PARLIAMENT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 81854, 29 September 1906, Page 2

PARLIAMENT.

Friday, September 2 s.

legislative council.

(Sy Tuo Council met at 2.30, —• J The' t0 t - he „ Hon - Mr McDon- ' ft Attorney-General stated (h der had 3 he' 3 that no ten " at the f 1, i ? received for catering behalf onfc' r D " He must say > 011 0 naif of the Government, that if no 'M arrangements were made by the Ex- * hibition Commissioners to cater for visitors, the Government would tako 1 he matter in their own hands. (Hear, oc , T ' ie Motor Affiliation Bill pass-

Tho Fire Brigades Bill was further considered in Committee. h ' Hon. George moV ed a new paragraph, to clause n "Connbutwns by insurance companies" to pi event the exposure of the business of insurance companies, non-ob-ervanco of secrecy regarding re™ n3 An C ITU 1 TU i' dby fine ncK exceeding ti ! dause agreed to. ; . fQll ° wln 8- new clauses were inscrted on the motion of the Hon. Mr George: A (,) The Board may? ifil thinks fit, establish and ma f n y t ' ai f I of Thr, i™ en ch ?''ff ed wit l> the duty of attending at fires and saving proP rty, and it shall be the duty of wit h the sanction of * he Board and subject to regulations. 0 afford the necessary assistance to that force m the performance of their offi™' a f 1 UP i on a PP licati °n of any °,®f eroo f Ile for <* to hand over to the Jr custody property that may be aved from fire; (2) no charge shall be made by the Board for service thus 1 ndered during the progress of a fire. B-No member of a Board shall be personally liable for any act dona bv tho Board of which he is a mem-

The Bill wae reported with amend' ments.

r The Habitual Criminals and Offenders Bill was further considered in Committee and reported with amendmonts. m

The New Plymouth Borough and l aranaki School Commissioners Bill was put through the final stages. Ihe Council rose at 3.45.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, The House met at 2.30, estimates'.

After the usual formalities the House wont into Committee of Supl''y consider the Estimates, Class XII., Police Department. I. he Loader of the Opposition referred to the case of Constable Walker, of Duncdtn. The man had written to him stating that ho would be compelled to leave the colony, Mr Massey appealed to the Minister to see that.justice was done to the man. the Hon, Mr McGowan replied that there were reasons why Walker had bee n allowed to send in his resignation. Mr F. M B. Fisher complained of the scanty houso allowance made to bub-Inspectors in Wellington compar- ■ «d with Christchurch. He contended that £65 houso allowanco in Wolington was no better than £45 in Christchurch. Mr Izard referred to the fact that oub-Inspector o'Donovan had stated that he received £36 house allowance P8 M y0 u-ir 1,6 ex P cnc! « d £72. Mr Wilford urged that the salaries of the Sub-Inspectors in the four cluef centres should be raised to £4OO, instead of ranging from £250 to ,&2£>o per anminij as tlicy did at present. The f.se of the rank and ?Hr',llan CTeaSe ° f Pay pUt After further discussion the votes passod unaltered, CI,W; XIII., Mines Department, X,3'ii2o. ((J Vote for Mines Department vote for Colonial Analyst Department, £IBSO. these were passed rapidly. (3) Vote for geological survey, £713;. Exception was taken to the smali salaries in certain cases The Minister explained that the officers in question were young men on probatisn. The vote passed, (4) Vote for miscellaneous services, £16,475. Mr Poland objected to the item, £100! 'Grants to libraries i n mining districts, as.unworthy of an industry which employs 18,000 men, and with over four millions worth of mineral output. Mr Jlerrius thought more money ought to be spent on the Schools of Mines, whose work he eulogised. The vote passed, C'ass XIV., £72,263. .Vote, £2158, ; Colonial Secretary's Office, passed unaltered. Vote, £950, Ministers' secretaries. The Minister explainod that 13 private secretaries got a sessional bonus of £25, but that there are clerks which assist and get a sessional allowance also. A question as to bonuses.given last year being refused by the Minister on the ground that the information was refused last year, Mr J. Allen moved a reduction'of the present year's vote £325, private secretaries to Ministers) as an indication that the' information fee furnished. The Chairman ruled against dla- [ cussion of tho last year's figures. [ Iho Committee divided on the amendment: Ayes 14, noes 43, and tho ■ vote, £q s o, passed, the vote, £5980, ! for messengers and office-keepers, passecj, The vote, £OB3O, Electoral I Department, after discussion on the lo\v salaries of Returning Officers and the various systems of voting, during which u demand was made for compulsory registration and resisted by the Minister, who cited tho French example, which is followed by a much lower percentage of voting than New Zealand's, the vote passed. Class XVI., Defence, £167,244. In reply to a question the Premier promised, before the close of the session, to state the Government's intention as to the appointment of the Commandant of tho forces. After further discussion, the first vote, £8204 (Defence), passed. Vote, £124,103, Permanent Militia and Volunteers. After the discussion had traversed the salaries, the efficiency, the equipment, tho 6-inch guns lyingin store for the last two years, and the absence of the Minister in tho Upper House, the vote passed. Before the passing, the Minister announced that the allowances' lately cut off from the Permanent Artillery would be restored, but not with back ! pay. and that the 6-inch guns would shortly be mounted in Auckland and Wellington, and that certain matters, namely, examination, equipment, and / training would have special attention. The remaining portion of the Defence vote passed, and the House adjourned at 11.30. THE SEDDON GRANT. The Soddon grant, £6OOO, passed i unquestioned, among the Colonial Ji' Secretary'; estimates, fajft