PARLIAMENT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVI, Issue 180, 3 August 1904, Page 2

PARLIAMENT.

<• Legislative Counoll. TUESDAY, AUGUST 2, 1904. The Hon. the Speaker took tb» chair at 2,30 p.m. FIHST AND THIKD READINGS. . The Hamilton Parsonage Site Bill (Harris) was nad a second time, and the Counties Act Amendment mil was read a third time and passed. INDICTABLE OFFENCES. The ATTORNEY-GENERAL (Hon. A. Pitt) moved the second reading of the Indictable Offences Summary Jurisdiction Amendment Bill, limiting the right to trial )>y jury to an indictable offence, and providing that the jurisdiction conferred on t/.*> Supreme Court under the Act of 1900 may bo exercised by a District Court in respect to all offences within the jurisdiction' of such District Court. Power is also given to Juries to coi.v-'iit for sentence.

Hon. J. E. JENKINSON (Canterbury) contci.Jed that in any case where a person was tried before Justices he should have a rig'it to claim a trial by jury. The bill was read a second time, uud the Council rose at 3.20 p.m.

House of Representatives I

TUESDAY, AUGUST 2, 1904. Tie Hon. tho Speaker took the chair at 2.H0 p.m. PRIVATE DILL. The Roman Catholic Bishop of Christchurch Empowering Hill (Davc.v) was introduced and read a first lime. PETITION. Mr F„ W. LANG (Waikato) presented a petition from 42 Maoris praying that Maoris may enjoy the same rights and privileges as Europeons.as promised them by the Treaty of Waitangi. FINANCIAL DEBATE. Mr A, W, RUTHERFORD (Huru*mii) resumed the debate on the Financial Statement He expressed a nope that the Premier, with the assistance of Sir Joseph Ward, would be able to exti>aot the colony from what appeared to him to be a parlous state. The niilliom-und-a-tpjarter loan only fetched £9l 15s Sd, and it was necessary to invest £50,000 of the colony's money in our own stock in order to stiflfen ttio market, ff he were on the other side o< the House—'fortunately be was not—he should describe that operation as decidedly peculiar. As ho wosi not ho would only describe it as an,innovation. Tho Government UpA mopped up all tho available money in the colony, and he did not think that much at six or soven per cent, could now lie obtained. If the Government could not supply cheap money it would be most regrettable, and there was absolutely no pros]>ect of cheap money for the future.

Mr McLACHLAN (Ashburton) regarded the financial position as exceedingly assuring, but he thought the £IOO,OOO to be spent on scenery preservation would bo better used in providing facilities for people to go on the land in the backblocks. He deprecated expenditure on elaborate public buildings which they had seen of lato years, and contended that the House was guilty of great extravaganco In voting money for such purposes. Ho expressed regret at the denudation of our forests of useful timber, and urged that some of the large pastoral runs down South should be resumeti by the Government, and planted with trees, ii only for climatic purposes. Regarding the land tenure he thought the best thing to do was to sell the remaining Crown lands for cash, and use the money for the advancement of colonisation.

Sir William STEWARD (Wftitftkl) considered there was great necessity for revision of our system of taxation, including a revision of the Customs tariff in the direction of re? moving <iuty from articles of general consumption. The land for ment policy was not being prosecuted as vigorously as was desirable, and chances to acquire estates had been lost through delay. He held to the opinion that the 999 years lease should lie abolished and 'the remaining Crown lands let on a 21 years' lease with a rifl'vt of renewal on a re-valuatian. The present land ballot system was unsatisfactory, and he urged that when an applicant had been unsuccessful he should have preference In the next ballot over a man who was gtting in for the first time. Money could be provided for the purchase of estates for settlement by allowing Crown tenantn to pay the capital value of their iijoldings, up to say nine-tenths of the total, so as to leave the Crown the actual landlord, and he believed that £2,000,000 would bo paid under such, a system in four years. The debate was interrupted by the 5.80 adjournment. EVENING SITTING. The House resumed at 7.30 p.m. FINANCIAL DEBATE: Mr A, L. HERDMAN (Mount Ida) thought if Ministers energetically put their shoulders to the 'whooi and properly attended to Mvelr de partmcntnl duties there would be no need for Parliamentary Under-Secre-taries. He said he underatoori the Premier to have stated that Crown tenants would be allowed to acquire the freehold of their holdings when a mandate to that effect came from the people. Mr Herdiuam did not consider it light that the leader of tho Government should wait for a mandate of tho people/on any subject. He should take the initiative himself. It seemed that tho whole lludget was an elaborate and vigorous defence of the Premier, and particularly In justification of the increase of nineteen millions in the public debt during his term of office. He urged that there, was urgent need for reform in tho public service, for education, ability and talent were not made a test, and the Civil Servico examinations were totally disregarded in appointments to the service. There was grave discontent in the public service, which he contended had never been in such a chaotic and corrupt a condition as it was at the present time. Mr Herdinan contended that Ministers, by their interference in Parliamentary elections, had lowered tho tone of public Hie in the colony. Touching on the education question he said it was idle, useless, and unprofitable to consider ft teacher's superannuation fluid without first raising teachers' salaries. Ho declared himself a believer in optional freohokl.

Mr J. GRAHAM (Nolson City) urged that loans were necessary for the development of the colony, und that the buixlen ivus not felt by the people. The Stale coal mine's establishment -hud compelled one of the largest proprietaries in tho colon}' to reduce t\"*! prico of its coal by 5s per ton, und consumers would get the benefit of that. Ho defended the financial policy and administration of the Government, Rnd twitted JUr.lus. Allen with having so little of genuine (uull to. find with the budget that he had tumbled into many errors in his Calculations. Mr T. M. WILFOUD (Hutt) was satisfied there was need for amendment in the lUii'.v.ay Classification Act. He ivieirod to Uie beggarly pittance of 7b dor day which was .paid to casual labourers in tho service, and asked whether it was fair that a lnrgo profit should be obtained from the railways by sweating certain classes of tho Vmployees. Railway inon should also be paid fortnightly instead of monthly, inferring to tho native land policy, he said it was a policy of drift. As a solution of the question he suggested that the Government should act as trustee for the natives, the Public Trust Office being an agent, not to sell native land, but to lease it, and receive tho rent for the owners. MrT, I'AEATA (Soutfcm Maori) i No, no I