo brought for first examination in bankruptcy to where the bulk of the money was owing, and not compel creditors to travel to where the debtor resided. Mr Wilford, in order he said to emphasise that alteration m the bankruptcy law was desirable, moved a reduction of the item ‘ ‘ Bank ruptcy, £4031,” by £l. On a division the motion was negatived by 31 to 15.