PARLIAMENT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXV, Issue 212, 3 October 1903, Page 2

PARLIAMENT.

PKll PKlt!i3 ASSOCIATION. ♦ LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. Friday, October 2. The Council met at 2.30 p.m. Ihe Bush,nnd Swamp Crown Lands Settlement Bill was reported from Oomraittee with slight amendments. The Property Law Consolidation Bill was committed and passed en bloc rmdi'.paitud with an ameudineif. Tho Cour.ci! adjourned at 2,50. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. Thursday, Octodkr 1. After the To! 'gnph Office closed tho Shipping and B,U passol i!s final stages. v

Io Committee on the Fisheries Conservation Bill it was decided on Sir J. Q. Ward's motion to amend the rate* for fishing licenses as follows:—Uniform lie >nses, available throughout New Zealand XI ; available throughout a provincial district 10*; licens s to women, and bays under 16 years 5.«, available throughout a whole provincial district.

The Legitimation Bill, Commissioners' Bill, and Interpretation Bill passed through Committee without material amend meat, The House rose at 2.10 a.m. Friday, Ooi.bkr 2. Tbe House met at 2.30 p.m. Mr Laurenson was granted seven days leave of absence on urgent private business. The Waimate Oouu*.y Water Rices Validation Bill (Steward) was read a first time. ESTIMATES. The Housa went into Committee of Snpply for farther consideration of the Estimates. The first class taken was that of public and school buildings and domains. At the vo*e for school buildings, furniture and sites, Mr Lethbridge contended that tbe vote of £1 5,000 to Education Boards for ordinary building purposes should be increased by £IO,OOO or £20,000. In his opinion the Wellington Board deserved credit tor haviug the courage to go inta dabt to build schools in newly settled districts.

Mr Hogg urged the GoverLmsnt to take some of the money from the public buildings vote and übo it for schools in new district. He defended the Wellington Banrd and said it was pcandalous injustice to accuse the Boaid of having misappropriated funds they bad never had.

Mr Seddon contended that the Wellington Board had devoted some of the money granted for new buildings to other purposes, ond in regard to one item of expenditure for the Masterton school the Government did not intend to foot tha bill.

Mr O'Meara moved the reduction of the vote by £1 as an indication that the timj had arrived when members of Parliament should b» debarred from sitting on Education Boards. Mr T. McKenzia said education would never get the attention from a bead of the Department that it had received from the men who had worked hard on the Education Board?.

Mr Seddon said he regarded Mr O'Meara's motion as unconstitutional. He was opposed entirely to the centralisation of administration of education, as no Minister and no Department cou'd po3Bi*bly do the work as well as the Boards had done and oould do, but it was necessary that complete control should be exercised over amounts granted by the State for specific purposes. Las', ye\r the Wellington Board increased its liability on is building account from £604 to £7651.

Mr Massey protested against the action of the Government in with-hold-ing so important a report as that of the Education Depar'ment, Hi would have baen pr; p ired to support Mr O'Meara's mo*ion if ih had been worded as an indioitiro of dissati.sf iction with the administration of the Education Department. In tho course of furthir discussion, Mr Seddon su'd if the Wellington Baard had not got it?elf into this unholy mess, and bad reported the facts as they existed, he would have givan them tha money.

The discussion was interrupted by the 5.30 adjournment.

Evening Sitting,

The House at 7.30. resumed the consideration of the Publio and School BuiU'nJs estimates. ' Several members complained of unfairness as to building gnnts, and rei'eratid the complaints made during the af ernoon, especially as to schools in remote districts. Mr S.ddon sail no rna more with bank bio-k settlers than he. He suggested the Q vernmeut might advance to settlers near isolate i schools sufficient money to enablo th<>m to build additions to their residences in order to accommoda'e the teachers. He would favourably consider applications from Education Boards for assistance iu that direction, and these advances could be sst off against special grants. Mr O'Meara's amendment was negatived by 45 to 10. Mr Maesey said .after what had happened that afternoon the Premier would never again be able to accuse members of the Opposition with ob structing business. Mr Seddon cnid what had baen done was in the way of punishment for tho obstruction of the Opposition on (h Imprest Supply Bill, and be intended to lwrp there and punish them for their misdeeds. The whole vote was then pisse-3 uorltered. The of the D:fence Department were then taken.

I In reply to Mr Jan. Allen, MrSfddon said the office of Under Recr.tary ( for D fenns hid not been filled, because qu stion of whether the Oom ; nian(Janfc was to hav.j charge of the biuinees as wd) as the ni'li'ary pari of Dapartment had cot yet been determined. (Left sitting.) I