THURSDAY.

Te Aroha News, Volume III, Issue 120, 19 September 1885, Page 4

THURSDAY.

Cement. < In reply to Mr Siewart, the Mimistbr of i Pdblio Works said he would have no hesitation in ©ffering a bonus for the production of 300 tons of cement in the colony.

Auckland Harbour Bill. The Auckland Harbour Bill was further considered in Committee. —Mr O'Connor moved to strike out the clause proposiug to pay the Chairman. — Mr Dargavillb opposed the motion on the ground that the duties oi the Chairman were arduous, and payment was necessary to insure the due fulfilment of the duties.— Col. Trimble saw no reason why the Chairman of the Auckland Board Bhould be treated exceptionally, and if this Chairman should be paid, there should be an amendment in the Harbour ; Act no that all Chairmen should be paid. —Captain Sutter also opposed the payment of the Chairman, saying that he believed it was the custom of the Auckland Chairman to run after masters of chips and ask them up to his house.— Mr Peacock urged that the clause should pass.— Mr O'Connor said what was required for the Chairman was a man of business, not an individual who would flunkey round after persons of importance. He objected to the breaking through of the principle of the Harbour Act, and scouted the idea that a sum of money should be paid out of revenue of Board for the entertainment of strangers. If the citizens could not entertain visitors, let them pay a M.C. for the purpose of entertaining visitors, — Mr Tornbull followed in a similar strain. —Mr Daroavillb considered the objection to the clause unreasonable. However, if the Committee would not allow the representatives of Auckland to know what the opinion of the people of Auckland was, he thought they should at once decide the matter. —Mr Fisher said the hospitalities of a city were usually dispensed by the Mayor.— Mr Burst took the same view as Mr Darga ville, saying that the Auckland Board dealt ; with yearly the sum of £60,000 or £70,000, | and the duties of Chairman were onerous, and likely to increase jear by year. He pointed out that not a single local man opposed the proposal. — Mr Peacock said that tbe amount of salary proposed ipigbfc be reduced. —Mr Hobbs alluded to the danger of making the position honorary, and pointed to the recent defalcations in connection with the Auckland Grammar School, where the Chairman had acted without salary. —Mr O'Connor said that when the Board could not get a man to perform the duties of chairman without pay, then they should pome to the House. — Mr Dodson argued in favour of leaving the clause unaltered, and the power in the hands of the Board. - Mr T. Thompson said that the matter might fairly be left to the Board, though good business men could not expect j always to be found in the ranks of those who could afford to give their time for j nothing. — On division, the clause wa3 struck j out by 25 to 20. Several other amendments were made, and the bill was read a third time and passed.

Other Bill*. The Wellington Harbour Board Bill was thrown out on second reading. The House went into Committee on the Miners' Bights Reduction Bill, but the discussion was interrupted by the 5.30 adjournment,

Captain Russell's Motion. On resuming at 730, the adjourned debate on Captain Russell's motion for a reduction of jbhe Public Works Estimates by half -a - million was taken, Mr Scobie McKenzie opened the debate, t and in the course of his remarks said that those supporters of the Govern- | ment who advised Ministers to hold office after their tariff proposals and the Meigga contract were rejected, did wrong. He was himself one of those who were responsible, and he regretted ife. He accused the Canter- | bury members of log rolling, and contended that the Otago Central line could not b« compared with the East and West Coast lioe. — Mr Wakepield took the opportunity of disclaiming that he wasopposedto the construction of the East and West Coast railway. — Mr Peacock considered that the attempt to reduce the Estimates by half a million was a perfectly legitimate thing to do, particularly when the attempt was made in a friendly spirit. He congratulated the Minister for Public Works for the manner in which he had so freely stated that reductions could be made. He was very much mistaken if the thieafc that had been made by the Canterbury members on the railway question would have any effect on the House. Although he was always prepared to advocate economy, he could not agree that borrowing should suddenly cease, as it would mean the cessation of necessary public works. Be considered the statement made by the Colonial Treasurer, thai; the carrying of the motion would mean throwing a large number of men in the Addington workshop out of employment — was only a bogey to frighten members. He considered that the North Island Trunk Railway should not be made dependent on the construction of any other lines. He complained, how-, ever, that Ministers had not fulfilled their promise to acquire tracts of land along the route of this railway. Several other members spoke for and against the propose), the burden of their speeches being the relative claims of the East and West Coast and Otago Central railways. — The debate was again adjourned, on the motion of Mr Barron, and the House ro.se at 7.15 a,m,