PARLIAMENT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXII, Issue 187, 25 July 1900, Page 2

PARLIAMENT.

(PBR PREBS ASSOCIATION.) ' —■ » I LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. Tuesday, July 24, The Council met at 2.30 p.m. BILL PASSED. The Civil Service Examination Bill was passed through Committee without amendments, read a third time, and pissed. The Council rose at 2.55 p.m. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Tuesday, July 24, OUR DEFENCES* Mr, Seddon moved that a joint committee fl both Houses be appointed, to whom shall be referred the question of defence, Carried, LEAVE OF ABSENCE. One, week's leave of absence was granted to Messrs." Napier and Witheford. FIRST READINGS. The, Wellington City Leasing and New Zealand Institute of Surveyors Bills were introduced and read a first time, QUESTIONS.

Replying to question, Ministers said they could not authorise a higher rate ofpiy for casual labour on railways, but that the uniform rate of pay (Is per hour) would be adopted throughout the colony; with a view to enable this and other questions to be tasted a Referendum Bill would be introduced this session, and to ascertain the will of the I people on the question of Bible reading I in schools; that an amendment of the Old Age Pensions Act will be [introduced, regarding which suggesi tions would be asked from stipendiary magistrates; that the Government had no formal offer from a private firm for the construction of a railway from Sentry Hill to Kawakawa; that a Technical Education Bill would be introduced this session j that £IOO promised in aid of the Kaiapoi Pah monument would be paid when the' Government was satisßed that the money was in responsible hands for expenditure; that the Government did not approve of selling freehold land in town and suburban sections which had been rfiS&rvectjfor settlement' purposes"; that facilities would be given of having some of the'youths of the colony instructed jo R'ji to qualify as meat inspectors; the' Government was aware there Had becn.2Bf native-borh persons died during the year 1899 from phthisis,' and suggested that a way to meet the.j case was to introduce an Undesirable j Immigrants Bill to prevent people suffering from such complaints entering the colony. Mr. Smith moved the adjournment of the House to mark his disapproval of the answer to his question with respect to the construction of aline from Sentry Hill to To Kuiti to connect Taranaki with the Main North Island Ti unk Railway. He complained that the Government would not take his advice and borrow ten millions right out for railway construction. They could spend one million alone in his district in what would prove profitable lines. Mr. Ell said he was also dissatisfied with the answer to his question regard' ing consumptives. He contended that the disease was already In the colony, and it was the duty of the Government that a. sanatorium should be established, principally for the benefit of poor people, wh> could not afford to go to a sanatorium outside the colony, where the treatment of the disease was most successful. He trusted the Govern.nient would do something to arrest the rav.-ges of the disease \mongst the young people of the colony. Messrs. Lawry and Jackson Palmer I advocated the Stratford route for the Main North Island Trunk Lice. Mr. Wilford advocated more consideration ' in the way of salary and more secure tenure of office to railway ' employees, temporary clerks, etc. Mr. Massey believed that if the Awakino routo had been adopted for the Main North Island Trunk Railway it would have been completed long ago, and at much l-.ss cost than any other route. Messrs. Hall-Jones, Fowlds, and Symes carried on tho debate, which was interrupted by the 5.30 adjournment. EVMING SITHNG. ' The resumed at 7.30. BILL WITHDRAWN. Oa the motion of the Premier, the Ministers' Salaries and Allowances Amendment Bill was withdrawn. I GOVERNOR'S SALARY. Tho Premier moved the second reading of the Governor's Salary and Allowances Bill. He stated that when the Governor's salary was reduced it was done to meet a temporary emergency. He felt that at the time the .colony was in a state of depression, I which had now passed away, and looking at the condition of the cslony now, and comparing its status with other colonies, he considered that they should revert to the amount at which it stood before the reduction. If a governor, irrespective of personality, who for the time being cccupied' the position did his duty properly and kept the colony in touch with the Empire, he was entitled to greater remuneration than had been paid for ssme years past. Compared with salaries paid to Governors in other colonies on a population basis the salary paid to the Governor of New Zealand was too meagre. No doubt under federation, State governors' salaries would be reduced, but, on the other hand, the Governor - General would, he believed, be paid not less i than £12,000 or £15,000. By paying a low salary there was a limited field of selection for a suitable man. He knew that the low salary had prevented one man who was otherwise well qualified not accepting the position. He trusted the motion would be carried unanimously, and that the debate would be of such a character as would redound to the credit of the House. Mr. McLachlan said he would enter his protest against the proposed increase. He was surprised at the Premier,' who pose'd as a democrat, proposing such a measure. If the salary, was increased, volunteers and artillerymen would require an increase

