PARLIAMENT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXV, Issue 192, 27 August 1903, Page 3

PARLIAMENT.

FBB PRESS ABSOCIATIOH. 1 * HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. Wbdnmdat, Atoott 26th. The House met at 2.30. p.m. PETITIONS Mr Millar presented a petition from the lessee of the railway refreshment rooms at Aehburten praying for compensation for loss of his license, which was cancelled* owing to prohibition being carried in that district. , Mr Parata presented a petition from the Maoris north of Auckland, proteasing against Hon. Mahuta being described as King of the Ma-ris.

HCTTOMH HOTELKEEPEKS, Hon J. McGown laid on the table a copy letter from S. B. Nicholls, secretary of Newtown No-license League, to Mr Dinnie, Commissionei of Police, in connection with the proaeeution of the Newtown hotelkeepers. Mr Taylor said it was evident the Government was going to bring about the same unsatisfactory state of affairs with Mr Dinnie, the new Commissioner, as existed with Mr Tunbridge. It was a positive disgrace that tbe Premier should drag up the head of tha Police Department and use him for party purposes as was done last week. Hen, R. J. Seddon retorted that it was Mr Nicholls who had tried to put Mr Dinnie into tbe position of taking ■ides over the Newtown hotels. Similar attempts were made hy the Prohibitionists during Mr Tunbridge's regime. A more impertinent and impudent letter than that of Mr Nicholls' he had never met with in his whole experience. Mr Seddon added that he had been introduced to Mr Dinnie on his arrival, but otherwiso had had nc communication whatever with him. Mr Dinnie had shown great strength of character in the reply he had sent to Mr Nicholls* letter. Hon. J. McGowan said instead of the police having been in anyway interfered with by the administration there had been an attempt on tbe part of oertain people to influence the head of tbe police by a confidential letter. During his term of office there had been •ttempts made indirectly by the Prohibition party, by speech and by letter, to unduly influence the police. The letter was ordered to be put on the table.

TAILS BTfcTBH. The Railways Oommitteet recommended that the petition of Samuel Vaile Baking that a trial should bs made of his system be referred to the Government for consideration. Mr Massey moved to refer the report back as an indication that the House desires atrnl to be made of the system. He took advantage of the opportunity to urge that the additional rolling stock on our railways should be charged to revenue instead of to capital, and he asked if they eould not borrow money for the purpose of piying for this additional rolling stock, where would be the per cent that the railways an supposed to be paying. The present system would land us in serious financial difficulties, and he expressed the opinion that the way out is the "stage'' system proposed by Mr Vaile. Mr DutLio was not satisfied that Mr Yaile's scheme would be successfully applied to a largn railway system like that of New Zealand. He urged that a great deal of the present stock should be discarded, and the state of the lines unproved. Sir Joseph Ward said the result cf the arguments against railway management would be the imposition of rates, which would be ruinous in the extreme to the users. The present pnlicy was ■greed to by the House in 1900, whm so expenditure of £2,500,000 was agreed to, and the same members who were .now opposing the management agreed to the scheme be then propounded. As to Yaile's system, Sir Joseph Ward said an offer had been m»de to him that a trial should be made if a guarantee was given for any loss, but the off<-r had not been taken up. He added that out of the to*nl revenue last year of £1,874,000, j £632,000 was paid into the treasury, | and the balance used in the upkeep of railways. The Chief Engineer had reported that the tracks had been maintained in good condition, and be defied any member to put his finger on any document in which a responsible officer cf the railways said that railway Hues were unsafe.

Mr Jai. Allen urged that the Minister should set up a Royal Commission to icquira as to the system of railway accounts and so on, and to decide who was right, the Minister or those who opposed him in this respect. Sir Joseph Ward: The colony as a whole is satisfied with the Administration. Mr Allen retorted that the colony would not be satisfied in a few years. Mr Seddon contended thit Mr Massey wanted to bleed the rest of the colony to make up the loss that must result from a trial of the Va'le system on the Waikato lines. The discussion was interrupted by the 5.30 adjournment. Errania Srnrao. The House resumed bt 7.30 p.m. Mr Steward's Statutes Compilation Act Amendment Bill was read a second time and referred to the Statutes Revision Committee. The committal of Mr Fogg's District Courts Bill was postponed, j Sir W. RusseU's Ribbit Act, 1882, Amendment Bill was committed, and considerable discussion tcok place as to the penalty clause. The discussion proceeded until 10.35, when a motion by Mr J. O. Thomson to report*p'rogresß was negatived by 27 to 21. (Left sitting.)