PARLIAMENT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXIII, Issue 207, 6 September 1901, Page 3

PARLIAMENT.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. Thuksday, sth September. The Council met at 2.30. The amondments made by the House in the Nurses Registration Bill were agreed to. In committee on the Shops and Offices Bill, a debate took place on clause 2, as to whether banks should be included in the [operation of the Bill. Eventually the following paragraph in the interpretation was Btruck out, on division, by 16 to 13. "Office means Buy building in which any person is employed directly or indirectly to do any clerical work in connection with any mercantile, commerciil, banking, or profe?sion»l bus : ness or railing, rirriel on therein by the occupiier thereof." The proviso of the deleted paragraph was then inserted as a paragraph in the interpretation, and on the Hon. W. 0. Walker's motioD, the word warehouse was, by 15 votes to 13, added to it. On Hon. Bolt's motion tbe de6nition of shop was extended to provide that it shall not include a warehouse doing exclusively a wholesale business. The Bill as amended was reported without touching the subsequent clauses, and the third reading was set down for tomorrow, Tbe Council rose at 4.27.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. Thursday, sth September. The House met at 2.30. The Post and Telegraph Departmental report was laid on the table. Captain Russell complained that these official documents should have been bronght down long ago so that they could have bean available to members during the financial deba'e. Mr. Seddon contended that this was the only Government that had given the House the B 1 return before the financial debate had closed, and as to the departmental report?, they were laid on the table as soon as they were complete d. Thf re was no intenii.n to keep anything back. He remarked incidentally that in his reply on the financial debate he would show that the annual increase of the public debt daring the present term of office of the present Government, outside of in'erest bearirg indebt' dneas, was only one half of what it had been in the time of every previous administration. The Mines Statement and B 1 retorn (rela'iog to the public accouot) were also laid on the table. FIRST BUSINGS. The Maori Relics Bill (Carrol'), and Charitable Institutions Rating Bill (Seddon) were introduced and read a first'time. HNANCIAL DEBATE. Mr. O'Meara resumed the debate on the Financial Statement. He denied the gloomy prognostications of Mr. Millar, ard chal'enged him to carry out his profession!) and to oppose any vote for the further prosecution of the Ofcapo Central Railway. Mr. O'Meara expressed the opinion that this railway ought never to have been constructed. He denied that the Customs revenue was falliDg off, and said there was no cause for pessimistic prognostication?. He said the Premier had not denounced the Farmers' Union itself, but he had denounced the platform upon which it was started. Every one must admit the right of farmers to combine for the protection of their interests, but not for political and party purposes. With regard to increases of salaries, Mr. O'Meara held that men of ability ought to be adequately paid. He did not believe in a large borrowing policy, for if the colony went in for a large loan it simply m<-ant indiscriminate expenditure. He strongly urged the raiding of the back blocks, so that settlers could hive access to markets. Mr. McGuire (Hawera) said the system of cirrying out public works by co-operative labour was rooting 33 to 50 per cent, more than if the work bed heen done in a proper way. It was a scandalous thing to borrow money in the highest market and pay interest on it without getting a satisfactory return from the expenditure If the public works had been done by contract the colony would have hundreds more'miles of roads and railways than bad been made. He considered farmers had a perfccS tight to combine, and he believed they would have r great de*l to do with legislation in the future. Ha denied that the Farmers Union had be*n formed for political purposes. While he believed in the payment of adequate salaries, h' thought there were many ofiWa'a in the civil service. He emplnsi a fd the nece»sity for as«Ving back b'ockf settler* in every possible way. Hon. Major Steward comp'ained ol the manne- in which the l.inH for settlement* policy had been ca-ri-d ou' and there was no excuse for vernment no*i doing more than hall Parliament had authorised it *o do. Ir this re p ct every Native h»d B\t. in the Hons" had fai'el ir B'ilving the problem of s'ttling nati"< land?, and he hop->d much amendment would bi made th's sess'on as woulf facilitate the opening iid of 1 >r«' t'acta of native knd eamiot b: brought ivo secernent Tli<> pM-ci cf land fo- set'kment: woMl have to be pu-s'j.-d mo'e »igo-o»s'y or tt'om who had hithnr'o supported 'he Go vrnment I hav to cono'dei wh-the- thit- support should be con tinned. Tt ought 'also to provi 'e *omi itie'lvvl bv which rents woul I he r-> dueed when that wers not done the settler must i' time be sturveu ou' p . The debate was interrup'ed by th 5.30 adjournment.