PARLIAMENT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 81868, 18 October 1906, Page 2

PARLIAMENT.

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 17.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

(By Telegraph.—Press Association.) Tho Council met at 2.30. The Roman Catholic Bishop' of Auckland Empowering Bill and Church Property Tiu-t (Canterbury) Bi.l were read .1 third time and parsed.

The amendments made by the House in tho fisheries Conservation Bill were agreed lo on the motion ol tho Attorney-General.

ilie Wellington City Reclamation! and Empowering Bill, F.keiahuna Borough Bill, and Dunedin District Drainage and Sewerage Act Amendment Bill were read a second time. The South Island Landl ess Natives Bill was read a third time and passed. The Bank Shares Transfer Bill was reported from committee and passed. In committee, on the Savings Banks Profits Bill, considerable discussion ensued on clause 4, payment of trustees for attendance at meetings, the Hons. Thompson, McLean, and George objecting to the clause and the Hons. Rigg, Baldey, and Jonkinson approving the principle of payment .

The Hon. George eventually moved to strike out the clause, and was defeated by 10 to 8. The Bill was reported with minor amendments and passed.

The Bank Shares Transfer Bill and Jubilee Institute of the Blind Bid passed their final stages.

The Private Hospitals Bill was put through committee with verbal amendments and passed. The Workers' Dwellings Act Amendment Bill was reported without amendments and passed. The Council adjourned at 4.35. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. Tho House met at 2.30. ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS. Questions were answered this afternoon, the principal being to .he following effect:—

Regarding' the Police Superannuation I'und, the actuaries' report has just been completed, and it v.'iil be presented to Parliament in the eouise of a few days. It is not proposed to increase the Graduated Land Tax this session. To a question by Mr 1. Mckenzie, for giving country people tho same week-end advantages as the town people, the answer was that country people do not require the issue of tickets for this purpose, as they live in hea,thy surroundings all 'he year round, and when travelling for business, purposes can afford to pay the low rates which are charged n the New Zealand Government railways.

To a question (Mr Fislier), whether by reason of the proposed endowment policy the operations of the Land Act would be stopped, the Minister replied that the matter of opening Crown lands for selection is in the hands of the various Land Boards, and die Government will carry out the provisions of the existing law. namely, "The Land Act, ie.y2," until it has been amended or repealed.

In the matttcr of the Psyche Hath ease (Mr A. L. D. 1-laser), the pro-

sccutiuns were instituted by the .ocal police without reference lo headquarters, and wiili the object of deciding ;\ll important question of law—the question as to how far the mdiscrim-

'Hate sale 01 such pictures i s allowable. 'The cases were brought forward for decision in ihe ordinary way, and ihero was no question oi bringing- our Courts of Justice inio ridicule.

The question of a 1 eduction in the inland parcel post rales is now receiving consideration, and the Minister nopes to bo able 10 effect a considerable reduction al an ; eaily date. it is intended to call the Repiesenlation Commissioners next month for 1110 readjustment of tiie electorates, and the definition of ihe boundaries ol the same.

ii is prtijio/ed to include the countit s oi Kotorua and East Taupo and the southern panics of the counties oi We-L Taupo and I'iako in a new Acclimatisation District, and p-ja-eo it under the control of the Tourist and Health Resorts Department. in re the cadet attendance at Clmstchurch, the exaci terms ou which cadms will be permitted to attend the Exhibition have not been finally settled, bui when they ai e, lull publicity will be given. The question of concessions or allowances is under consideration, as is also the possibility of utilising the Tuianekai. ft is a fact that Hie Railway Department iias imported a shipment of iXewcastle coai. 'The coal was ordered as <1 result of the blocking f the West Coast harbours by bad weather, and had it not been for going t-i outside markets, the Railway Department would have been unable to keep faith with the public in the running' of trains, etc. There is sufficient coal to supply the ordinary requirements of the Railway Department and the coal depots, but it frequently happens that tonnage cannot be procured at Ihe time required at tno various pons, and consequently other arrangements have to be made, It is now unlikely that the slack lime which occurred a few days ago at Point Elizabeth mine wi.l be recurrent.

In r« the term, "bad debt/' due by ■he Railway Department to the Si ale Coal Mines ihe explanation of the iiem i K that tin* Stale Coal Depaitnunt charged the Railway Department a higher rale per ion for coal than the Railway Department fell justified in paying - on account of the finality o! the cuai supplied not bring up lo the standard. An adjustment wa> finally arrived ai between the two but not until after the books had been balanced, consequently the difference between the amount charged and paid for had to be accounted for.

