Parliamentary.

Rodney and Otamatea Times, Waitemata and Kaipara Gazette, 26 September 1903, Page 2

Parliamentary.

There are in my district many CroAvn tenants and other occupiers of land avlio have marketable timber on their land. Perhaps they own a bullock team, and they Avould bo able to put this timber out to where it would be cut up and used by sawmill-owners; but owing to the system that at present prevails they do not do this, but cut the timber down and burn it. If a clause such as I have suggested were put into the Bill I feel certain the Minister would be affording a great benefit to many occupiers of Crown land, and he would not be hurting the Crown in any way whatever. Sir, I congratulate the Minister on bringing forward this Bill, and I will do my best to help to cany it through.—Mr Harding.

No Executive has a right to usurp the law's position. He believed ihafc the Premier was the only member of the' Cabinet, who supported this infringement of justice—that if the Government were consulted as a whole this scandal would not go on. The whole of the evidence shoAved that the Premier had thrown in the Aveight of his prejudice on the liquor question against popular rights. There could be no other interpretation.—Mr Taylor.

There is nothing to prevent the Government State Fire Insurance Department being associated, for the purpose of reinsuring, Avith some of the best and strongest British companies extant for the moment. They would be very pleased indeed that a strong Department like the New Zealand Fire Department should be associated, and they would be only too glad-to^Lo the reinsurance.—The Premier.

I Avant members to understand now that, as far as I am concerned as Colonial Treasurer, Aye must keep the public Avorks expenditure within a reasonable limit. We must keep within the means We have. I shall not ask! Parliament .this year to provide more thana; milUonby way of loan. I do not think by obtaining this in the colony it will hamper the trade or commerce of the colony. I do not think it will have the slightest impression in that direction. I feel sure that employment will be plentiful. There is some bushfelling work to be done by the Government, and, if we have to slacken off, hoiionrable members will realise lioav it has come about. The colony was never in a sounder position than it is now, and it is my intention, and the intention, of my colleagues, to keep it in that position. I have said that the colony is in a good position. Our revenue proper to-day is nearly a quarter of a million better than it was for the corresponding period last year; so that the apprehension of honourable members Avhen they tell us that by cutting, down the public works expenditure of the country we are going to interfere with our revenue, and going to bring back a period of depression, is purely mythical. There has not been any reduction in the Customs, there has not been the slightest falling-off in the revenue, and under these circumstances I feel sure such a depression will not occur.—The Premier on the Imprest Supply Bill.

If the honourable gentleman is cutting down his borrowing policy to a million a year, I want to know if it is his policy to raise that million a year in the colony. There is a contradiction here. If he does attempt to raise a million a year in the colony he is going to do the colony a great deal of harm, for I cannot believe the colony, even in prosperous times, can allow the Government to borrow a million a year out of accumulated funds for public works without injury being done. It -would be disastrous to our finance if w re had to- borrow at 4 per cent. It destroys our er<vdit in London, for the Exchange will not j quote these debentures which we have con-verted, and so they wcild become a n<r, .-mai?^etable commodity so far as the Stock^ExchanglH&, concerned.—Mr Allen on the Imprest Suoplv Bill.

Like the honoura.ble members for GreyLynn, I am in favoui- of proportional representation. I should like to see the electorates enlarged and made practically coterminous with the provinces, for the?i pvwv o]ns>- - the province would have re ■

it is at pjre^e^jwhere^s.citw;" every electorate* wliqjgpnov representation. --In ir city i,. ,n,,.^ ...,..; pre-dominate.s the\pmniercial <-.i?^se^, t-.iuiiot get rejwsentatioaS^er the l' r"N2£;^|em- ! and a is-'.« ' - '-""iry~ constituencie^the

-s cannot get proper represent--it if we enlarged our constituencies ana adopted the Hare system, or a modification of that system, then every class would be able to secure its representative, and c\ rery class would be represented in Parliament just in proportion to the populations of that class. —Mr Bedford on the City Single Electorate Bill.

I scarcely understand the attitude, of the Government Avith regai-1 to this matter. First of all, I echo the request made by one member Avho has spoken this evening, by asking, Whence comes the demand for this Bill ? Who has asked for it? What necessity is is there for it? Is the country dissatisfied? I have heard no note of dissatisfaction from any part of the country with regard, to the existing electorates. I' have made inquiry in different parts of the country since the appearance of this Bill, and have asked if there Avere any persons in those different parts of the country Avho had asked for the introduction of the Bill. In not a single case haA'e I received an answer in the affirmative What can be the object of the Government in introducing the Bill? Is the present system not satisfactory to them? It may not be but it should be, because out of the twelve city representatives they have as was mentioned just now, eight out of the twelve supporting the Government. One is entitled, then, to infer that the Government is not satisfied with a proportion of two-thirds out of twelve but demand and will get, if they can, the Avhole. That seems to be rather a strong power of acquisition. It is rather greedy. I Avaut to know, then, why we should have such a proposal as this submitted to the Parliament of this country.—Mr Fisher on the City Single Electorate Bill.