PARLIAMENT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 60, 7 August 1907, Page 3

PARLIAMENT.

By Telegraph.—Per Press Association. TUESDAyTaUGUST 0. LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. Tho Council met at 2.30. Tho Loan Bill was passed through all it« stages in /our minutes. The Attorney-General moved to place on the records of the Council its appreciation of the services performed to the country by the late Mr J. \V. Thomson, as a former member of the Legislature, and condolence with his family in their bereavement. In doing so he said the deceased had loft a record that adorned the Legislature, and one of which tho country might he proud. The Hons. McLean, McCardle, and Raldy having 'briefly spoken in eulogy of deceased, the motion wan carried,' and the Council adjourned until 10-'| morrow as a mark of respect to the memory of deceased.

| HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. Tlie House met at 2.30. The second reading of the Otaki and Poriru.t Empowering Bill was adjourned for a' week. Tho Maori Land Settlement. Act Amendment Bill, and Reserve Fund Securities Bill were brought down by Govcrnor's Message and read a first time. ROTOIU'A DISASTER INQUIRY. In reply to a question by Mr Lawry, the Premier said that an inquiry would be held at an early date before District Court Judge Kettle only, into the Roloroa railway accident. That would prevent any assumption on the part <if tha public or railway employees that anything unfair might be done in connection with an inquiry of this kind- The Press also would he admitted. In fairness to the General- Manager of Railways, it should be stated this Dourt met with his approval, so that no inference would oe drawn that either his influence or that of the railway officers would he brought to bear. Mr Wilford said he did not desire to say anything against the 'Appeal Board. The course the Premier proposed would, do more to nllay the irritation at prosent existing in the railway service t/harii anything else.

THE LATE Ml THOMSON. The Premier, referring to the death of Mr Thomson, late member forClutha, traced thr- history of his service in the House, and said he would ho missed in the 13outh and by members of Parliament whose privilege it had; been to be '.equainted and have had the fricmlBliip of the late statesman. Tt was with deep regret they learnoft of his demise, and they desired to express their sympathy with the family In their bereavement. He moved that the Hoime place on record its sense of the distinguished services rendered lo New Zealand by the late .T ; W. Thomson and appreciates . his valuable services, and tenders his family its heartfelt sympathy at M»| loss. Air Maesey, in seconding the motion, said that from Ihe time the deceased gentleman entered the House he had shown his integrity and sterling worth, and hft had never in his life used his public position for the purposes of selfadvancement. He had left an absolute stainless record behind him. Mr .Tames !£llen. Sir W. .T. Steward, Mr Malcolm, and Mr T. McKenzie. also spoke in eulogistic terms of the late Mr Thomson. The. motion was cirried, and the House then adjourned till 710 as a mark of respect.

EVENING SITTING. | The House resumed at 7-90. The Hon. Mr McNab moved the second reading of the Apiaries Bill, which' provides that every bee-keeper in whose apiary any disease appears, shall within seven' days after first becoming aware of its presence send written notice thereof to the Secretary for Agriculture at Wellington. It also providos for the appointment of inspectors. A new clause added to last year's Bill provides' that no bee-keeper Bhall after the expiry ■ of six months from the passing of tficj Act keep or allow to he kept on anyj land occupied by him any bees except in a properly constructed frame hive. I The Bill passed the second reading, ami was referred to the Agricultural and) Stock Committee. On the motion to go into Committee I of Supply, Mr Maesey said the House] hod now I>e«n in session for six weeks, find yet nothing had been done. He hoped the Government did not intsiid to resort to the old parelice of doing nothing during the greater period of the session, and then bring important measures forward in the closing days of the session. Tlio Premier staled the Leader of the Opposition did not appear to know what had been done in the House already. The Addrcss-in-Rcply had been got through, and the debate on thn Financial Statement was carried through in a shorter time than it had ever been previously done. The Loan Bill had been passed, and the Land and Income Assessment Bills had been introduced. Referring to the Tariff Bill, he said he intended to proceed with the measure as soon as the parties who had communicated with the Minister and others interested had had reasonable time to place their views before the Minister. He believed a reasonable time had now elapsed, and he hoped he would receive the co-operation of hon. members in putting the Tariff Bill through. The House then went into Committee. The Legislative Department, '£26,842, passed unaltered. Mr Fisher drew attention to the law costs in the Loud and Income Tax Department amounting to £IOOO, and suggested that the Department Bhojld have its own law office at each of the four centres. The Premier said the matter was of

sufficient importance to look into. The Colonial Treasurer's Departnlcat, £58,7(18, passed unaltered. _Ajt the Post and Telegraph Department. Mr Aitken drew the PoßtmasterGeneral's attention to the increase of employees in the. Department, which amounted to 10 per cent. Tt was a.,! easy matter to increase employees in time of prosperity, and he, Imped the increase was justified, hut it would he n very serious mn.tter to reduce in times of depression. Mr T. Mackenzie said tie had he!ird it slated that 'a number, of employees were sweated. The Postmaster-General stated he >vns convinced that within a few.years the revenue from the. Department would he a million sterling. liefeTrmrr to Mr Mackenzie's remarks, he. Kniil there had heen a difficulty in obtaining hovs, but nothing in the direction of sweating occurred, and it was not the desire, of the Denartment to sweat employees. The. ■; item, conveyance of mails by

'fii (gratuities for conveyance of letters end printed niatter, '£24.300). raised ' :oim discussion. 'As to the mail -:?r----rice to England. Sir Joseph AVard reiterated what he has frequently stated, Lhat. the San Francisco service ps the fastest route New* Zealand could avail itself of. If it could he obtained, it would he h. flue thin" if the All Ked route could be availed of. but Xew 7>l- - eoulil onlv sav she was willing to cooperate with Tiritnin and Canada for this route. At the item, Suez services '£(1000, Sir Joseph Ward cxpl'iined that the cost nt'a weekly service ( £15,0001 would apiimr on the Supplementary Estimat"* The o-ratuitios, which would nniount to sis or seven thousand, was fixed at n farthiiur a letter, would I>e relaincd by the colony, so that the actual cost to the cc.lnny would not be more than iii.io

or ten thousand. Mr Mn.sscy said the proper route for the mail service to Britain was via | Vancouver, and he was pleased with c 'wh'i occurred at the Imperial Confer- ! „s<i over this proposal. and he hop.vl | if would not be lost sijrht of. This 1 country was more interested in tint route than Panada or Australia, and the colony was prepared to dive n subslanti4 sum for a fast service. | Mr T. Mackenzie surest od that in] pnyiu" subsidies to mail lines, concessions should be obtained from the Bhip-| 'I pint' companies in the direction of re--J diieinjr freights on dairv produce. '' Sir" Joseph Ward said if a- concessit s was asked for «n one article, then other . I industries would request similar fto.iA cessions. , c Mr Aitken asked when was it mt tended to provide additional ciceom.Tio1. ,1a I ion at the Wellington Tost Office. II v,- Tanner said the '■' oral luul for vears ejinnnlly expressed c' ids regret that up to the present fir exteusion of tho Wellington Post offi«

i building had been carried out. He dtacribed the condition of the overcrowding existing in the Post-office as disgraceful, and sanitary inspectors would (Dot tolerate such conditions in a private building. The Postmaeter-General said the matter of the erection of ni new building for a Post-office at Wellington, costing about £75,000, had been taken In hand so far as specifications were concerned, but with the limited amount of money at th« Government's disposal, every request of members, who always represented theirs aB the most important could not bo carried out.