FRIDAY.

Te Aroha News, Volume III, Issue 109, 4 July 1885, Page 5

FRIDAY.

Extension of Polling Hours. In asking the Government whether they would take charge of the bills now before the House for the extension of the hours of polling at Parliamentary elections, Mr Barron said that the opinion was held by many hon. members, and had been enforced by the Premier, that when a measure of great public importance such as thesequestions came up for consideration, they should not be introduced by private members if the Government could possibly be prevailed on to introduce them. The Imperial Go^ vernment had very recently extended the hours of polling for Parliamentary and municipal elections. Mr Stout said that as so many bills had been introduced by the Government, they could not be prepared to take this bill up this session, but would be prepared to do so next session, which would be before the general election took place. If there was a wish for a general election, the Government would proceed with the measure. Replies to Questions.

Iq answer to other questions, Ministers said the/ were of opinion that there were not sufficient boys in the industrial schools in the colony to man more than one training ship. Therefore they did not feel justified in placing a sum of money on the Estimates to defray the cost of maintaining any training ships at present, but would take the matter into consideration during the recess. A new clause would be added to the Land Bill dealing with ungranted sections of land that were originally selected under the New Zealand Settlements Act. They did not see, as to periodically moving inspectors of police, why distinction should bs made between the goldfields districts and other parts of the colony. If inspectors discharged their duties satisfactorily, it was not advisable (unless special circumstances existed) in the interests of good administration that they should be moved to other places. The Government thought that, as was the case in Auckland, it was necessary that the cost of administering the Contagious Diseases Act should be borne by the local governing bodies, and had so intimated to the authorities in Christchurch. It would bo manifestly unfair to place such an expenditure on the colony, and as they had read the remarks of the Resident Magistrate at Christchurch in connection with this matter, it reflected more on the local bodies than on the Government.

New Bills. Mv Fisher gave notice of a< bill to amendthe Police Offences Act of last'year.. ' ..

Government Printing Office. Mr Joyce moved the adjournment of the House with the object of enabling him to say that with the member for Holsonui he had visited the Government Printing Office that morning, and saw a sight so indescribably revolting that out of humanity to the people employed there he felt it his duty to bring the matter before the House at once. He hoped that members would take the trouble of inspecting the place for themselves in order to realise its unsanitary condition. , Other members having spoken, the Premier stated that the Government had submitted a vote for a new printing offiqe. Motion withdrawn.

Counties Act Amendment. In moving the second reading of the Counties Act Amendment Bill, Mr Stout said it gave information as to the principle which guided the Government in framing this measure. At the present there were boroughs and cities, town districts, road boards and counties, and therefore different kinds of local bodies who had specially to provide for the maintenance of roads and bridges, and other, things connected with looal .government. It was. proposed to have two kinds of *local bodies, by merging cities and boroughs and by merging counties and road boards,

(Hear, hear.) Those districts which preferred the road board system migLt remain as th«y were. The Government bad recog•ised that in the measure of reform dealing with local government it was necessary to proceed cautiously, and not to overturn the existing institutions. An important provision was that no new ridings could De created except by Parliament, instead of, m formerly, merely requiring local applica tion being made to the Governor, such applications sometimes being got up under misrepresentation. It was the intention, in the first instance, to have brought down, im place of this bill, a Consolidated Counties Act, but it was found that with the large amount of Government business for the session vhi-s was impuieticable Mr Skdoon moved (hat the debate on the second tcduiug be adjourned till .Tuesday, 'Aiiteh *> ;^ <iiiieed to

State Forests Bill. In moving tuo •• couu reading of the New Zeuiaud Ota to .Forests Bill, Sir JULIUS Vogel said that many members would recognise in the present bill a reproduction of the bill which passed in 1874 and was repoaled in 1876. So far as he had been able to discover, there were three reasons which at that time induced the repeal of the bill, none of which now existed. Mr Stewart thought the Legislature should have directed its attention to preserving the existing forests. He doubted how far the scheme of encouraging the planting of trees with a view of paying off the £50,000 which it was proposed to borrow trom loan would be successful. Mr Stout pointed out that when any Government measure was brought up, the other side at once asked for an adjournment;. He hoped the bill would be passed, because throughout the colony timber was being ruthlessiy destroyed. It was heartrending to notice the wilful destruction of kauri forests in the North Island. Not only would the bill, if passed, establish in dustries, but looking at it from a climatic view, it should be supported, because if the State did cot look atter the forest-, disaster would be the re-^ult to agriculturists He hoped the member for Waiiemata would I withdraw his motion by leave of the j House. Mr Bevax said that, coming from one of the thickest timbered portions of the colony, he had much pleasure in supporting the bill In the district he came from timber could be delivered on ship in logs at from 5s to 5s 6d per cwt. Mr Kolleston said that s© far as the bill was new, he did not like if. He thought that the Legislature had done wisely in repealing the State Forests Act, which was done in 1877, not in 1876, as the Treasurer had stated. That gentleman should have informed the House that after the repeal of that Act, those of its provisions relating to the conservation of forests were embodied in the Land Act of 1877, and now appeared on the Statute Book. His principal objection to the bill was the creation of a new department, the work of which could well be undertaken by the existing departments. Mr Baiaance said that in large forests the destruction of timber was going on with great recklessness, and he was endeavouring to stem this, though, of course, it was a matter of great difficulty. It was intendec 1 . to conserve these fore&ts on lands unfit for settlement. After Messrs Hurst and Peacock had criticised the bill, the hour of adjournment was announced.