About the taxation of mining companies under the iaw as it at present

stands, mining companies aie only liable to Income Tax on one half of the dividends paid to shareholders. There can be 110 doubt that this is treating- the shareholders in an exceptionally liberal manner as compared with other taxpayers. I.v.a, under the amending Bill, these companies will still be treated well. The provision as to taxing the full dividends will only apply to highly prospeious concerns, and even under, 't. Such compaives will not be liable lo pay a tax on nearly as much as (hey wou.d il their incomes were received fioin oilier sources than mining.

SELECT COMMITTEES AND THEIR WORK.

The Chairman of ihe Standing Oidei'H Cum milieu brought up the report ol ihe committee recommending that tint- proceedings ol" any committee may be declared parlialliv or fully open to ihe Press; (bat jf, ;',fl or thai, any iouinali-'l breaks ihe Staining Order-, lie may be excluded fioni 1 lie (ialiery during Ihe pleasure or

The House (li'viilctl the list nf iln> silMTiimm to di.-cussin.i;- tin' an-werr. |o <!ll<S(ions. InU-1- alia. tin- J\l inisicr ;"f l-tind", replying to Mr |->hn-'s remarks, coiwiiucni on iho niiM\<-r io h j - question about the Land Hill, said that ihe (lOvornmont cannot interfere with the working of the Land Am, '"if thai whatever may be lost to endowment by the Working- of the optional system during the next few months, wi.l be moic .ban coinpeu--'aied by thr lam!--. \\lu ( I, v ,-i|| be 'a<'-f|iin-rd from I hi' Maoris f,,,- sel'.lcmem under tin- I.ami

r l lie ! ti-usr adjourned at 5.",^. EVKMXd Sri'TlXii. The llon.se r<'suni"d at 7.10. FIRST RKADXCS. i'hc New /.eatand t.o;>?is A<a Amendment MiIL I'ost Oiii-f An Amendment' Hit l , and Public ||c;diti ,<Vi AnumdniTu IVII were read a fir-it I he fiovornmenl Advances i; Ser■i'Ms I',i[| Me^ai ;■(*. Tiie ]\nn. )h" ]'rc m ier expiatn- d Mat die e ainendtnents add'Hl aceoiding ion prom" * nv> !e ; ■ Mi' 1 Xal'v-"' m«T.il>i r- v.heu i| u . ni l ''-as- tor'nigh die 11111-", A< : iicy inVf ive ironr'.-s. thev <■ mi)' l ii"! ma-v in til'-- Council, t'v,->f.>te w'jr liroug'n <• 1 I 'i'heir oliject was rnid-j" njotM "-- J 1 v advanced to fd::on 1 t"' litrnl or to %-tr tenants, ami to bo'

duly recovered by the Department in case of "default. Consideration of iliese amendments was deferred. In committee, the Mouse went into committee with ten Bills. GOVERNMENT ADVANCES TO WORKERS.

An addition was made to the de-finitiju.-i. "Family"' includes tho parents or oilier dependents on the applicant. In section 3, Mr Masscy moved to extend the provisions of the Hill to rural workers. Mr Klittman ami Mr Buddo and Mr lJaume supported. The Premier tuged that the coun•ry workers can be accommodated under the Government Advances to Settlers Bill.

Mr Massey urged that no rural worker can borrow more than threefifths of tho value of a section, whereas the proyiasion proposed to advance the full value of the house to bo built.

The Premier said the amendment would destroy the branch of the Act working in the interest of the settlers. This Bill was intended for the small worker, and was a well thought out measure. If the proposal wore carried, he would at once report progress and abandon the Bill.

Mr Thomson put the case of the workers living in townships and villages.

The amendment was defeated by 4S to 23, and the Bill passed through without further amendment. The Thames Deep Levels Enabling Bill passed through committee. FIREARMS BILL. On clause 3, Mr Witty moved to abolish the sale of pea rifles altogether, and obtained considerable support. Mr Fisher suggested to the Minister, by way of getting over all difficulties of definition and others, to frame a clause giving the Govcrnor-in-Council power to make regulations stopping the sale of any particular rifles at any time. The Minisler expressed his acceptance .

The committee divided on MiMr Witty's amendment, "It shall not be lawful to sell a weapon known as a pea-rifle to any one.'' The amend ment was lost by 34 to 24. Mr Reid moved to raise the legal age for carrying firearms from 15 to 21. The preliminary move to strike out 15 was carried by 33 to 25. The Minister suggested to insert 16, if the House cared to have the Bill at all. Suggestions were made to deal with the evil by licensing and by prohibiting the use of the pea rillo within a mile of towns and places ul public resort. Eventually ife was inserted by 42 to 18, and consequential amendments were made in all the succeeding clauses. Mr Rhodes moved and carried a new clause, permitting persons under 16 to practise under proper supervision with a Morris tube of miniature rifle over a properly l constituted rifle range.