PARLIAMENT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXV, Issue 53, 2 July 1903, Page 2

PARLIAMENT.

o— I HOUSE OP REPRESENTATIVES. { PETITIONS. 1 1 The House met at 2.30. . ' Mr Ell presetted a petition in favour j of converting the Bank ef New Z a- : land into a State Ba.uk. Petitions • were-also presented in favour of the ' abolition of trade coupons, and for and against the totalisator. ' Mr Miliar presented a petition from j a number of houdkecpers at Duofdin, praying f-ir compensation on account cf having bean deprived of the license. PACIFIC CABLE. Sir Joseph Ward intimated to the House, as (showing the speed of the Pacific Oabhi, that a reply to a. message: sent over that route, from Dune Jin to 'Frisco that morniug, had boon rcc.ived ia OTie hour twenty minutes. NEW BILLS. Mr McGosvan gave notice to introduce a Supnmo Court Judges Bill. Jhe following Biils were introduced and read a fl st time: —Bible Loesons in Public Schools pleb : scite Bill (Mr Arnold), Legithiive Council Diieet Electioa (Mr Eli), Mutual Fire Insurance (Mr Kirk™ Me), Rabbit Act Amendment (Sir W, J. Russell), Legitimation Act Amendment (Mr Lawry), Duntdin City and Suburban Tramways and Water Power (Mr Millar), Elective Executive (Sir W. J. Steward), Imp juodiug Act Amendment (Mr Houston), Totalizator Abolition (Mr Ell), Nelson Lutheran Ohurch Empowering (Mr Graham) Juvsnile Smoking Suppression (Mr Field), Ritiog Act Ani;»rjdment(MrHerriet), Impounding Act Amendment (Sir W. J. Steward), VVaimate Racecourse Reserve Amendment (Sir W. J. Ssowaid), Mining Act Amendment (Mr R. McKinz'e), Goal Mints Act Amendment (Mr Oolvio), Thames Harbour Board Empowering (Mr McGowan), Gown Tenan's' Rene Rebate Act Amendment (Mr Duncan), Orchard and Garden Pests (Mr Duncan), Tenint*' Rights , (Mr Duncan), Government Vduvion cf Land Act Amendment (Mr Mills), Wireless Telegraphy (Sir J. Ward), Public Health Act Amendment (Sir J. Ward), Municipal Corporations Act Amendment (Sir J. Ward), Local Go--1 vernment Franchise (Sir J. Ward), Laud Agents (Sir J. Ward), Weights and Measutes (Sir J", Ward), Native ! Lmd Liws Amendment (Mr Oanol), S*nd Drift; (Mr Cirroll), Gold Duties 1 (Mr McGQvan), Inspection of Ma--1 ehin?ry Amendment (Mr Hill-Jones), Harbour Boards Act Amendment (Mr Hall Jones), Soa F sheries Amendment (Mr H 11-Joues), Cost-Wise Trade (Mr Hall• Jones), L-cil Bodi-s Loans Amendment (Mr Seddon), Workers' Ojuopnnsation for Accidents Amendment (Mr Soddon), Counties Act Amendment (Mr Seddon), Roid and Town Districts Rating (Vlr Seddon), ludus'irial Conciliation aud Arbitration Amendmout (Mr Soddoti), S'np and Offices (Mr Sidd n), Kami Gum Industry Am-indmeni (Mr Seddon ) qUESTIO.«3. In r.-ply fo quas ion'' Ministers .it-Ued thot p>vp b.»Ja wou d be sub .mitted to th j House for dealing with rho thorough tq.jipnent of trailing colleges for techjis. I f i wan h>ped thtso proposals would be an improvement on ths present system, and that they would spread adv<*ntag< s over a wider surface. Tint the m-ximum weight of sacks of wheat carried on the New Zoaland Riilways would bs fixed at 2001bs. COMMITrEBS. On the motion for'setting up the u-.ml Sessional Committees, Mr Ja?, Allen protested agains- the present system af appointing chose committees, and urged tnat the names sh mid be submit ed to a corumititee fo:' stlecti m, Mr Seddcri contended the Opposition party had a fair representation on the variom cjmmi' ! eo3. Hi 3 only d sir« was to titat a'l parties fairly, arid so coEstituto the committees that the be6t results wou'd be ob ained from their hbouis. The discussion was interrupted by the 5.30 adj jurnment, CHAIRMAN OP COMMITTEES. Mr S.ddon give notice to move tomorrow that Mr Millar, member for Duaedin, be appointed Chairman of Committees. Leave of absence was granted to Mr Wilford for two months on account of ill-health. THE ADDaE?S-18-R!fPLT, The House resumed at 7.30. Mr Rutherford moved the Address-in-R°ply,and rtferrjng to the approaching departure of i he G >vernor, ha piid a high tribute to Lord R infurly, whom he regarded as an ideal Governor, and whom it would be very hard to replace He felt sura he voioed the opinion of the whole colony when he said Lord Ranfurly's departure would be universally regretted, He spoke of th 9 worthy manner in which Mr Seddon had represented the colonies at the Coronation celebrations at Horn', and expressed the opinion that the Conferences if Colonial Premiers shoull be In Id psriodicilly, say, five or seven years. Our trade and mails should be carried by British vessels, and for that reason he hoped the colony wou'd soon have the Vancouver mail service. Tnere was no question about the exis'ence of a land hunger in the olony and he thought that good as the Land Act was is w mid admit of some amendmeut in rog-ird to the unpopular system ot groupinp.sections and in extending the time for payment of rent on bu*>h sections in the North Island. He urge 1 that the first ballots for sections should b.) 1 mited to applic.nts residing in the ele toiate in which the sections are situa'ed. He regarded the declining birth rate as a very serious matter, and favoured the payment of bonuses to parents according to tho number of children they reared. A slight increase of the graduated laad tax would not burb anyone. The proposals to extend the sale of Now Zeilmd mtai to the manufacturing at Home, and to provide a training ship for the colony had his approval. He generally endorsed the policy of Government as outlin; d in the Go vernor's speech. He coneiiered, how ever, that the number of Ministers should be increased, or pailiamentary uud;r-Becrefruios appointed so a» to propetly cope- with the administrative w-tK of the colony. Mr Major, in siconding the motion, said that with one or two exceptions he was in agreem-nt with the view-c-xprofsjd by Mr Rutheiford. Hd was distinctly in fevuur of a preferential tariff", and held'that s> far as fr<ie tr.ide was concernad it was no longer thß keystone of" British supremncy. The Americans had announced their in'entim to dominite the Pacific, and we should take tie opportunity to protect ourselves again3t anything of that kind. The additional £19,000 for tho navy was a splendid investment, and it was tjme the bore a.

