PARLIAMENT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 81845, 12 September 1906, Page 2

PARLIAMENT.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. The House met at 2.30. RETURN OF LAND VALUES. The MINISTER FOR LANDS laid on the table a return showing the capital and the unimproved value of all estates in the colony over .£50.000 unimproved value. The Minister explained that the names wore not mentioned.

The return will be found under the heading- of "The Land Bill.'' Mr BAUME said there was no means of determining between provincial districts, and members would be unable to discuss the matter with their constituents.

Mr LEWIS urged the inclusion of the number of beneficiaries in each estate.

Mr MASSEY moved an amendment for the addition of the names of all owners, without which the return would be useless.

The PREMIER opposed the amendment as unnecessary, at ail events at the present stage, and tending to degrade the discussion on the land question into provincialism. He asked the House to wait for the Land Bill.

Mr ALLEN (Bruce) urged that in a similar return (Mr Hogg's) three years ago, the names Were given. If waiting for the Land Bill mattered, why not postpone the return?

The Hon. Mr McNAB explained that the return was made up for his own information at his request by the Valuer-General's Department, and that he had ordered the omission of the names so that he might deal with the subject impersonally. The matter was now in a different position. Formerly these returns were to an extent comparatively academic; new crucial legislation was being enacted concerning their contents, it would be improper to have the names. As he had alluded to the return in debate, he was compelled to lay the return on the table. It was not possible to add the names to the return, now, but anyone might ask for another return with the names included. No necessary information, he could tell the House, would be refused.

Mr HERRIES pointed out that the information could and would be added by the Valuer-General from the information in his possession H the House ordered. This was not a matter involving any local feeling, it was information badly wanted by the whole colony. Mr FOWLDS accused the Opposition of intentional.y delaying the production of the paper. Mr MASSEY complained of having, been misrepresented. He did not ask for a return, like that of 1903. He only wanted the addition of the names of all proprietors above ,£50,000 unimproved value. Mr LAURENSON wanted the rtand question discussed from the national and not the provincial point of view.

Mr GRAY thought it right in the interest of dispassionate impersonal discussion to suppress the names. Mr BAUME, as one who had advocated the freehc(id> settlement of* the land, wanted information as to the locality of these freeholds to be thrown in the market by the cutting up of the estates above a certain value. He knew quite well that none of those freeholds were in his district, and in order to prevent his constituents from being humbugged by an incomplete return he would insist on the production of information asked for. He regretted having to oppose the Government in a cardinal point of his policy, but he had a duty to perform to his constituents. The Hon. Mr HALL-JONES could not accept the apology put forward by the hon. member who had just sat down. He went over the ground covered by his colleagues as to the completeness of the document laid on the table, and informed the other side that they could ask for another return embodying the information they wanted. In answer to an exclamation of incredulity, the Hon. Mr Hall-Janes said that the Government had not refused a single return since they assumed office.

Mr WILFORD described the Ministerial .line of argument as a gullible and self-contradigtory." The Minister for Education had said it would take years to get the information, whereas the Minister of Public Works said that the information would be available "to the Waste Lands' Committee at a moment's notice. He did not agree with the argument that the course of land legislation ought to be undisturbed bv consideration of pevsotia) ownership.

The Hon. Mr MILLS thought there was a misunderstanding of the matter on the part of Mr Wilford. \ifi. explained that the ol 1003 had taken five years to prepare, as a vast number of documents had to be considered, whereas the addition of the sixty odd names involved in this instance could soon be added. For his own part, he thought it would be wrong in a nationail matter of this kind to allow men's minds to be disturbed bv personal consideration. Mr FISHER did not think (lie information would lead to the formation of provincial views. The House divided: Ayes iq, noes 37, and the words were not added. The following is the division list: —For the amendment (iq.) : Messrs Aitken, J. Allen, Baume, Bollard, Fisher, A. L. D. Fraser, W. Fraser, Hardy, Herries, KirkbiWe, Lethbridgc, Lewis, Malco'tri,' Mander, Massoy, Poole, Remington, Rhodes, Wilford. Against (37): "Messrs E. G. Allen, Arnold Barber, Barclay, fiennett, Buddo, Carroll, Colvin, Dillon, Duncan, Field, Flatman, Fowlds, Gray, Greenslade, Hall, Hall-Jones, Hanan, Heke, Hogan, Hogg, Hornsby, Houston, Iza.rfl, Jennings, Kidd., Laurenson, McQowan, R. McKenzje, McLachlan, McNab, MacPliersdn, ' "Millar, Mills, Ngata, "t*arata, Poland, Ross, Sidey, Smith Stalhvorthy, Stevens,. Tanner, Thomson. Ward, Witty, Wood. FIRE BRIGADES BILL.

In Committee, the Bill was taken up at clause 20, where it had stoppcd_ on August 31. Clauses 2,3. to, 27 inclusive were passed unaltered, A discussion on clause 28 ensued in the proposal (to acid a; (prov'/to foij limiting the power of making new fire clisuicts, provided that such application shall only be made after a poll of the ratepayers of the district has been taken in the manner prescribed by The Local E'ections bfiL 1904, and the proposal was garriid. The House adjourned' fcti;"dinnejri. at 5.30,

EVENING SITTING. Mr Witty'? clause was withdrawn, and a new provision added providing for a poll after 15 per cent, of the ratepayers have demanded the departure, in clause 20, machinery for taking- over existing fi re. brigades, the interest payable was increased from 4 to 4J. Clauses 30 and 31 were passed without amendment. An amendment by Mr W'ilford lo substitute the fire Board for the superintendent as the authority controllingall houses of public assembly, was defeated by 36 to 27, and the remainder of the gill passed. HABITUAL CRIMINALS BILL. In Committee, on the motion of the Minister of Justice, clause 2, givthe judge the power to declare an offender a habitual criminal, an alteration was made applying the power to groups' of offenders, instead of single offenders. A similar alteration was made in clause 3, with respect to habitual offender/, and the scope extended'of the clause by adding sections 26, 27, 28 of the Police Offences Act to section 29 of the same. Abortion was added to class. 11. of the schedule, and theft, false pretences, extortion, forgerv, and mischief, to class 11. The Bill was passed without other alterations and reported. JUVENILE OFFENDERS. BILL. The Bill was read a third time, ADVANCES TO SETTLERS BILL The PREMIER moved the second reading, explaining the amendments proposed in the existing law, the chief of which are the provision for raising a sum not exceeding one and a half million each year (the Minister remarking that for a year to some

no loan would be required), the increase of the lending basis in leasehold from one-half to three-fifths, the investment of the reserve funds dates of interest payments, and simplification of accounts. Another alteration proposed was the straightening- out of the annual difficulties of the audit. Mr MASSEY gave the Bill a general support, and expressed appproval of the provision with regard to the annual audit. He thought a clause ought to be added for helping work men who have sections to build homes on easy terms. The debate was adjourned on the motion of Mr Kidd.

THE LAND BILL. This Bill was brought down by Governor's Message and read a first time.

The House adjourned at 11.30 p.m.