in pay, and how was a farmer to pfty 'hat at the present price of grain? , The salary of a Governor could not Vie , said to be only the monetary sum he ! drew, as the privileges pertaining to the office were very little. Mr. Monk considered the condition of the colony woree at the present time than when the salary was reduced. He dissented altogether from the reasons advanced by the Premier for an increase in salary. He felt proud that we had a, Governor as a link binding us to the Empire, but looked upon the position as merely automatic. The prosperity of the colony had been overrated, and Was due greatly to the con-1 stant introduction of borrowed money, there was absolute need of economy in public expenditure; He whs not averse to the expenditure so.Jong, as the money spent upon the purpose would develop the resources of the colony.

Mr. Collins did not see in a single * argument advanced by the Premier J anything to convince him that an in- j crease was necessary. He warned the 1 Premier that his action in this, matter ' was calculated to destroy his influonce , with the party that had kept him in ] power. He contended that the salary i at present paid was quite equal to that : paid by other Australian colonies. If it be true, as the Premier had frequently ! said, that the colony could not afford to , pay for more deserving objects, then jt could not afford to increase anyone's salary. It was absurd to say that the loyalty of the colony was to be measured by the amount paid to the representative of the Queen. Mr. G. W. Russell complained that the Premier's advocacy of the measure was one of exaltation of rank and pedigree in defiance of what he considered to be the true democratic sentiment in the colony. The statement that the colony had to be content with second or thud rate Governors was absurd in face of the qualifications of the present occupant of the office. He contended that, as a democratic colony, the best way of rewarding public men who spent their lives in the service of the plqny was to open to them such offices as Governor of the colony. Captain Russell ridiculed the interpretation of democracy given by the two previous speakers. Taking the men who from first to last had filled the position of Governor, they had, apart altogether from their rank or titles, proved themselves first-class men. It should he borne in mind that the duties iff a Governor were very exactipgl from the fact that the colony'iwas divided into four large ■centre's, where a Governor carried out official and sociakluties. It was unlike any Australian colony. The cost of 1 moving from place to place was very large, but he believed in the practice of his so mixing with the people and 1 finding out for himself the wants, re- ■ sources, and condition of the colony. 1 He asserted that he knew for a fact ' that every Governor in the colony for ' the past 15 or 20- years had spent | double the amount of his salary, and 1 that they had left the colony poorer 1 men than they were when they came to ! it. Mr. Hornsby thought the amount by 1 which the salary was proposed to he ' increased was too great, and, while voting for the second reading, would, ' when the measure got into Committee, move to reduco the amount, ' Mr. .Buddo did not measure his i loyalty by his vote for an increase in ' the Governor's salary, and would oppose > the second reading. Mr. Smith s.ud he felt proud of the 1 English _ aristocracy. He eulogised J their services to the Empire. The u time hud not yet arrived when a Governor should be elected by the 5 people, but when it did he would be 3 found amongst the supporters of such a principle. In the meantime he r would vote for the motion. Mr. Pirani blamed the Premier for ■ introducing a personal element into the ' discussion. Personally, he thought ' £5,000 a year quite enough for a ■. Governor of this colony. It was not in the interest of the colony that undue 3 lavishness should be observed in conL * nection with the Governor's establish--1 ment. He dissented from the dictum i of the Premier that the salary was not l " sufficient to attract the best men to take the position. The main objection ' to the proposal was that the House 1 was not in a position to judge as to " whether the colony could afford the increase, and that in any case any increase or reduction should not apply to the present occupant of the office. Mr. Fisher concurred that the reduction in the Governor's salary was a drastic remedy for the depression 3 caused by the Stout-Vogel Government, s but it was never intended to become a permanent reduction. Since reduction took place the colony had greatly advanced in wealth and population, and, '. as a corollary, in responsibility, not only of the Governor but of Ministers [ of the Crown. He eulogised the man- " ner in which the present occuparit of Government House carried out his ' duties, and hoped the House would not ' stint itself in regard to the proposed increase. | Mr. Tanner opposed the proposal, j He would raise no objection as to rank or wealth or as to the manner in which 1 the duties were carried out by the 1 present Governor," but contended that !, the amount at present paid was sufi ficient. He was amazsd at the amount of opposition the proposal to make 1 Governors elective met at tbe hands of ' the occupants of the Government benches. ' The House took the 10.30 adjournment. i