PARLIAMENT. House of Representatives.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXII, Issue 8919, 12 September 1907, Page 3

PARLIAMENT.

House of Representatives.

Por Press Association. We . u sc,to.>, Sepieraber 10. m. *iV was the division i ■ T lO fi oll °'nHon to impose only 5 list on the motiO n . i)g dairyißg per cent on (ho amendment machinery:—*. A u en Bonnet. Bol(35): Alison. • Gfu i lmess> Hardy, lard, Dnnca Jennings, Lang, Hornes, “ J V eW is, Malcolm, ManLcthbridgo- Qkoy, Poland, dor, Ross, Rutherford, Reid, Be»J d b Symcs. Against the Seddon" g6 j. A itken, E. G. amentum Bnddo, Carroll, 00lAllefl. " EH, Fisher, Flatman, l ia, L D Eraser, Graham, Gray, S'U Hauau. Hogg, Honatou, Izard, T-m reason, La wry, McGowan, McMcNah. Millar, Ngata. cidey Stallwortiiy, Stevens, StowTanner, Thomson, Ward, Aitty “”V Wood. Pairs.—'For : T. Mackenzie, Dillon, Field and Greenglade. Against: Powids, Kidd, \S ilford a'ul Barclay. . \ few miuntes after the announcenieiit of tlic result, Mr Major stated that through a misunderstanding he L‘,l paired with Mr Stallworthy, l u( l left the House, w]iile his colcavuc remained to vote. He asked if his vote could bo recorded in favour of the amendment. Jlr Colvin (Government Whip) explained that the two gentlemen mired during the afternoon, hut hen Mr Major came back in the evening lie told him Mr Stallwortiiy l. vS not in the House, so :Mr Major went out. When tiie mistake was noticed, ho sent a messenger after jfr Major, but tine member could not return in time to vote . The rh-irman informed Mr Major that Ids vote could not bo recorded, ‘jfr Barber asked if the Minister weald place a specific duty on all tvcvelcs, so as to exclude cheap bicycles made in England by sweated labour. Ho stated that a cheap bicvclc was being turned out at £3 jOj’ in England, and advertised in ti, n colony. It could not possibly ho mule legitimately at such a price /(requisition in favour of the course bo proposed had been signed by 2SO bicycle manufacturers. If a specific ilnfy of £'3 per machine was im-no-cd it would amount to 20 per i,nf .Vpon an ordinary machine. said lie had already placed parts for bicycles on the free list Ho quoted statistics showing ni-.f the bicycle industry had im- I proved to the extent of £IO,OOO in live years. He hoped to deal with the question of low-grade articles in x different way by making manufacturers mark them, so that no person would buy them. In this way Government hoped to deal with the whole position. Bicycle manufacturers and workers wore satisfied with lus proposals to place the iu-

tlustry on si sound basis. Mr Poole urged that something was required to bo done to prevent the production of spurious bicycle parts imitating well known British standard parts. The position was identical with the shoddy-boot importing business. If the Minister would deal with this trouble in a comprehensive manner, ho would benefit not ouly the local industry but the consumers as well. Mr Aitkon said the admission of bicycle parts free ouly meant a remission of (is per bicycle. The Minister replied that finished bicycles imported last year were rained at £71,000, whereas the total value of biovcle parts imported to be made up in the colony was £130,000. This indicated bow the industry was lounshing. Specific duties could be jailed by importing bicycles without the wheels or other parts. It would be necessary to assess every part for a specific dutyjwliich would ba impracticable. Bicycles wore manufactured for the Post Office, containing the best materials, at a cost of £0 10s. Mr Okey moved to strike the carty of 20 per cent off billhooks. The Minister explained that these implements could be made in the colony. , Messrs Hardy, Massey and Okey contended that by this duty the agricultural labourer was beiug taxed. , , , „„ "Tho amendment was iosu oj r oi votes to 24. . I Sir W. Steward moved to strike out the duty of 20 per cent on cash registers with a view to inserting 10 per cent —the old duty. Mr Millar said he knew exactly what the profits were from these machines, and what they wore selling at. Cash registers wore a luxury and uot a necessity—they were simply a check on the honesty of the (employee. I The amendment was lost by 42 Irotes to 22.

Mr Arnold moved to omit cast-iron pipes Bft. in diameter and upwards rased for sewage purposes from the ho per cent duty. lie said this duty [would mean an extra expenditure of [f!2oo to the Dunedin City Council. I Mr Millar said lie could not make la tariff to meet one particular case. I Tiic amendment was lost by 44 Irotes to 20. I Mr A. L. D. Fraser mover, to rcItace the duty on gas-producing Iplaut, motors, etc., from 20 to 10 per scent. He pointed out that as the ■danse read gas meters had to pay 30

per cent. Mr Millar said the duty had boon [imposed because gas companies wore [getting in some of the most ridijcuious things under the heading l‘gas manufactures.” Tho_ whole (revenue from gas companies uid not laoant to £3OOO a year. He was, ■however, finite prepared to put gas kml electrical motors on the free list. I Ilia amendment was lost on .the Iroiees.

