PARLIAMENTARY

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2312, 14 August 1880, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

Friday, Aug 13,

Mr Waterhouse gave notice to move that in the opinion of this Council the New Plymouth Harbor Board should be called upon to refund the laud fund receipts they have spent contrary to law, and that failing such refund the members should be proceeded agaiust individually to recover the money. A motion was carried for the production of all correspondence relating to the Waipa land dispute.

Mr Waterhouse said that unless Government were prudent in this matter the trouble on the West Coast would be transferred to the East Coast. Ho advised the Government to acquire the disputed land for £3OO or £4OO under the Public Works Act, and restore it to the natives. HOUSE OF HEPEESENTATIVES. RAILWAY COMMISSIONERS’ REPORT. The adjourned debate on going into Supply' and Mr Pyko’s amendment re Hail way Commission was resinned by Mr Wright, who said he was perfectly well aware that lie would have a very heavy task indeed if he undertook to convince all disappointed members that the labors ol: the Commission were fair and impartial. Referring to the Otago central railway, lie said most of the members of theComraission were disappointed in finding how very little the interior of Otago had to justify railway construction at all. The recommendations of the Commissioners had been unanimous, both in that and in every other instance. The Commissioners condemned a scheme, strongly advocated by (be late Premier, as well as one advocated by the present Premier. Then again limy condemned a project in which the Chairman of the Commission himself had long taken an interest —one of the proposed Nelson linos. In making their estimate, it was necessary for them to ascertain whether the land would warrant the cost proposed ; that was, whether it was land like that between Newmarket and Riverhcad, which would hardly carry a beast to the square mile, or like (hat between Wanganui and Hawera, which would hardly carry' a beast to the acre. It had been stated to the House that the cost of working the Dunedin station for a certain period was £ ( JOt), while the cost of the Christchurch one was £I2OO. That was a wilful perversion of the truth, as the fact was that the guards were included in one case, and not in the other. The Commissioners found out the truth soon after the statement was made, hut took no steps to correct the misstatement. The proposal to make a railway to Waugarci was about one of the maddest projects ever heard of, as the district was supplied with splendid water carnage. Mr Sheehan had complained that the report was calculated to revolutionise the Public Works policy. He looked upon that as one of the highest compliments that could bo paid to their labors. It was that Public Works policy', which required to be revolutionised, and unless it was revolutionised it would be a bad thing for the colony'. Mr Gisborne had talked about the Commission scouring the country. It was not necessary that they should have proceeded at a snail’s pace to ascertain what they' required. The member fur the Dnnstan charged them with rnralising when they were in his district. Ho could recall facts of sumo travelling theatrical company being in the district at the time, and when they' enquired as to the whereabouts of that bon gentleman they found he was starring in the Vincent County with the prima donna of the troupe. Charity, they say, began at borne, and lie would leave the House to judge how far charitable Intentions had to do with the proceedings of the lion gentleman and the prima donna. Me was disappointed with the Public Works Statement. Had the report been adopted in its entirety' it would have been much better. He was afraid the Minister for Public Works hud too ranch stress on the coal measures of the country-’, and too little on the agricultural interests. The Statement, to his mind, siiowcd the over-ruling influence of the Engineer for the Middle Island. The Commission recommended that the railway'should bo removed from political influence. They' had strong evidence of the necessity for that. Ho suggested that if no better scheme could be devised, he was in favor of the habit of allowing all employees to share in all profits over <4 per cent. Ho ventured to say that an arrangement of that kind would have the effect of bringing about a great reform in the economic and eJlicicnt working of the lines. If the motion was carried it would rellect more upon the House than upon the Commission.

.Mr Macamircw said he did not consider the opinion of the Commissioners in any respect better than that of any other member. His own opinion so far as the Otago line was concerned, ought to be of greater importance than that of gentlemen who simply made a hurried run through the district. The mistake made by the Commissioners was (hat they were guided by the existing population. His contention was that if the country was fit for settlement it was lit for railways, and population was bound to come. He agreed that the now wharf at Wellington was a mistake, hut lie imagined the depression would not last long, and that the wharf would yet bo lined with shipping. Replying to charges made against himself by Mr Saunders, he understood the grounds of his offending was that he had left a number of railway carriages exposed to the weather, and that serious charges had been made against himself for having spent money needlessly for the purpose of building sheds for railway cars. The evidence of the Civil Service Commission was, when looked into, of very little worth. It was given in many instances by discharged servants and others who had personal or perhaps political bias, and lie for one was quite prepared to bear such contumely. Mr Oliver read the following telegram from the Commissioner of South Island llailways (Mr Conyers) .- “Dunedin, August 11, 1880. —lion. Minister for Public Works, Wellington.—Mr Richardson stated in the House that I hud deliberately altered figures representing the cost of working the Christchurch and Dunedin passenger stations. This I positively deny. Kvery return or statemerit supplied is, so far as I have the means of knowing, correct. The accountant first supplied me with the cost of working the stations, both having been, prepared in Christchurch. The Dunedin manager was called upon to correct the Dunedin one. He said the accountant had included all the employees on the

stationmaster’s pay-sheet, including shunters, level-crossing keepers,guards, etc., not connected with the working of passenger stations. The manager’s correction was telegraphed, his veracity being undoubted. ' After my return the accountant was telegraphed direct from Wellington for his figures, and lie of course replied the same as he had sen! me. This accounts for tho apparent discrepancy. Signed W. Conyers.” Mr Richardson said he would not have mentioned the matter had he not been challenged toj name a case of inaccuracy on the part of the Commission.

Mr Saunders said ho distrusted Select Committees and Civil Servants, but he had entire faith in the recommendations of the Commissioners. Mr Brandon said the evidence taken by the Commission was at variance with tho judgment given by these gentlemen.

Mr Colbeck described the report as a most unjustifiable one as regarded the north Auckland railway. Mr Johnston spoke in favor of the Wellington-Foxton lino. Mr Lundon considered the report fair and honest. Major Atkinson complimented the member for Coleridge on his excellent speech, and contended that the report was a most valuable one. Mr Montgomery also spoke approvingly of the report. On the motion of Mr Hall the debate was adjourned by 2L to 3-f. HOSPITALS' BILL. Major Atkinson moved that all the other'Orders of the Day be adjourned so allow them to bring on the Hospitals and and Charitable Institutions Bill. Mr Pyke said tho debate just adjourned would be renewed on Monday. Major Harris said in that case the Estimates would follow when the Government, as usual, was asleep on the benches. The House divided : Ayes 37 ; Noes 27. Mr Sheehan moved the adjounimcnl of the House. He said that the work they were attempting to do was absurd. Mr I’ykc asked Government to state what they really meant fo do. They sal there, and did not seem to know what they were about, Tho position was a most extraordinary one. The motion for adjournment was lost on a division by 33 to 32.

Mr Sbrhnski hoped Government would give in now they had only a majority of one.

Mr Bunny moved that the debate bo now adjourned. Mr Beeves was sorry to sec the humiliating position of the Government, and did not believe it had a precedent in Parliamentary experience. He hoped the Premier would show -that he had some good common sense left. The motion for the adjournment of the debate was put and lost on the voices.

The House then went into Committee on the Hospital and Charitable Institutions Bill. After reading the first two clauses, Mr Hall moved that progress be reported, and at 12.80 the House adjourned.