arger share of the f xpecse that fell on he home taxpayer. He understood a measure was to be brought forward giving peipetuity leaseholders the right of acquiring the freehold, and that would have his support. He did not approve of Mr Rutherford's suggestion to confine ballots for sections to residents in the locality. Ballots should 03 open to all residents of the c.lony. He would go further than extending the tinn for payment of rent on bush section o , and would give Land Boards pow.r to discriminate whether a stlctor in an isolated' district shou'd hw-s to strictly comply with the rtsidential c'ause« rf the Act until th 9 district was pr.ip.-rly openod up. Mahuta's elevation to the Executive Council endel all native land difficulties, ?nd he hoped that ere long tha GovfcrnmHnt would have somo of these native lands in the m ifkef 7 . Thi> consolidation of our Statutes was absolutely necessary, and the proposal-* in regard to the Bink of New Z-aland met with Li) approval. Ho h«d no', yet made up bis mind as to the wisdom of the? proposed State nole issu<\ He supported State fire insurance and increase of absentee tax. No mention was made in the Governor's speech of the question of local Government, ar.d i*; looked as if the matter was again to Ibe shelved. The progress of the colony under the Seddon regime had been phenomenal. Of course mistakes had been made, but that was only human and to be expect* d, Mr Massey, after congratulating tha mover and seconder, siid he agreed that bush settlers should be able to go on the land without paying rent for the first few yeats. He Was pleased to hoar the remarks of the last speaker as to the freehold, and hoped he would stick to them and help to open the door against which the Premier had once sad be had placed his b.tck. He endorsed the theory of a preferential tariff, but thought it was impossible under existiog conditions. Canada did not increase any du'ies, Jsut decreased the du ies on British goods, while the Premier proposed to increase the duties on foreign goods. He claimed that something more ought to have been done in regard to reciprocity with Australia. He believed the increased couttibu ion to the Navy was a very go:d bargain. He thought the Asse's Board should have realised the properties in its hands more rapidly, and that the sooner the B*ink of New Z jahnd was able to run without State assistance the better. (A Yoice: It is able to do so now.) The settlement of Maori lands was important, large bbeks being unoccupied, and thereby retardel progress. The Maoris wen' encouraged to hold on until they got high rentals and then thay could live in comrort. They did not want a native aristocracy. In railway construction, only just enough was being done to keep votes and the party right. The expenditUi eon roads and bridges shou'd not be cut down, as money could be saved in other directions. He hoped the Hous9 would noli consent to preference to unionists, and unless the Government lat well akrao a reaction would take pi-ice. After all expenses wore paid on the last loan our cL-ben-'ur.s returned £9O 2) 5d p-r cen l- ., ar:d the ban was a failure, lie had r.o [ obj action to tbo Vancouver mail servic •, but th-.ught the 'Frisco ee vice fhould be renewed, Sjddonism did not mom Liberalism, nor did ic mean good or honest government, Mr Hogg characterised Mr Massey's criticism as mild and, in some respects, complimentary. He condemned the freehold tenure, and said if it were generally permitted New Zealand would no longer ba a free country. The Government had no to sell a solitary inch of the freehold, He advocated a slight increase in the graduated lard tax in view o? improvement* effected by works, the c:s'. of which now cams so largely out of Customs. Roads and bi i Igts to bicu blocks should have precedence over similar workittiat rais .d th i valua of large private estates that the Government would in tha future h*va to acquire. He tup porttd the rent coccessions to struggling bush farmers to enable them to make a home on small or no capital. The deba'e was adjourned on the motion of Mr O'Meara, and the House rose at 10.30.