PARLIAMENT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXV, Issue 201, 10 September 1903, Page 2

PARLIAMENT.

PKK PHBBS ABBOOIATIOH. «. LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. Wednesday, September 9th. Th" C.u-.cil met at 2.30 p.m. Tho B uough <>t Gore Electric Power Em;>j«e'iug Bill was read a third time and pn-twd. Tne Wellington Hirbour Baard Empowering Bill was committed and proI grsss reported upon a new clause com- | p lling the Board to place £250,000 of I tho loin raised under the Aot of 1892 to a tp >cial fund called " The Djok Fand Account. The (Luncil rose at 5 p.m. SOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. After th? Telegraph Office closed on Wednesday morning tbe votes for .he Native Lied Court, Native Lwd Administration, and Maori Councils provoked lengthy disoussion, An attack was made on tbe Mioii Oounoils but Mr Oir/01l claimed that they were doing good work. He hid urged up in the Councils the desirability of establishing a fund for tbe erection of Maori hospitals in the North and South) Is'and<). Eventually the whole vote f w tb» Justice Department passed- unaltered. At the vote for Post and Telegraph Depirtment, Sir J. O. Ward sail the question of tbe San Francisco mail service would be settled when tbe necessary resolutions were brought down. Unless a subsidy was granted by resolution the service would not go on after November next, Eventually the whole of tbe vote passed unaltered. Progress was reported, and the House rose at 5.10 a.m. Wednesday, Skptembrr 9rd. The House met at 2.30 p.m. Mr Burner presented a petition from the Newtown hotelkeepers praying i they be allowed to keep their houses open till after the decision of tbe Privy Council bad been made known. Mr Rhodes read a telegram he hod received from the Secretary of the> Flour Millers Association, stating the Association had nothing to do directly t or indireotly with the price of bread in Ohris'-church or Lyttelton. All baker* were treated alike so far as the isso- ' ciation was concsrned. ) On a motion that this telegram do k He on table, Mr Taylor said it was his intention at some future tin» to ssk ' the Houbs to so 1 ; up a special com- . mittee to consider the methods of the Flour Millers' Association. He conI tauded that in this Assodatioa, .New Zealaud had a very clivtrly organised 3 trust, that was in all essentiil features , identical with the trusts that were enj paging tha attention of th) American Legislature. Hs adversely criticised ' the Association at some length, and de- ° dared there was not an evil feature) £ associated with American Trusts that 7 was not cmnecteJ with this truit. Tbe bes' way to break down the exorbitant pricesch\rg«d by the Associativa would ' be to remote the duty on imported flour. He protested against the Amociation's telegram being inserted on tha records of the House. * Sir W. J. Steward moved as an amendment that the telegram be referred t) the Industries and Oommerot j Committee with instructions to enquire j into, and report on the matter. Mr Liwrenson said that what had \ mide this question such a burning oat) was the price of fosd hts risen to ' such a degree that many people who ~ were previously able to save money [ were now unable to pay for the necessaries of life. ' Mr Rholes expressed his willingness L to uccept the amendment. He had nothing to di with the Association whatever. ' Mr Taylor sitd if the matter wont ' *o tho Committee, and the Gov-trnmint ,; would deal with r, the Pou mi.Ws' Association would n>t exint after the eud of the year. Mr Sed.i >n combitted the statement that the Fiourmi le.s' Aflsonation did ot regulate the price of fLur, and said it wa« dis ngenuouß for the Association jo say that it had nothing to do witb j the prioe of brevl If the qiestiooi vtL9 referred tva committee for faU investiga'ion tbe nsuh would be to- ' assist Parliament »ob ing forward such legislation as wou' 1 prevent s> . oontinuaace of ths ex s'.mg ounditioo of thing?, He believed that the case as presented to the House by Mr Taylor f wa'- not at all overdrawu. j Sir W. Russell said they were all agreed that this question should be t probed to the bottom, bat he did not consider the Industries and Commerce Committee would be able to ojnduct an exhaustive enquiry. It was too large ar.d unwieldy, and its members were engaged also oo other committees. He suggested the appdatment of a small &p citl oommittee of ihre» or four members who would be ab'e to dtvjte | thiir whole time to the subject. I Mr Buchanan took the same view at , Sir W. Russell. Mr McLaohlan favoured the matter going before a oommittee. Mr R. McKcnzie suggested a select committee should ba set up to go into the whole matter. Mr J. O. Thompson urged that insteid of referring the question to a ! committee the Government should do its duty and bring down legislation dealing with trusts and combine* generally. Sir Joseph Ward expressed approval of the proposal that the matter should oe referred to a committee, and he considered tint the Industrie and Commerce Oommittee was eo constituted as to be able to investigate the matter from every sde. The cmmitte9 c insisted of Mr T. McKertie, Sir W. Russell, Messrs Aitken, Barber, Bjilard, Buchmar., Duthie, Field, HanaD, Hardy, Harding, Hogg, Houston, LiurensoD, McNab, Millar, Rutherford, Witbeford, and Bir Joseph Ward. After further discussion the telegram was referred to the Industries md Commerce Oommittee. The Po'ikawa N ttiva Reserve) Bill, ■nd the L oil Bodies Lo ns Act \men'lm«n« Bill wore intiodueed by G • crn -i-'s m -«««ge ™nd r t ad a first mo. * ..e T.-h;.i ...» F oily \i .irit t<auce ■fill waMrcii-.-ed I'rom tho Lsgielativo Cou-'ci. >U Gnin>;■'h- vul d the Oouicil had no po.v.r to initia e a BUI of this kind, 'hich affiret-i the revenue of tbe <i loiy. Thh 8.1 l wiia an infringement uf be p;ivi!«)jesof tha House, and it w*« for the House to say whether it would uphold its privilege?. Mr Seddoa moved that tbe Bill be laid aside, on the ground that it is »n infiingemant of the privileges of tho Hou4a. He intimated that tho Bill would be introduced in the Hew#, toft this wai agtetd to Pn th» voice*,

