PARLIAMENT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXIII, Issue 221, 30 September 1901, Page 2

PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Friday, September 27. The House resumed at 7.30 p.m. IMPREST SUPPLY BILL. I The Imprest Supply Bill (No. 4) for £570,000, was introduced by Gonernjot's message, and read a first time. | Oa the motion for its second reading, Mr. Massey said he took this opportunity of complaining uf th« treatment of troopers who had returned from South! Africa," especially those who had supplied their own horses. The members of the Fourth Contingent had not received any allowance fur their mounts as p-omised. He also complaihei that the members of. the/ First and Second Contingents h.ad been kept an opduly long period in Australia on their way home, and 'that those who asked for leave to come home from »he other side had their fnrw< deducted From their pay.

Tho Hon. Mv. Si*tdon si'd one of the. conditions under which the men were enrolled was that their equipments were to be the: property of the Crown, and many of the men supplied their own horees, some of which were afterwards bought from them bj the Imperial Government. Toe New Zealand Government was not being paid for tbe horsss handed over by the troopers to tbe Imperial Government, but where those horses had belonged to troopers p >rsonally in the .first instance he should not o v >j ct to the men being paid for them by the Imperial authorities. The t'.o.'pers of the Har.'ech Castle wanted to remtin in Austnjlia for the Commonwealth celebration", and he (Mr. Seddon) eventually, gave way, although some of the men bad simply taken Fi'ench leave. Those men-who to come back tOiNew Zealand and not wait for the others were allowed to do so on signing an agreement to piy their own fares, which were td be 'deducted from their pay, but he (Mr. St ddon)' Would dee that these men were refunded the I amounts thafr h&iheen so decUiiitad. Thl secorfd rradiing » wasi agreed to j without amendment, On the motion for the third reading! a sh6rt debkte took place with regard to the Ropers borse<>, several members pointing out that many of the men supplied their own horses in order to get into the contingents. ■■ '

Tke Bill passed its final Btages, COMMITIM Of BCPPLT.

. On the motion ts go into Committee of Supply, Mr. Bolland moved as an amendment. "That it is desirable that the Government ehould formulate this session proposals for the further superannuation and classification of the< railway service, in order that necessary l provision be made on this year's Estimates." He urged that the railway' servants were underpaid, and that should be at any rate raised' to the 1 same standard as the claries of officers of the Department, j My, F aid that last session Ihe had'a 1 distinct promise from the Minister for Railways jthat a superannuation sob erne wou'd be introduced, and he knew* for a fact that tbe olosest attention wias being given to that branch of the subject. He thought this was not an opportune time to bring the matter forwatd. He urged the Minister to consider the claims of 1 the " permanent casuals," and said that after a min had been a certain number of j ears in the <mioe of the department bp should come within the scope of the superannuation scheme. Mr. G. W. Rues r ll said 'the other members had brought this matter under the notice of the Minister, and had baen assure! that ha was pushing it on as f«st as he was able.

The Hon. Mr, Seddon raised a point of order, that any motion to increase the cost of the servioa must be brought down by Governor's message. The Government would accept the first parf of the motion.

The Deputy-Speaker ruled that th<t latter part of the resolution was not in'order, yi?., " in order that the necessary provision be made in this year's Estimate*."'

Mr. B.llard thereupon withdrew this part of the motion. '

Sir Joseph Ward sa'd the subject was very difficult, and he had been Working very : steadily at it for a v< ry long time, and it had also been before the Cabinet. It was a matter that must be made as pe'fect as possible before it was submit-«d to the Hous*. A. Bill bad! bwn jjepared, and'bad beefl \\nfler consideration for months, hut it was the difficulties surrounding Such a scheme thst had prvanted its being broygbt before tbe H< use at an earlier date; Any Fcheme propounded must be of a lasting cHaraoter, and the' Government wlftioh wag responsible for its working was not going to give way to pres-ure and b'iiig down a scheme before it w«s thoroughly satisfied tbat ic would be unassailable in ytars to come. Under the ci oumstancps he asked that the motion be withdrawn. Mr. Hutchesoa said he file sure that what could be done would be done by the Minister for Railways. An amendment of the Olnaiification Act was more needed for s'a'ioDmasters than any other branch of the service.

Mr. Piiani s id tha', however much the Minister for It always might desire to do justioe to a or tain sec ion «f the ralway employees, it was impossible for him to do that unless the Ouloaia Tieasir er was anxious. Tnerefore \k \yis a proper thing that the should be brought before the House and that memb D rs should show the Ministry they were as fully prepired to support snob a scheme as was the Minister for Railways. He depre- [ cated, however, bringing down a foheme the end of (he session, when it could ' not receive proper consideration, Mr. Lang said there was ft demand right throughout the railway service for a cl'S-ification scheme, and he thought the Minister ought to bave given a distinct assurance that a Bill would be brought down this session.

Eventually Mr. Bollard's motion, in its amended form, was agreed to on the vdicHd, and the House went into Comaiicteo of Supp'y for the further consideration of the Estimates.