PARLIAMENT.
PKB PRESS ASSOCIATION. —< m ■ HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. Thursday, July 16. The House met at 2.30 p.m. The Regulation of Local Eleotions Bill, and Elective Legislative Council Bill (Ell) were reid a first time. ADDRESS-IN RBPLT. Mr Jenniogs resumed the debate, tie was prepared to assist in anything bunging about closer relations with the colony and BritaiD, but would say that B: it tin muse do as other nations and io r >k afier herself. He condemned tho .ittitude of thu Legislative Council in initiating measures affecting the right! vud privil g s of tho p°oplw, instancing she Sb'ps and Office* Bill, although protested against by commercial men ill over the cjlony. He upheld the 00-opsrativo labour system, and denied it was used as a voting machine. He iustanced the faes that over 300 men in his district had been put on after his election, He was a believer in the freehold, but would resist any attempt co alter the present optional system. I'ha pioneers of the back blocks were deserving of more consideration than they received in the matter of roading, railway, and medical facilities.
Mr Aitken maintained that seconiary schools and university colleges ought to be bb free as primary schools. He thought a mistake had been made in establishing so miny small schools in country districts, and that it was better to have fewer and larger schools in centres and pay for board if promising boys and girls were unable to pay their own board. He deprecated members of the Government spending monies unnecessarily upon personal convenience, instancing the case of a minister recently U3ing a special carriage to convey him to the opening of a country school. He also condemned the exeesHive use of froo telegrams, and advocated the appointment of a non-politioU Civil service board, and periodical revaluation of leaseholds. Mr Field urged the necessity of altering the constitution of the official Court of Appeal, and expressed himself as an ardent freeholder. He advocated assistance to back block districts for roads and bridges. He considered the small farmers should be repweented in the Council The boy labour question required the serious attention of the House in the direction of enabling a greater number of boys to be employed in industries.
Mr R. McKenzie approved of increasing taxes on goods coming to the coleny from foreign nations. Ha strongly kdvocated an elective Legislative CLuocil. The debate was Interrupted by the dinner adj aurnment. Evsniso Sitting. The House resumed at 7.30. Mr R. McKenzie, continuing, said a majority in the House was in favour of a restricted freehold, and he advised rown members to fall in with oountry members on that question. He advised the Government to discourage the increasing extravagance in the pablio service, and urged that the licensing question should be Battled this session. He hoped the.Government would soon seriously face the question of looal government refoim. Mr Harding wanted to see more praotical and technical education in the colony. He would like Kew Zealand to take her pines among the aristocracy of nations, and that oould not be done unless her people had educational advantages equal to any country in the world. The railway rates were a diegraoe to the colony, because they advantaged oertain districts to the detriment of others. He predioted that before long the Maori Councils wonld have their affairs in such a fearful muddle that the Government would have to take over the whole scheme. It would be oheaper and simpler for the House to at once abolish these Councils and throw open the land. Mr Buchanan adversalyoriticised the administration of the eleotoral laws, particularly by returning officers, and urged that the civil service should be plaoed under a non-pulitical Board which would sound the death-knell of political patronage. Instead of reducing the vote for roads and bridges, tbe Government should apply the pruning knife to the Midland, Outgo Central, and Ross-Hokitika railway votes.
, Hon, T. Y. Duncan twitted Mr Buchanan with havicg had a very exj pensive bridge ereqted for his own use . by tbe Government tbat was in power I before the present Government took , office. V ith regard to the striotures . on the lands for settlement policy, he pointed out that these purchases had L paid a gnod deal more than the interest, and thb Government had £90,000 to Um ! good. Tuere were 939,000 acres of j land in the Auckland district open for selection by anybody. Tbe question of | the freehold or leasehold of land left for use wis soitoely worth quarrelling about, as most of it was Worth only about £1 per acre, while it would cost about £3 per acre to olear the bush and sow in gra°s. But a lease in per* petuity with land for settlement was a different matter, as land under that system was already prepared for setdement. In this connection he complained that when land was out up for settlement, local bodies rated che settlers on the enhanced value put on it by the subdivision •vhile they did noi spend any money on it for a year or so, and spent the mmey in otner pirtsof the district, H>j quoted figures to show the progress the Government was making in opening up land for settlement. During the past year every effort had been made to inorease the output from Government nurseries for planting forests, and the result had bean vary satisfactory. The debate adjourned, and the Houm rose at 11.40.
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Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXV, Issue 166, 17 July 1903, Page 2
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911PARLIAMENT. Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXV, Issue 166, 17 July 1903, Page 2
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