Mr Guinness pointed out that the Crown Giants Act Amendment; Bill (which had passed the Legislative Council) also infringed the rights and privileges of the House, and on Mi' Seddon's motion it wae discharged from the Hcuee and the Order Paper. One week's leave of absence was granted to MrTiatdy on account of illness in his family. The Speaker read letters from the editor and publisher of the N.Z. Times in answer to the resolution passed by the House the previous day in connection with the breach cf privilege committed by that rewspaper in connection with the publication of the contents of certain documents b.fore the Education Committee. Mr J. L. Kelly. editor, wrote regrettirg that a breach of privilege of the House bad be?n inadvertently committed, but refusing to divulge the source of information, and stating that the information bad been obtained in a perfectly honourable manner and without any breach of confidence being involved on the part of any official or member of the Education Committee. Mr Seddon moved that a committee of privilf ge be set up to icquire into the matter, the committee to consist of Messrs Guinness, Millar, Rus=ell, Maseey, Steward and Seddon. This m.% agreed to on the voices without discussion. The Public Petitions Committee reported it bad no recommendation to make on a lumber of petitions for and against the coupon system of trading This report was the outcome of a direction of the House some days ago that the Committee should reconsider their report on the matter. Mr Fowlds explained that the committee were of opinion that the existing coupon system was satisfactory. Mr Seddon said he had intended to introduce legislation dealirg wih the coupon system and bad exp r ced a le.d from this cemmittee. In the abssree of any guidance he did not intend to bring down any legislation. The Oollingwood County Bill (R McKenze), Wairoa Harbour Board Empowering and Loan Bill (Russall), and Fisheries Conservation Act Amendment Bill (Ward) were introduced and read a first time. It was decided to insist on the amendment made by the House in the Dairy' Industry Act Extension Bill and a conference with the Upper House was invited. The House rose at 5.30 p m. EvtKiia SrrrnjG. The Hcuse resumed at 7.30. Mr Field's Dramatic Copyright Bill was recommitted. Clause 2 was struck eu*; and a new clau-e substituted to the effect that every person who for gam represents any dramatic work or any appreciable part cr colourable imitation thereof without the written consent of the person possessing the sole rights of representation is liable, in addition to any other penalties, to a fine not exceeding £IOO, and in default may be imprisoned for a term not exceeding three months, provided that- proceedings are taken Dot later than six months after the offence, and that the copyiighS ba= been registered in New Zealand. The Bill t> en passed its final stages. Mr Buddo moved the second reading of the School Committees Funds Bill which et ables funds of school committees to b) operatrd on through the Post Office Savings Bank. Mr Ward supported the Bill, and tbe second reading was agreed to. The Native Lands fiiticg 8.1 l was read a first time. Mr B. McKeczie'd Mining Act Amendment Bill was considered in Gimmittee, and considerable debate took place on the definition of " miner," but after a lengthy discussion the clause passed unaltered. Mr Hemes' Biting Act Amendment Bill, designed to give local bodies potato imposa full rates on native lands, was dueid-.rcd io O mmittee. Left bitmg.