PARLIAMENT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXIII, Issue 237, 18 October 1901, Page 2

PARLIAMENT.

FOB PBBSS ASSOOUTIOr. LEGISLA.TIVE COUNCIL,. Thursday, 17th Octobib. The Oooncil met at 2.30' p.m. Hon. H. Fold wick gave notice to introduce a Chemists Rota of Atteadanoe Bill. In committee on the Money-londeM Bill an amendment was mads in thedefinitioo affecting the word intorMt» which was made to include premiam r fine, or foregiffc. In sub-clause 2of Clause 3 which provides for re-opening by the Court of money-lending transactions, a provision was added that a person shall not be entitled to apply for a re-opening under this sub-claoae on* less the application is made within om year of the transaction being cloeed. The Bill was then reported. The Factories Bill was read a seoond time pro forma and referred ta tba Labour Bills Committee.

The Cornwall Park Duties BMOP" tion Bill, the Evidence Further Amendment Bill, tbe Opium Prohibition Bill* and the Charitable Institutions Bating Bill pissed seoond reading on- the voices. The Council rose at 3 p.m.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Wednesday, 16th October. Evknibg Srrmra. The next vote taken was that) for Cla«s 12-Working Railways,' £1,152,000. In answer to Mr Herries, Sir Joseph Ward said be intended to bring down a Railway Servants Classification Bill and Superannuation Bill to-morrow, but did not expect to get the letter passed this session. The Classification Bill would involve an inorease ef £28,000 in salaries over the whole colony, but would do away with many existing anomalies. Mr Guioness urged that the importation of Australian hardwood sleeieM schould be closed. He also oompiawed of the constitution of the Railway Appeal Board. Sir Joseph Ward said he could not at present obtain sufficient hardwood sleepers in the oolony, and would oessa importing them as soon as the supply could be obtained in the oolony at a reasonable price. He disapproved of a change in the constitution of the Appeal Board. Mr R. MoKeo«e oontended that the carriages imported from America wen a rank failure, and that the looomotives imported were slop made and merely gummed together. Mr Metidith and Captain Bosaell urged that expenditure on maintenanoa should come out of revenae,

Sir Joseph Ward said it was only where legitimate improvement* and extensions were made that the oast vu charged to capital account. In reply to Mr G. W. Rosscll, Sir Joseph Ward said that money earned by the railways for difier*nt depart* ments were righily credited to railway revenue, and that the reason why the ratio of expenses to amnion had increased was the reduction ut hours of labour, increased pay, additional cost of ooal, and the large oon* oefsions made fpr carriage of produoe. In reply to Mr Massey, Sir Joseph Ward said every precaution was being t 'ken to prevent the occurrence of fires alongside railway lines. The total vote for the working nil* ways department then passed un« altered. The vote for Public and School Buildings and Domain?, £46,750, wad vote for Poliee Department, £122,268, unaltered, and praotic&Uy without discussion.

D'ptrtmeat of Ltndi and Survey—£l27,l3o. Mr G. W. Russell asked when it was propoed to fill the vacant position of Surveyor-General. It was nbsolutely nscesiiry the position should be filled as eosn as possible, as the Sur-veyor-General held a seat on the Boundaries Commission, and that Commission had to consider tho boundariei of electorates, as soon as the compilation of the census was ooneludeil. After further disongsion the vote was reduced by £2 as a direction to the Government that henoeforth no member of the House shall be appointed a member of a Land Board. The remaining olasses of the Estimates were pissed unaltered, and progress was reported. The House rose at 1.35 a.m.

Thursday, 17th Ocnosu. The House met at 2.30 p.m. Mr. Kaihau gave notioe to ask the Government whether it will appoint a Royal Commission to inquire into the truth or otherwise of statements that were being made as to the prevalence of drunkenness among natives in •he Taranaki district. The following Bills were introduced by Governor's message and read • first time: —Military Pensions Act Amendment Bill, Local Bodks, Gold Fitlds, Public Works and Loan Bill, Government Loans to Local Bodies Act Amendment Bill, and State Control of Mines Bill. The Payment of Members Bill was also introduced by Governor's message. A division was called for on I the motion that the message I>e referred to a committee of the whole House, | the motion being carried by S3 to 25. In committee rf the whole House on the several Bills Mr. Jag. Allen Mr. Seddon whether the amendment to the Military Pensions Act would make provision for our men who have been incapacitated in the South African camp-ign although their injuries had not been actully received in action. Mr. S°ddon said the present Act would cover the cases mentioned by Mr. Allen.

Messrs. Pirani rnd Al'en interjected that Mr. Seddon was mistaken on that point. Mr. Seddon said he would look into the point. In rep'y t) Mr. Thomas Mackenzie, Mr. Seddon w'd it was not the intra tion of tbe Government to render any assistanc < to New Zeiltnder* who were not members of our various contingent. In regard to the S'ate Goal Mine Bill Mr. Seddon said the report of officials on the bear, site for a State coal mine would be circulated among the members. Ou a motion in committee of the whole for leave to bring in the Payment of Members Bill, another division was cal'ed for, the motion bung carried by 33 to 24. Th« Hill wai reid a fist time oa the voces. rh« Acting-Sp aker read a com* munioition from tho Oomptrullar and Auditor-General. On a qurstion whether the public rev enue should be creditod with an amount paid out of the public account for interest on New Zealand Government debentures in which

the Public Trustee has invested a sum of £500,000 received by him under Section 8 of the Bank of New Zeilaad *nd Banking Act 1895, Mr. Seddon siid it was a technical question on which the Crown law officers had expressed their opinion thai •the Auditor-Qeneral was not right in his interpretation of the law. He moved that the correspondence be referred to the Public Accounts Committer. -Mr. Fisher, chairman of the Public I Accounts Committee, said that the! committee could not deal with the mat- i ter this session. j After a short discussion the motion "was agreed ti on the voices. I The Local Bills Committee recom- j mended that the Waimata Hospital | Distort Bill be not allowed to proceed! as standing orders had not been com-1 plied with.