PARLIAMENT.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXX, Issue 43, 7 October 1914, Page 8

PARLIAMENT.

' v HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, j [Per Press Association. J Wellington, October G. In reply to Mr Coates, the Minister’for Public Works said that he Avonld bring down the Public Works Statement as soon as it was printed, but he thought that it would be some weeks yet. The Premier introduced the Orchards find Garden .Diseases Amendment Bill, and it was read a first time. Mr Massey also introduced the Wages Protection and Contractors’ Lien Bill Amendment, which was read a first time. Upon a financial return being laid upon the table, Mr Russell raised the question of Mr Myers’ short-dated loan, and declared that the Hon. Allen had been able to convert Mr Myers’ loan upon better terms than he could raise his own.—Mr Myers! contended that circumstances justified him in raising the loan for two years, and his action had turned out' to lie in the best interests of the, country.—Hon. Bnddo contended that, the Myers loan compared more than favorably with the Allen loan.—Mr , Pearce -said it was amusing to listen to the statements made by the Oppo-. sition regarding the Myers - loan.— ,j Hi reply, Hon. Allen said be admitted: the difficulties which had faced Mrj Myers when be came into office. The Myers loan was not renewed nor con-i verted. It was paid .off absolutely. The large financers in London bad New Zealand by the throat, and would not renew or convert, but held the money to collect brokerage and underwriting fees. The position of New Zealand upon the London money market bad steadily improved since the present Government had taken office. The Myers loan had cost £0 Is Id, while the last loan raised by , ,the Government cost £4. Is 3d. Hon. Fisher read a. statement re- j ceived from the officer in charge of the State Fire Insurance Department, ( showing that there had been no decrease in .business, but an increase. The last two years bad been the most successful in the history of the office. Bills were introduced by Messages from the Governor as follows; ■ Breeding Horses for Military Purposes; Workers’ Dwelling Act Amendment ; Encouragement of the Manufacture of Iron and Steel; ’Education Act Amendment; Cook Islands, Shipping ;.apd. Imprest Supply No. 5. . Mr Russell uvged . that in -view of the avalanche of Bills coming down, the Government should say what “in. , accents” were to he “slaughtered,” so that members would know the position.—The Premier declared that he was quite prepared to make the number 26. He pointed out that the corresponding session three years ago saw •them faced wjth a larger number of Bills at this time in the session., A large number of the Bills lie proposed to bring down were non-con-tentions. .There .were one or two other Bills, a Loan Bill, a small Na- | five Bill, and a short Legislature Bill. : He. saw no reason why they should not do work thoroughly and wfell within the. present month. Mr Massey : explained that the Workers’ Dwellings. Bill made several necessary imendmens. In the first place it increased the maximum limit that might he \ent for a worker’s dwelling from £6OO to £760. It also abolished the limit of half-an-acre in a borough and five acVes outside a borough, instead of which it was proposed to fix a value limit of £250. LOCAL RAILWAYS BILL. The House then went into Committee on the Local Railways Bill. Hon. Fraser announced that he was prepared to eliminate clause 90, which . provides that a hoard may, with the ; consent of tile Governor, sell, lease, s assign or part with a railway, to • which clause there had been so much • opposition. 1 Messrs MteCallum and Buddo, -while ■ admitting that the Bill had some good points, said its main features were such that unless amended they must continue their opposition. Dr. Newman said the Bill was a henighetd Bill, one that came out of the Dark Ages. People came to the House and rolled a log, and got the country to take their financial failures over. All the country wanted was good roads and motor traction. In the evening, the discussion, on the Bill was resumed. Hon. W. Fraser said the Bill provided for all objections raised by the Opposition. All the Bill did was to .give the settlers themselves the right to build the line if the Government would not find the money. The Opposition continued the criticism of the Local Railways -’Bill in committee, the arguments of the speakers all being directed against the principle of the measure. Sir James Carroll declared that the Bill showed the Government was at a confessional. It was a practical acknowledgment that they were not able to meet the requirements of the country, and were trying to shelve the responsibility'On to the shoulders of the settlers. He did not object to district railways, but the B IS attempted to do the right thing in a wrong way. Clause 1 was passed a 10.55 p.m. The discussion continued until 1.30, Clause 90 being struck out on the motion of the Minister, and the Bill then passed without further 'amendment. j The Rangitaiki Land Drainage Act Amendment Bill- passed through committee without further amendment. | The House rose at 1.45 a.m.