PARLIAMENT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXII, Issue 191, 15 August 1900, Page 2

PARLIAMENT.

PER PRESS ASSOCIATION. * LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. Tuesday, August 14. The Council met at 2.30 p.m, GOVERNOB'S SALARY. The Governor's Salary and Allowances Bill was read a first time.

PAYMENT OF MINISTERS. The Hon. W. O. Walker moved the second reading of the Ministers' Salaries and Allowances Act Amendment Bill,

The Hon, O, O. Bowen eaid the great objection to an increase in the number of Ministers was that it would increase the influence of the Government in the House, whioh had fewer members than it contained some years ago. Another constitutional question was whether it was desirable to pay the Minister for Railways a salary higher than those of Ministers other than the Premier.

The Hon. W. O. Walker, in reply, said there was no more important portfolio from every point of view than that of Railways.

The second reading was agreed to on the voices. COMPANIES ACT AMENDMENT.

The Companies Act Amendment Bill was considered in Committee. The Bill was reported with amendments. IMPRISONMENT FOR DEBT. The Imprisonment for Debt Limitation Bill was considered in Committee, After discussion, progress was reported, and leave obtained to sit again. The Council rose at 4 p.m.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Tuesday, August 14. The House met at 2,30 p.m. BANK OF NEW ZEALAND.

On the report on the Bank of New Zealand Officers' Guarantee and Provident Association, Mr. Mills moved that the amendments made be agreed to. The principal amendment was in fixing the Supreme Court a Court of Appeal instead of the directors of the Bank

Mr, Pirani complained that the directors had too much power under the Bill, and also objected to the directors having power to veto alterations in the rates, He moved that the Bill be referred back to the Committee for the purpose of altering rules 26 and 28

Mr. Mills said Mr. Pirani - was attempting to set up a bogey to knock it down again.

The motion that the Bill be referred back to the Committee was carried by 35 to 26. NORTH ISLAND TRUNK RAILWAY.

A number of petitions were presented in favour of the speedy construction of the North Island Main Trunk Railway, A motion proposed that the petitions be referred to the Public Accounts Committee was met with an amendment that the debate be adjourned, whioh was carried by 43 to 17. THE MEAT INDUSTRY. Mr. Hornsby moved to introduce the Meat Export Companies Limitation of Profits Bill. He explained that the Bill was intended to prevent rings and combination?. In his district a ring of sheep buyers existed who fixed a price, beyond which they agreed not to go until the monopoly had built up a trust, detrimental alike to small and large breeders.

Mr. Hogg seconded the motion, stating that it was time something was done to control the rings that had been formed by large companies to the detriment of settlers. Compared with the profits made by money-lenders, those made by certain meat companies were far in excess.

Mr. McLachlan said there was no clamour in Canterbury agiuost meat companies, which had done an immense amount cf good to Bottlers.

Mr. Lewis contended that it was nonsense to talk about a monopoly in connection with meat companies. Why did not farmers freeze on their own account when they had the opportunity of doing so ? Mr Field believed something should be done to limit the profits of meat companies. The profit made by one company on the paid-up capital was 90 per cent, and it was the duty of the Government to see that those profits should go into the pockets of producers, not shareholders in a company, Mr Seddon said one company had expended .£70,000 on a paid-up capital of £40,000. It was no übb the Government reducing the railage, No doubt a monopoly existed, and ho advised that a select committee should be appointed to make enquiries into the matter, with a view to some remedy being applied. Mr T, Mackenzie did not champion tneatcDmpanue, but he called attention I to the fac. tint many people had lost large sums in the endeavour to establish freezing works for reasens that he unumsiatod. Sheep and wool had lately ruled at a high price, but nevorthe'ess it was not correct to my that ompaaies took no r'sk. If a producer <us to got fu'l advantage of his consignments it would, ba necessary to act upon the co-operativu hystem and (ipjoiut a csmpattDt pit son to look after their iati lvsts in Uio Old (Jounlry. Mr B iddo ii'tiD sp ike. The debate w.is iuierrupted by the 5.30 aijourijiu'.'iit.

EVBNIiSG SITTING. The House resumed at 7.30. VALUATION OF LAN P. Oa tho motion for the third readicg of the Government Valuation of land Act Amendment Bill, ] Mr. Tanner expressed dissatisfaction I with the manner in which it had pissed through Committee. He gave way to | uo one in a desire to see a standard value of land adopted, but as the present measure emerged from the | Committee it was not consistent with ;he spirit of the Act of 1896. He did not complain so much of the assessments, which, on the whole, had not aroused much objection, but he did protest against the lack of publicity in c wuection therewith.

Mr, B. Thompson did not thiok time had been wasted in discussing the land values and unimproved values, ss they struck at the foundation of land taxation,

Mr, Hogg thought the, Bill a hit

Mr. J. Allen eaid the Bill would meet with muoh objection in the country. It was apparent that the whole intention of the Bill was to decrease the value of all improvements, so as to raise the unimproved value, so that the amount of land tax might be kept up. The efiect of such a policy would be to increase the burden of the real producer and increase the cost of produce to consumers.

Mr. Ward denied that the Bill had been slammed through Committee, and asserted that only a few consequential amendments had been made in Committee, He gave the House an assurance that as head of the Department he would look into its administration, and would endeavour to remove any anomalies that might exist; but as far as making the Department popular was concerned he doubted that, as every person wished, as far as possible, to escape taxation.

The Bill was read a third time and passed. NOXIOUS WEEDS. The amendments made in the Noxious Weeds Bill by the Council were agreed to.

Mr Sedden moved the second reading of the British Investors in New Zealand Government Securities Bill. The House went into Committee on .the Bill.

On clause 4, the Premier said he believed that when the present wars were over a large amount of trust moneys would be liberated, and the colony, instead of receiving .£94 or £95 for its debentures, they would be floated at par,

The Bill wasreported without amendment.

On the motion for the third reading, Mr. Mackenzie congratulated the House and the Premier on being the first colony to comply with the conditions necessary to enable trust funds in colonial securities. He hoped local bodies would, at an early date, participate in the reduced rate of interest on their leans, which would be facilitated if local bodies' loans were consolidated. Mr. Seddon thought that if all loans raised by local bodies were floated by the Government it would be of advantage to local bodies. The Bill passed by | the Imperial Parliament would undoubtedly harden the value of all colonial stock.

The Bill was read a third time and passed.

EDUCATION BOARDS' ELEOTIONS,

Mr. Hall-Jones moved the second reading of the Education Boards' Election Bill, which provided for members being elected by members of school committees individually instead of collectively, and fixing the fourth Monday in May as the statutory day of election, Major Steward intimated his intention of moving in Committee that women be eligible for election to Boards.

Mr. Gilfedder, while admitting that the Bill was an improvement upon the present method of electing members of a Board, that householders not members should be allowed to vote. He also thought that the education distriot should be divided into sub-distriots, each sub-district returning a member of the Board, thus ensuring all parts of a district being represented, (Left sitting.)