PARLIAMENT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 81863, 12 October 1906, Page 2

PARLIAMENT.

THURSDAY) OCTOBER n. LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) Tho Council met at 2.30. The Napier Harbour Board Exchange of Lands Empowering' Bill and llie Auckland Savings Bank Education Special Donation Bill were put through Committee ;md parsed. Tho lion. Jcnkinson moved the Second reading- of the Farriers Bill received from 1 lie other House.

The Attorney-General Haiti lie would noc oppose the second leading, but tho Bill would retj[u!i'o to be very considerably amended in Committee to be. acceptable. After a short debate, during- which the speakers expressed sympathy with the spirit of the- measure, the Hon. Millet moved that the whole question of shoeing horses be referred to a select committee next session, and lhat meanwhile I the Bill be proceeded with no further.

Ultimately the debate was adjournal, and the Council rose at 3.30.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. The House met at 2.30. The Napier Harbour Board Empowering Bill was read a first time. The Dunedin District Drainage and Sewerage Act, itjoo, Amendment Bill (Hon. Mr Millar) and the Kensington Park Rate Exemption Bill (Mr Mander) were passed, and the Maketu County Bill (Mr Merries) was rejected on the voices on the molion for its second reading. The Bank Shares Transfer Bill, Savings Banks' Profits Bill, and Sale of Explosives Bill were read a third time. UNCLASSIFIED SOCIETIES BILL.

.This Bill was committed. On the suggestion of Messrs Merries and Jennings, the Premier introduced a new clause, providing that the Go-vernnor-in-Council should docido whether bodies' not covered by the interpretation of either the principal or the amending Bill should be registered. The rest of the BiU went through unaltered.

FISHERIES CONSERVATION. The Fisheries Conservation Acts Amendment Bill was considered in committee.

Sir William Steward moved the following' proviso to clause 3, subsection A: "Provided that nothing in this paragraph shall apply to fish or oysters placed in any freezing works for safe keeping under a permit granted by the sieic ary or chairman of any acclimatisation society." The motion passed with the addition of oysters.

ill- Davey moved the addition of a new clause pet mining netting within limits. Tnere was a long discussion, the opinion being freely expressed that netting would be for the benefit of the tish From the Native point of view, it was represented that in certain places the Natives were dependent entirely during certain seasons 011 the fish caught by netting at tile mouths of livers. The Premier could not accept the amendment. He was advised that where netting was permitted for the purpose of thinning the trout in Lake Rotorua, it had resulted in encrmoys waste,

The Chairman read the amendment, adding' to the purposes for which regulations may be made, "The netting of trout at the mouth of any river or estuary or in Lake Ellesmere." The Committee divided: Ayes, 33; noes, 2S; and the amendment was carried.

EVENING SITTING. The House resumed at 7.30. Mr Buddo moved a new clause to prevent any acclimatisation society reserving any water under its control for artificial or natural fly fishing lo the exclusion of bait. On a division, this was lost by 35 votes to 19. Mr Witty then moved to a similar effect, excepting that to artificial r natural 11 y fisjiinu' was added tin•'Tilie exclusion of any other lawful form of fishing." This amendment was rejected by 37 to 25 voles. Mr Barclay moved a new clause, giving holders of fishing licenses the right to fish up beds of sircams running through private property without being deemed to be trespassing. The Committee divided on the second reading of the new clause: Ayes 10, noes 50, and the clause was lost. Mr T. MacKenzie moved t(5 reduce men's ieenses. The clause was lost by 21 to 35, and the Bill passed through committee without further amendment. The Agricultural Implement Manufacture Importation and Sale Amendment Act was committed. Mr Davey stated that the Minister of Customs had told him that lie had received no objections. The Bill passed through committee unamended. COAL MINES ACT AMENDMENT BILL.

The Minister of Mines, on the motion to go into committee, explained the main' novoltics, such as appeal to the Minister against decisions of the Wardens and Commissioners, and fur-

thet assistance to prospecting, and

the inclusion of State coal mine employees in the Civil Service, and the provision for the application to the Stale coal mine of the Industrial and Conciliation and Arbitration Act.

Mr Allen (Bruce) thought the provision in clause 5, subsection b, laid tie- burden on mine managers of an inspection beyond human p:'wer in the time mentioned, lie did not see whore ihe line wis drawn in tlio application of the Civil Seivice Act. fjje thought the Minister, insiead of the gingerly delicate way in which he had handled tlic clauses relating to the audit of the Stale coal mines, which last year had been most imperfect, "u.ght to have explained them in dclai. l'Or his own part he could not see that the Bill make any improvement in that regard. He was afraid the adoption of the Industrial Act might do mischief, and lie approved the granting of licenses for prospecting. Tlu: Hon. the Premier objected to

a line of criticism which, imputing evil, was liable to misconstruction, f'he audii, for example, was not n any way wrong, but there was a perfectly natural difference between two high officials as to the method of making up particular accounts, and this difficulty the Bill proposed to sLaighten out.

In his reply, the Minister of Mines said the manager was to take the whole responsibility. He was like the captain of a ship, who is respon ablo for the efficiency of his men. As to the Civil Service, it is Ho t the intention to make eyery ipingr a Civil servant: the only object is to enable the higher olfioia's 10 be placed 011 a Civil Service footing. Toe Leader of the Opposition objected to the new piovi-ion placed bv 11) ■ Mines Committee In clause 2, which provided for an appeal by an applicant for a coal lea-e from' the Warden to the Mini-ter. Mr Masxpy saw in this something that was capable of political abuse.

Messrs lleriics and ATsr.n supported Mr Massey, Air llenie- loadingthe O])inlon that the Minister should not be given power over a Warden, Mr Colviti approved of ,t, aetl Mr Guinness moved 1,, amend It so as to give aggrieved panics the same right of appeal against a Warden o r Commissioner as was given under the provision of the Mining Act of i< )o s (to the District Appellate Court) against a Ward"n. Tiii-. amendment was earned on the voice-.

A proposal by Mr Ali-on, to provide thai a naked light might not b" left wait 11 live faa of explosives stowed in a mine, was heaviiy beatIn clause 5, section b, Mr Massey !a a t to; 1;, uc ii uoik'ot in--pei idie; tia-' plac'tf in tile nrniiiger. The M'lii'ler replied that the nianaeei was oiilv givi'n the r. sponsiIjility imposeal by the Mining' Act on !!'-ae;tge!'s.

Mr Massey answered Hr t there was more. The clause provide:! to add to the manager's work, not his re-sp'i-s'lrMty. Mr Allen added thai the work was impossib'e. The Mining Act said

"The maiy'irer or ether competent perJ'.n," and lii:.i wee- fea: i! I enough. The Coal Mines Aet of last vcar veas the same :.s lh-0 Mining Act. Better leave well a'bne,

Mr Massoy quoted the opinion of a competent manager lie moved the addition of "Other competent person," and the words wore added on tho voices.

Mr Allen moved to lcstriet appointments lo the Civil Service to managers, engineers, and other*. This was lost by 38 to 12. The new clause regulating license* for prospecting for coal on Crown lands was added. Mr Colvin s "bank to bank" clause threaiening to cause prolonged discussion, the Minister moved lo repor. progress, the division being 33 to 18.

The Maori Lands Act Amendment Bill was re,id a first time and referred to the Naiive Affairs Commitlee.