PARLIAMENT.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVIII, Issue 36, 12 October 1915, Page 7

PARLIAMENT.

wJUNOIL. . HUN. J. ALuLu hi iY.JIvLD, iI.K i'ltlSSS ABSOOUWW. ; Wellington, October 11. \\heu Llio Council mot at 6 p.m., j Liic Railways improvement Authorisation lijli was introduced and react a second time. On Lhc motion tor the second reading ol tno Deienee Amendment Bill, [ tion. J. Ban attacked the administration of the Defence Minister, bio [condemned the 'Trentbarn camp arIraugemeuts, and .said tnat Ministers had not lis 1 to tJic occasion. He referred to ti e bitterness caused by the establishment of the Lord Liverpool Regiment, and challenged the appointI menfc of a special newspaper correspondent. J!l asserted that Colonel jxihodes' mission would be futile, and j lie spoke of inefficient men at the Ihead of afiak-s. He .said the country had to look to these men for guidance. i lions. VY. Baillic, W. Hall-Jones, J. McGibbou, and it. Moore defended tne Defence Minister. lion. Sir F. H. D. 801 l said the Minister had devoted himself day and night to the service oi the country, and i'e doubted whether any ordinary individual could estimate the amount of work the Minister had undertaken.. He bad uofc been obstinate, and as far as time had allowed he had skou'ii every attention to suggestions made. Then there were matters oi which the Minister (.Mr Allen) could not speak, J at is, the commendation that had been.given the work of the Defence Department by the Army Council, it was necessary, when so strong a nattack was made, that one who, like himself, could speak from HTsonal privileges, that he should state what big convictions were. it was impossible for him to do more, owing to want of time, than merely defend his colleague, lie moved the second reading. The amendments made by his Excellency in the Gaming Bill were agreed to, on a division, by 12 to 6. The following Bills were read, reported from committee, and passed tho final stages: Bailway improvement Authorisation, Legislative Council Amendment, Public Service Classifi- ! cationcation . nd Superannuation Bill j (No. 2), Rating Amendment, Shops j and Offices Amendment. Amendments made by the House of I Representatives in the Reserves and I Other LanJiti Disposal by Public j Bodies Empowering Bill were agreed I to, and the Council adjourned at 11.35 p.m. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. I Tho House met at 2.30. Replying x,o questions, the Minister of Defence said that all cases of men with varices; veins were not rejected, but if cases could not be successfully operated on they were not. accepted. Sir Joseph Ward made a comparative statement of the revenue showing an increase of £70,060 in the year ended September 30, 1915, as against the . previous year. For the six months ended September, the timber increase f was £77,133 over Iho similar period last year, aid for the month of September a de Tense of £1593. lie ex- ,' plained that .the decrease was duo j to large pay nents made in the previous month as the result of with-

diiiwals from bond to escape Budge proposals. We simply got revenue in advance. SECOND HEADINGS. i'Jie second leading oi the Kail way improvement Authorisation lull was learned wimout discussion. The Bib < authorised certain railway improvelinoiiu, and reclamation works in I Auckland haroor. ; iie Hon. Jas. Alien moved the second reading of the Defence Amendment jiilJj providing tor the extension 01 tiie War i.'ensioiis Act Lo membert mi the Expeditionary Forces while in INow Zealand, and lor recognition oi [tiie .National Reserve. i Messrs MoCoinbs, Webb, and Payne described the incisure as half-heart-ed, and the,, especially opposed the 'provision that the pensions board shall take in .o consideration the fact 'that deatii or disablement occurred in New Zealand. In the discussion that followed speakers contended that relatives of men who died or were disabled in New Zealand were entitled to participate in tiie Pensions Act with the relatives of those who died in battle. Mr Alien explained that the clause was left somewhat indefinite to enable the Pensions Hoard to deal with each ease on its merits. He hoped that some reciprocal, arrangement might be made with England and Australia as to tiie payment to widows of soldiers who had belonged to those countries. The Kail ways Authorisation Bill was considered in committee, and reported '.vitho.it amendment. ' The Defence. Amendment Bill parsed the committee stage with one or two slight amendments. ' j The New Zealand -University Amendment Bill was committed ', without debate, and the three Bills passed their final .stages. The Premier moved the second 'reading of the Legislative Council 'Amendment Bill, postponing the coming into operation till September, L'Jl7, with the necessary Deliberation liill introduced in accordance with an arrangement made wile lithe xNational Cabinet was lormod. The Bill passed the second reading without discussion. The Public Service Classification and Superannuation Bill was also read a second time without discussion. The Bating Amendment Bill was i'( ad a second time, after some objection had been shown. bi UNiOIPAL CORPORATIONS BILL ; The adjourned debate on the Municipal Corporations Amendment Bill uas next taken. The Minister explained that the disputed clause bearing on the Wellington municipal leases was to be withdrawn. He intended to place a clause in the Washing-up Liii postponing new assessments until after comprehensive Igoisiation dealing with the whole question of valuations oi local bodies' leases had been disposed of. Valuations made under that new legislation would be retrospective. The proposal was agi eed to on the voices. ih Shops and Offices Bill was read a econd time.

The House adjourned at 5.30 p.m. WASHING IP. 'j iie House resumed to-night at 7.50. ill committee the Legislative Counicij Amendment J3lll and the Shops and Offices Amendment Bill were 'passed without amendment. The [Public Service and Superannuation Amendment .'Sill and the Bating Amendment Bill Here passed with amendments moved by the Minister. All Bills wei'e then passed. An amendment to the Gaming Act, introduced by Governor's Message,, and transmitted to the Legislative Council for Amendment, grants an extra day's racing to the Wellington Club, and provides for the repeal of tho Act at the end of the war. The House wont into Committee of Supply to consider the Spplementary Estimates, but as no copies were available tho House adjourned to tho ringing of tho boll.

SUPPLEMLNIABA' ESTIMATES. When the House resumed at 9.55 p.m., the Supplementary Estimates came under review. Tho following amounts were voted under special Acts: Legislative departments, £1754; for Department of • Finance, £1600; lor Post and Telegraph -Department, £1511; for Working Railways, £831.1; for Public Buildings, £1571; Native Department, £764; for Mines Department, £238; fqr Department of Internal Affairs, £30,520; for Defence Department, £578; for Customs and Marine, £5398; for Department of Labour, £531; for Lands and Survey, £8843; for Department of Agriculture, £6172; for Education Department, £1398; for Stato Forests, £1836; for Scenery Preservation, £661; for Land for Settlement, for Public Trustee's Account, £4325; for Government Life Insurance, £900; for State Fire Office, £475; for Native Land Settlement, £200; for Public j Works Fund, £30,311; Land for Settlement Account, £2OO. The total estimates, amounting to '£538,741, -*To passed in an hour, and unauthorised expenditure amounting to -£186,568 Is 8d was also passed without comment. ! Resolution-, from committee were agreed to and -lie House rose at 11.30 p.m. till 10.30 to-morrow morning, when tho Appropriation Bill will he passed.