TESTIMONY FOR THE DIRECT SERVICE.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 291, 18 August 1888, Page 5

TESTIMONY FOR THE DIRECT SERVICE.

A return preparorl to the order of Mr Ro&s has been laid before tho House, showing the outward and inward cargo and passougera can ied by the San Francisco mail steamers and by tho direct mail B learners ; also the value and quantity ot coal (the produce ot New Zealand) shipped at the vtuious I ports in tho colony during the year ' ending the 31so of December, 1887. Thid shows that by tho San Francisco boats J ,335 tons of goncral cargo were conveyed inwards, and 568 tons com eyed outwards, no details being given in either case. At Auckland, 1,389 cons of coal valued at £1,389, were shipped. The passengers arriving by tho San Francisco boats dining the year numbeied 396, while 7161 eft our .shores. During the same period the Direct Mail steamers of tho New Zealand Shipping Company biouj^iit bo this colony Ciiigooh of 10,687 tuns weight, oi 16,336 lons measurement, (debaik ure noL iurni-hed). The exports were 30,615 bales of wool and skins, 139 bale? of rabbit skin?!, 139 porjki ts of wool, 2,800 packages ot basils, 728 packages of pelts, 4,975 casks of tallow, 4,29^ package* of beet, 205,684 carcases of mutton, 7,209 logs ot mu ton, 19,081 cases of meats, 4,269 packages of butter, 12 casks ot lard, 1,777 " bales ot flax, 60 packages hides, 745 diblo leather, 27 casks of entrails, 347 packages hearU a^l kidneys, 830 packages sui.due.s, 15,859 ca&es kauri num., 60 sacks malt, 528 sacks oat&, 475 ditto (lour, 5,651 ditto gnu-s &ecd, 22 ditto apples, 4,848 package.*, cheese, 37 ditto honey, 25 bundles cloth clippings, 20 sacks 'man, 20 ditto pollaid, 200 sacks flour, 1,600 bag-, ditto, 1,937 sacks wheat, 14 packages hair, 21 ditto gold, 31 ban els beet, 551 sack*! potatoes? , 215 bag-, ores 29 ditto linseed, 165 eases of peail .shell, 22 bundles whalebone, ir> bags cotton waste, 12 casks oil, 40 ditto pitch. 10 live rams, 22 package^ ot qiuu I/, 6 cnaLs casinus 14 par* U ages ot hoi ns and bones, 16 pieces of The dncct vc^els htwo slupj)ed at Auckland, Wellington and Lyttelton 14,799 tons ot coal ot tho \.i!uo ot C 15,990. Tho number ot pa.«sengcih an iving by this sci\i<o was 2,548, and the departiues pumbe ed 1,227.

Di'Nt.DiN, Any Hot 15 The Duneilin " St;n " sL ongly hunpoifc a ioi tiiij'hLly diiccb service.

VILLAGE AND LABOUR riETTLKME\T,S. Thk Piemioi, in leply to the deputation appointed to u'aib upon him with royaid to the i evolution foi »vmded lrom the Auckland uicot'iig >< setting apail £10,000 lor the continuance ol village settloinvnta, stated that the t;oveinmciifc p'oposed oo set apart C 15,000 foi that pui[>ose throughout the colony, this bein > i i addition to the sum of £10,000 for labour bottlemenK

MINL\ T O AMENDMENT IHLL. The debate on the question that tho amendments made by the Ls,gislati\o Council in this Bill be dis->gieed with was losuraed in tho Mouse afternoon. M> - Seddon moved that ttie amendments be agiued to, which was negatived by 33 to 25, and the original motion of the Minister foi Mine*? wa-> earned. The Minister foi Mme 1 -, Me-^is Allen, Gi •minond .'md \i. 11 Heuve-a wcie appointed .i couimifctce to diaw iipiea v-on&v -on& foi disagiceino with ttio (Jouncil's amendment.

DISTRICT RAILWAYS I'UUCHASiNG. Khoitly alter midnight the Di&tucb llailways .Purchasing Act Amendment Bill wa-> considered in a very thin Houte. The Dill itself is a vciy pioper one, and mouibois aio quilo piepaied to let it pa.-r>, bub it was found that two supplementary Older iwpei.*i had been issued, bub which had evidently been overlooked by member, containing amendments >>t a \ory Mni n& chaiaetei so lar as the geneial taxpayer is concerned picnision being made by the inseition oi a now clause to relieve all persons fiom paying late- and dues nob in any one ycai amounting bo I'l 10s. Se\eial membeis who v.v c on (.lie [>oinb ot Icavinjj the Hoit-c were iniovnied of bhe jiosibion of aH.iu s, and immediately agreed to lemain, and continued bo oppose alterations in directions proposed. The principal amendments made were in the direc ion of lengthen ng the penod for which bhe accounts ot each Company are to bo open for inspection from bvvonty days 10 fot ty days, allowing reasonable cot-bs ot abbcudanee 10 ratepayers? who abLend hetoio the Con LiOilo 1 -ticneial lo make f^ood then objection to bhe account. A new clause was proposed by bhe Go\euimenb bo make any stujjo which have hitherto been nejrlected tor collection of the « rate under the 01 initial Act, to be yet taken, even though the two yeaie' limitation fixed by the Haling" Ac(, of 1882 may have elapsed. Thi.s was sAonglv opposed, and eventually the Government agieed bo aliondon labus winch h<ivo been more than b\\ o year-^ in aiioa'n, upon which the clause as amended was added bo bhe Hill. Anobhei nc\vcUius>e was bo the ellecb that no rate under i' 2 10s should be collected, bub bhit was amended, on bhomodon of -Mr I )ownie Stewart, so that exemption should not apply to rates becoming due in future. This decision was \ery galling to membeis who have espoused tho interests of setbleih. Mr Duncan \ainly moved aeveial hoobile arne dmenbs, and did nob cease his opposition until the Colonial iSecietaiy piomiscd that an oppuibunit\ should be given him to ino\e for the recommittal of the Bill in order tn reverse the decision of the Commibtoc. Progress «vas ro ( < oiled at 3..10 a.m. in ordei that the Government might consider the maiLer*. raised.

THE PROPOSAL TO LEA BE AUCKLAND RAILWAYS. Tub Minister of Public Woiks, ib averso to the proposal ot the V'ailo .-.yndioalo to lease tlio Auckland railways. Ho says that the question is a large one and cannot be de.dt with huniedly.

0 D.A DECISION REVERSED. The Petitions Committee h-wc confrideiod further petitions against the C. D. Act, and as there was a larger attendance than on tho former occasion they ignored t ho previous discussion and .-imply decided to leter the petitions to the Government w itiioufc any recommendation, which meant? merely laying them on the table of the House.

THE MAIL SERVICE DOOMED. Mr Mitchelson tells me he fears, there is no hope of saving the Pacific Mail Service, although the Premier will make a hard fight of it.

LABOUR AND VILLAGE SETTLEMENTS. The exact position of the village settle ment question is that the votes ot £15,000 for village and £10,000 for labour settlements are in excess of the present liabilities, and do not include them.

REFUGE SITE AT ELLERSLIE. The Bill dealing with the Refuse reserve at Ellerslie passed its fiist reading in the Council, Ib is in charge of Dr. Pollen.