PARLIAMENT.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVI, Issue 91, 21 August 1913, Page 2

PARLIAMENT.

! 'LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. »j 1 i ' ' : WtDNTjjSJU AY, AUGUST 20. n 1 ***• Wellington, 20. ' Ttyej Legislative Cofincil sresamed at 1.30, ~. i( i-ji:!j* ' •'< '! COUNCIL i REFORM. ;y ' : Three weeks’ extension was granted o the Legislative Council Constituion Reform Committee in which to report. FIRST READINGS. I The Local Bodies’ Loans, Methodist Union, State Advances and. Ronan Catholic Archbishop Empowering Bill were read a first time. , AUCKLAND UNIVERSITY COUN- .. CIL. V! .Replying to a question by Sir M. VRorke, the Hon, ,H.,D. Bell said hat the Government was considering he question of offering a site in the ity of Auckland to the University Council for a new college building. The. Council adjourned till 2.30 on Friday.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. QUESTION DAY. } In repy to questions, Ministers said:— MONEY OX DEPOSIT. It was not proposed to give county councils power to accept money on deposit at call, as is provided in the Municipal Corporations’ Act. DOMINION BANKING. It was not proposed to abolish the special legislation necessary to enable banking institutions to carry on business in the Dominion. ■: WIRELESS TELEGRAPHY. Grants had been made to recognised ■lasses in electricity to assist in the purchase of apparatus demonstrating the principles of wireless, telegraphy. DANGEROUS RAILWAY CROSSINGS. The matter of protecting dangerous railway level crossings ha'd been engaging the attention of the Department for some time past. POLICE EXAMINATIONS. It is not intended to postpone-the police proficiency examinations fixed for the present year. From Ist September parcels receipts given by the Postal Department will not be paid for by the addressee, Put by the Department. COUNTRY SAVINGS BANKS.

Arrangements will be made for keeping open Post Office Savings Banks at offices which are open between 7 p.m. and 8 p.rn. for the receipt of telegrams. INDIAN COOLIES. The admission of Indian collies into the Dominion is now being dealt with by the Government,, FIRST READINGS. The River Boards’ Amendment Bill (Mr Fiord man). Land Drainage Amendment Bill’(Mr Massey),. Science and Art Bill (Air Fisher), Local Elections and Polls Amendment Bill /Mr ■flerdman), and Counties’ Amendment ?Bill (Mr Herdman), were read a first ■time. ;'/ AUDIT ARY TRAINING. Replying to Colonel Weld), Air Allen said that there was no discrimination in the matter of apprehending youths who refused to comply with the law regarding military training. It. was a fact that numbers of defaulters had not been brought to book, but it was very difficult to trace those who refused dutv. As soon as they were found

proceedings were immediately instituted. THE BUDGET DEBATE. Mr A. Harris continued the debate on the Budget. He contended that the Opposition would find out what the country thought of the Reform Government at the next election. Dr. Pomare said that there was nothing in.regard to the, administration of the Cook Islands which the Government was afraid to lay on the table of the House. Judge McCormack’s report was furnished at his < Dr. Pomare’») instance, and not at the instance of any member, and, therefore, it was quite natural that he should keep it in his own office. He traversed Mr Isitt’s statements of the previous evening concerning the mismanagement of the Islands by the present Government. Dr. Pomare, continuing on tbe evening resumption, said that bush beer drinking had been a custom in the Islands ever since bananas were known. Judge McCormack bad reported that the drinking was not increasing in the Islands. What bad occurred was that the elder people bad lessened their consumption and the voungcr men were less discreet than their elders were.

Mr J. Robertson followed. He dealt it great length with what he tenant “political turncoats.” He chided he Government with being on the Ministerial benches by tbe aid of turnoats. Ho defended the Social Demo■ratic Party against responsibility for be views and actions of the> Red Federation, which it succeeded'. He also lenonneed the attempt of the Reform Party’s organ “Light and Liberty” o brand the Social Democrats as a >arty hostile to religion, a charge completely answered by the fact that ■n their ranks were Salvationists and Jhurch of England clergymen. The ittempt of the Reform Party to stir ip religious prejudice was despicable. Re proceeded to quote, on behalf of die member for Grey Lynn, several distances ,of alleged maladministration n the Defence Department. Pcrsondly, he was not against defence, but ie thought it would pay the country handsomely to give a Dreadnought to ho navy every two or three years, •ather than spend the money it was loing on compulsory training. The country had been crying out for tariff ■evision. They cried for bread and veto offered a stone. There was no alk by the Government of a reduction of the cost of living. The Governnont was not in a hurry to ..effect inything in that direction. ■ Mr R. W. Smith (Waimarino), do-' ilored the absence of any policy in the Budget. It was, as 1 one Reformer! expressed it, “a crude statement, devoid alike of originality and initia.ive.’bf He severely criticised the policy of innuendo! indulged in by the deform Party.; prior to i the election,! •om pared with the failure to substaiiri fate suggestions of conniption since :hey had been able to got at the pigeon hole*. The House had been told that .the. policy of,,the, Government vould be declared in Bills brought to mi. Where were these Bills? Where were the promises of a reduction of Customs duties? Where was the “square deal” to wbrhers? All the workers had got was an increase in the price of coal and a reduct'ioii of the rates of pay on public woi'ks. Where was the assured finance for local bodies? Local bodies had never been so starved since the present Government came into power, because they had diverted £200,000 that ought to have been spent with 1 {lie backblocks, since the back-blockers had had a hard winter. The freehold given iva* more or less a farce, and he challenged the Government to do justice to the Main Trunk settlers. , Mr Wilkinson continued the debat. till 11.35, when the debate was adjourned on the motion of Mr H. G. Ell, and the House rose.