PARLIAMENT.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXX, Issue 56, 2 November 1914, Page 2

PARLIAMENT.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

[Psa Pbebi Abboouthon.J Wellington, November 1 The Council met at 2.30 p.m.

IKON AND STEEL INDUSTRIES. The Iron and Steel Industries Bill was received from the House, and passed through all stages. Clauses 12 and 13, dealing with the offences against the Act, were struck out, Hod . Hell explaining that such offences were already punishable by law.

LEGISLATORS AND COMMISSIONS

The Legislative Amendment Bill, No 2, was read a first time. The measure makes plain the position of members of Parliament who accept commission upon the sale of laud, to the Crown. Any member who accepts commission upon such a sale is liable .to forfeit his seat.

The Council rose at 4.15 p.m. The Council resumed at 8.15 p.m

The Legislative Amendment Bill xN T o. 2, was taken in Committee, reported without amendment, and passed.

The Council adjourned at 8.20 p.m until the ringing of the bell.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

The House met at 2.30 p.m. IMPREST SUPPLY BILL. The Imprest Supply Bill,- authorising the payment of £2,079,01)0, was introduced by Governor's Message. Sir Joseph Ward asked why the finaucial returns for the September quarter had not been published. ELECTORAL. Sir Joseph Ward also made another complaint about the wholesale manner in which well-known people were taken off the rolls, although they had not changed their addresses. He suggest, ed legislation enfranchising everyone who had been three months in a district and a year in the Dominion. Mr Isitt said that unless something was done a great many people would bo disfranchised. He strongly supported the idea of allowing people to vote on a declaration before the returning officer on polling day. Hon. Herdman pointed out that under the Legislature Act Amendment, people whose names had been inadvertently left off the roll could vote by making a declaration before the return, ing officer. The Premier read a report from the Electoral Depratment which set out that all the main rolls except Wairarapa were now issued. Mr Masse}' also read reports from registrars, the result of whose works he claimed would result in clean rolls. FINANCIAL DEBATE. Hon. Allen, in reply to Sir Joseph Ward, said that the September quarterly returns had been sent to the Audit Department on the 14th inst. Tlioy had not yet been returned, and that was the reason they had not been published.

Mr G. W. Russell declared that we were rapidly getting into a most unsatisfactory financial position. The last Liberal surplus was £807,000. The last "Reform" surplus was £376,000, a decline that was rapidly driving us to a deficit. Instead of decreasing expenditure had proportionately increased, while the last six months of railway revenue had simply been disastrous. Taxation had risen by 13s Id per head since the present Government took office, lending to settlers had decreased, it -was less firm, and his opinion was that our finances would never be restored until Sir Joseph Ward was at the head of the Treasury again. On resuming at 7.30 p.m. Sir Joseph Ward continued the debate upon the Imprest Supply Bill. He quoted figures to show that land settlement under the Massey administration was lower than at any period in the Liberal Government's history. He also quoted figures to show that more money had been spent upon roads and bridges each year by the Liberals than by the present Government. He pointed out that in two years of "Reform" Government the unexpended votes totalled £1,350,000.

The Prime Minister accused the Leader of the Opposition of want of candour. He.had told the House that there were only 100,000 acres of firstclass Crown land available when the present Government came into office, and with that limited area it Avas impossible that settlement coulcl proceed as rapidly as when there were millions of acres open for settlement. Iu- two years they had put 4135 settlers on the land, and that record, he claimed, was as good as anything the Liberal party had ever done. So far as land for settlement was concerned the present Government had multiplied their predecessors' record so far as area was concerned by ten. He quoted figure; to sbow the number of settlers who acquired the fee simple of their lands from whom the Crown received £236,958. That was very satisfactory, and he still thought that when things again become normal the State would be re ceiving £500,000 per annum from these settlers.

Tho debate Was continued by Messrs Witty, Hon. Fraser and Atmore, who was speaking at the supper adjournment.

After the supper adjournment, the debate was continued by Messrs 'Webb. Glover and Seddon. »

Hon. Allen then briefly replied, eon tending in answer to Mr Russell that it was unfair to judge tho revenue <>i> the first half of the year. He predicted that our finance would he perre.ctly satisfactory before the year was out. So far as the Advances Office was concerned, the loans were first c:ut down by the Ward Government, but the ftct had been concealed from the people. His Government had restored the finances of this Department, and were only compelled to reduce because of th© war. There was no holding

uioney back, and there was a larger vote tor workers' dwellings ou the Public Works Estimates than ever in the history of the Dominion. Instead of taxation being increased by I3s Id per head, taxation had been reduced. The Bill was then read a second time, and passed the committee stage. On the third reading, Sir Joseph Ward claimed that the increases in taxation during his time included the cost of the defence scheme and the Dreadnought. He had nofc professed to reduce taxation, but had given the people enormous concessions in many of the remissions. The charge against the Government was that after they had said that taxation should be reduced, they had increased it.

The Bill was then read a third time and passed.

A MILD SCENE

At 11.57 p.m. the Premier moved that the House adjourn till II a.m. on Monday. Sir Joseph Ward: Why 11 o'clock ou Monday morning. The Premier: Don't you want to finish? Sir Joseph Ward: If the Premier will say when he is going to close down, it will help us to make up our minds. Mr Massey (hoatedly): We are going to finish when the Opposition stop their obstruction. I am going to put our programme through if we stop hero till the middle of December. Sir Joseph Ward (warmly): Very well, we will stop here till the middle of December. At the same time considering the hours we have been keeping it is most unfair to ask members to meet at eleven o'clock.

The House adjourned at midnight, amid disorder.