HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXIII, Issue 258, 1 November 1901, Page 2

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Widnksday, 30th October.

(Continued Jrotn yesterday.)

The State Coal Mines Bill was octnmitted.

Clause 3, " Land Board to ascertain whether land contain* ooal before disposing thereof." Tne dauw was agreed to. Much exception was taken to subclause 3 of clause 4, which provides that coal bearing land may be laassd uotil required for ooHl-mioing, wkeo the lease may be determined without payment of compensation. The Premier moved to insert the words " providing that the kase shall be under the Land Act, 1892," together with a proviso that in the oase of lands comprised in the first, second and *I«H schedules of tin Westland and Neleon Ooal Fields Ac*, 1877, section 44 of the Min'ng Act, 1808, shall apply. This was agreed to and the clinse passed as amended.

Clause 5, " The Minister may opou and wot k cool mires."

The olause was passed without amendment. '

At clause 8, " Every resumption to be subject to approval by Parliament," the Premier moved an amendment to provide that the Minister «h»ll lay before the House full particulars of such resumption of contract within days of the opening of Parliament, and if a resolution approving the same be not passed by the House within thirty days the resumption of tho contract shall cot be proeeeJed with, but shall be deemed to be void for purposes. Mi 1 . 0. W. Russell spoke. Mr. Guionese moved an amendm«nt with the object of freeing the Government from the necessity of getting the consent of Parliament to its operations under the Act.

This was negatived on the voioee. Mr Guinness then moved that tho resolution of approval stated in tho Premier's amendment should bo passed by both branohes of the Legislature instead of by the House only, as pnn>uml by the Premier.

This was rejected by 38 to 18, and the Premier's amendment was to on the voices, and the clause M amended was added totbe Bill.

At clause 15, " Piioe of coal may bo reduced if profits exceed 5 per oent." Mr Allen moved that in ease the profit of the mine did not reach five per cent in any one year the prioe should bo raised in the following year to enablo a sinking fund to be formed. Tho motion was negatived by 38 to 18, and the clause passed unamended. A new clause was added on tho motion of the Premier, empowering ths Minister to work any ship, hulk, or other appliance necessary for carrying out the operations of the Act. Mr Herri s moved a new olauee to* bring the S'ate coil mine employees under the Conciliation and Arbitration Act.

This was opposed by tho Premier. and was lost by 29 to 23.

On the motion of the Premier, a now alius* was added to provide thnt any | award' of the Arbitration Court relating to ooal mine* in any industrial district in which any State coal mine is situated shall, subject to such loeal variations as the Court thinks justified, I apply to the State mine.

The Bill was then reported, tad After a brief debate put through its final stages. The debite on a motion for ttaeoaftmittal rf tbe Maori Lwdg Adouoii* trat<on Act Amendment Bill was adj mrned. and the House rose at 2.5S a.m.

Thursday, 31st October. The House met at 2.30 p.m. The Deputy-Speaker said he had received a ommunication from the Auditor-General in accordance with the provisions of section 53 of the Publio Revenues Act, forwarding i copy of oirreapondenoe between the Auditor-General and the Traasury regarding a case in whioh ha had been over-ruled by an Order-in-Oounoil in an objection hn took in defining to sign debentures for €IO,OOO under the Land for Settlement Oonsolida'ion Ao% 1900, on the ground 'h«t the interest paid would be at & highfr rate than 4 per cent. Mr Herries s*id tbe House was SB . titled to pomo explanation. He eoo> tended fchit if the Solioitor-Qeaeral'gi interpretation of the law was right it was no me having a limit as to th» rate of interest in the Act,

Mr Seddon said the Auditor-General was wrong in his interpretation. The oorrfgpoodf.nca was referred tt the Publio Aroounts Committee. The debate on tbe motion for the committal o'f the Maori Linda Administration Act Amendment 81l was resumed by Mr Herrie*, who said tl»» iat.ro 1 action of the Bill proved tint last year's mi suio w*s crude anil unworkable. This Bill reversed tfa* plioj of the Ac, bot ha dovbted whether it would remedy anything.. The defects in l«st year's Act must havft ii, en e' ormous when the >l<»trictet cons rue ed wvre never attempted to bar provi d.

Mr J. W. Thompson suggested tfert* 14,000,u00 ai res should be set asi:'e for the native*, who would derive the* benefit of the He deplored' the way in which land wm « H nrHrf away from tbe natives. -teal;

Mr Witbeford considered the Go- j veroment was doiDg all it possibly, could to solve the native land question.' There bad been too much " coddling " of the native?, and that did tbem barm. Hon. Jas. Allen was afraid this Bill * would only perpetrate the evil that already existed. Mr Fowlds said that the failure of the native legislation must be partly attributed to the South Island members, who bad not studied the question. Mr Lang endorsed this opinion. Mr R. Thompson said he had failed to discover what policy the Government wished to adopt. Mr A, L. D. Fraser strongly condemned theßill as being altogether antagonistic to the interests of natives. He urged thst all racial differences should be thrown rside, and the natives treated in the same way as Europeans. The debate was interrupted by the 5.30 adjournment. EvHNIKa SITTING. The House resumed at 7.30 p.m. Mr A. L. D. Fraser, continuing, urged that before the Government allowed any alienation of Maori lands, it sbou'd see that the natives bad sufficient lands for their proper maintenance. Mr Henaro Eaibau said last year's Act had very severely oppressed the North Island natives. He urged that Maoris should be allowed to deal with their land in their own way. They were qaite competent to administer their own affairs, and there was no necessity for any restrictions being pl r ced upon their dealings. The M»oris in the North Island did not 1 ok with any favour on this Bill.