[Mr Buddo moved that extra parts lor reapers ami binders bo not made blear 20 per cent duty under the pachinery heading, ‘‘manufactured pr partly manufactured articles of petal. If the main machine did not bear this duty the parts thereof ihonld not do so. This duty was bow being collected. It being pointed out that there pas a misinterpretation of the Act, the Minister of Customs promised to

look into the matter. 1 Mr Buddo accordingly withdrew pis amendment, owing to the Minister's explanation. Mr A. L. D. Fraser moved to plow gas-producing machinery to p imported at 10 per cent instead K2O per cent. He pointed out that (0 per cent was the old duty.

I The Minister said that as gas onfcios wore allowed in free, it would Be unfair to allow further concessions in this direction, in view of ■tiro fact that electrical machinery ■bore a 10 per cent duty. I Tim chairman ruled the amond■seat out of order, as the item ■ought to be amended, ‘‘machinery pot otherwise enumerated, ’ ’ had al■Rady been passed. I Class 13, ‘ dealing with manufaclares of metal, was adopted as a ■hole, and the Minister then moved ■o report progress. I This was agreed to and the House ■seat la.m. I September 11. I The House met at 2.80 p.m. lln reply to questions, Ministers Stated— ~ ~ ■ That a short Bill, amending the ■povernmeut Advances to Settlers Bet has been prepared, which Will Blp to obviate any unavoidable ■Hay in advancing cash for authorBed loans. ■ J That the Bank of New Zealand is Bader the Companies Act, and thereBte cannot be compelled, without Bjislation, to disclose for the infor•Bition of the public the names of B# shareholders.

H l Government do not propose to mBoduce baukiag legislation this sesBoa. ■ The question of amending the Ad■'Bailees'l to Workers’Act to enable Bsees of laud held under mining Bis to obtain advances for purposes Meeting residences, is under con* hßjTiiat steps "will bo taken to obtain Vißfcvailalile. information on the sub-B'-lof oiliug roads. hßTliat the Public Works Department - B !l l be classified in common with iBl other Departments of the service ifHwt hare not yet been dealt with in Bl general scheme of classification. ;«‘hat the question as to the reform BJfte Hospital and Charitable Aid *‘>em is receiving the consideration Government, and it is iioped the B* Hospitals and Charitable InBjutious Bill will be introduced ■Jt session. Wlie Land and Income Assessment was reported from the Pnblic Blunts Committee. .■•reply to Mr Massey, the Prc|B?t stated tliat as soon as the Tariff • was put through the Land and Tax Assessment Bill would with, to be followed by Bill, Endowment Bill, and ■*W»tive Land Bill. House thou went into Comon the Tariff Bill. : Mauder urged that the duty bo taken off ironbark and timber. __ Hon. J. A. Millar said the was closing its doorg

to everything from Now Zealand and lie fa Led to see why timber from Australia should ho admitted free to compete with hundreds of workers in the timber industry of New Zealand. Mr Barber said there was something wrong when jarrah timber, paying a duty of 2s per 100 ft, could be" lauded in Wellington cheaper than totara and other New Zealand timbers.

The Premier said there were thousands of men earning a, living as timber procurers, and if Australian timber was admitted free it would seriously interfere with these workmen and would tend to the stagnation of the labour market. We were anxious to see a neighbourly and brotherly feeling existing between Australia and New Zealand. Until we knew of what the Federal jftariff would ultimately .consist we_ could not discuss matters of a reciprocal treaty with Australia, slid it would not bo fair to our tindSef-getters and timber millers to throw the do6r open to a country which was erecting high protection against other countries.

The House adjourned at 5.80. The House resumed at 7.80. At “Grain and pulse, every kind, when ground or in any way manufactured, u.0.e., or in any wheat and flour”—

The Premier made a lengthy statement re the flour duty. Mr Fisher said the proposition submitted by the Premier contained an element of daugef, as the Go-vernor-in-Council really meant the Ministry. He urged that a Tariff Board should be instituted on the lines of Industrial Boards, and which should be free from every commercial interest. It was time, ho added, that the Premier had undertaken to bring down legislation, but would

be pass it? Mr Hogg thanked the Premier for his very generous offer,' and was rather inclined to accept it, hut for reasons which lie would outline he would stand to his guns. Mr Massey said he agreed with the Premier, but he contended that the Premier’s proposals were really the proposals of Mr Okoy, the junior member of tno Opposition. Ho believed that if flour‘came in duty free wheat would also come in free of duty; otherwise the flourmillers of the colony would have to pay duty on imported wheat and the consequence would bo that the millers would have to close up. Some members appeared to think the abolition of the duty would benefit the consumer, but as an exporting country, this , was not so, as the price of wheat was governed by the price in the Loudon market. Ho did not believe in the proposal regarding the Gover-nor-iu-Couucil, hut he urged that a sliding scale should be adopted. However, lie welcomed the Premier’s proposal to bring • down a Bill. Then the House could adjust it. Mr Millar explained that the Premier had already intimated that the Bill would contain a clause providing for power to he exercised by the Goveruor-iu-Gouucil when the commodity reached a certain price.