PARLIAMENT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 60, 24 August 1907, Page 2

PARLIAMENT.

HITDAT, AUGUST 23. (By Telegraph—Press Association). LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. Wellington, August 23. The Council met at 2.30. lfon. ill- Beelian asked the AttorneyGeneral whether he is aware that the Government of New South Wales, at the instance of Mr Troett, Registrar of flieiuily Societies, hud made certain proposals which if accepted would mark ■in important advance in social legislation, nud if the Government would make enquiries into the proposals with a view of adoption or otherwise. The Minister said he was aivvrc of the proposals, which were a variation of those contained in the Annuities Bili of lust session. Unfortunately, the proposals were not favorably received by the Friendly Societies, and it would be useless to try to force upon them unpalatable provisions. The Government was obtaining every available information, and would place It before the numbers on tin! subject. The. Costly Training Institution Act Amendment Bill was read a third time

and passed. Tho Tohunga Suppression Bill, second reading, debate was resumed by Hon. Tucker, wlio went into the historical aspect of tohungaisin. Ho supported the Bill.

Hon. W. Loughnan thought the Bill would have a good effect, and he was not disposed to agree with its being made a

temporary measure. The Attorney-General, in reply, contended that the Bill would have the effect of cheeking practices which at present le-ulted in the death of tli-j persons practised upon. Speaking ot the suggestions made to include white quacks and charlatans in the measure, he agreed that it was dtsirable to do something, but it could not be embodied in a Bill dealing with the Maori question. The amount of money spent in this colony every year upon quacks and their nostrums was most appalling. Hi, would like to see a medical board set up to whom all patent medicines should first be submitted, and these medicines should not be allowed to be sold until they were declared by the Board to be innocuous. The subject was, however, a

most diflicult one to deal with effectively. So far as the present Bill was concerned, he was quite wiiiing to accept suggestions in committee. The second reading was agreeii to. The Hastings Recreation Bill was passed. .: .

The Auckland Hospital Act Amendment Bill, and the Borough of New Plymouth Loan Validation Bill were read a second time. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. The House met at 2.30.

'The Otaki and Porirua Empowering Bill second reading was postponed foi one week.

Mr Allison was granted one week's leave of absence on account of ill-health. The chairman of the Lands Committee brought up a report on the LAND LAWS AMENDMENT BILL.

in reply to Mr Massey, Hon. McNah said he hoped to be able to intimate to the House next week when he intended to take the second reading.

The Premier intimated that the TARIFF BILL would be introduced ou Tuesday and circulated. Tne amendments that had been made would mean a further reduction in the Customs revenue. j Mr Massey said he hoped the new list would be aa improvement on the lirot proposals, which had not given general satisfaction to the country,

Tiie I'remier s.iid that some of the duties would take effect immediately. Others had been fixed to take effect ou December 30th, so as to give merchants an opportunity of clearing. The House went into Committee of Ways and Means. .. The Premier submitted amended proposals to the Tariff Bill, which had been the result of representations made to the Minister. The total reductions of Customs revenue as the result of the amended proposals would be £400,000, as against £375,000, in the original proposals. The resolutions were affirmed. -,-J v THE ESTIMATES. " The House went into Committee of Supply. The first item taken was "Cook Islands administration (Justice Department), vote £ilC9." Eeplying to Mr T. Ngata, the Minister said liquor was not allowed to bo suppficd to the islanders. Replying to Mr Arnold, he said the way to assist islanders in the cultivation of fruit, was to put a duty on foreign fruit, which would give the island fruit a clianee in the New Zealand market. He thought connection by steamer, together with a duty on foreign fruit, was necessary to benefit the Islanders.

Mr Herries hoped the Government would increase facilities of communicating with the islands, so that this colony could receive the benefit of cheap fruit as well as benefiting tlie islanders. He urged that the medical staff of the lalands should be, strengthened. lion. McGowan said a steam every two months would cost £SOO a trip, and he did not think the House would grant the money. He intended to make enquiry and help the Cook Islanders as was considered best in the direction of education, and also in regard to medical attention. The House adjourned at 5.30.

EVENING SITTING. The House resumed at 7.30. Mr liogg urged that advantage should bo taken of CJook Islands palm oil. He instanced the soap industry in Melbourne and Sydney, and asserted tliat those industries should be planted down in New Zealand. Mr James Allen urged that assistance should be given the missionaries on i;ie Islands to enable the islanders to be instructed.

The Hon. MrMcGowau, replying to Mr Batman's suggestion that the Government should do something in the direction of stamping out disease in orange trees, and replacing the trees destroyed, said the Government .was doing what it could, but he asked how could all these matters be attended to. lie was as anxious as anyone in the House to learn, but required to be satisfied tiiat other proposals were better than his own. Mr Barber said he desired to remove a grave misapprehension from the I Minister's mind, who appeared to think the islands were a burden to the colony. He considered the Islandß were a grind asset, and if they were administered as they should be they would prove moro productive than this colony. As it was, bananas and other fruits depreciated considerably in transit from the Island to centres of consumption, and on this account he urged that a fast steam service should be inaugurated. The bulk of the cargoes from Australia were fruit, and lie asserted that the supplies we got from Australia could be derived the Coolc Islands, aiul if a fast service were instituted a ready sale for frozen meats would bo developed. He deprecated the cessation of the service to the Islands, and urged that the Union Company should be subsidised, or the Government should put on a steamer itself. Mr T. Mackenzie said Mr MeGowan had expressed his 'willingness and desire to learn, but one could tell from the lone of his voice that he would like, to see the man who could teach hiin.

Tile vote passed unaltered. The next class taken was the Department of Lands and Survey, total vote £lBO,lOl, Mr ITorries, referring to the item, Temporary surveyors and parties, .€30,000," asked if the Government surveyors were paid less than private employers paid for surveyors' services. It had lieen said that there was a dearth of surveyors, and that the cutting lijii. of Native lands had been delayed In consequence, yet there appeared to be plenty of surveyors about, and he failed to see where tne dearth came in. He complained that the travelling expenses ( rainm W( , V( , VCV y high, and he desired information regarding the item, temporary assistance £21,000. Mr Ngata complained that numbers of Mocks in tlie King Country and other native districts could not lie in-| vestigated before the Native. land: Court owing to the want of surveyors. In fact, the whole North Island was crying out for surveyors. He asserted that private surveyors were plentiful,) but they would not accept service witlf the Government at r £2oo per year. HS, , urged that more money should be pro*!

videil, so ihat additional surveyors could be engaged, This was not a matter for Parliament, but for the Administration to deal with. The lion. Mr McNab explained that the item referred to by Mr Allen ineluded the whole of the salaries and allowances of the temporary surveyors. The wages piid to surveyors averaged from £275 to £2lO per annum. Mr Fisher quoted from the nominal roll of surveyors recently presented to show that a surveyor with 21 years' service was in receipt of £270; another at Invereargill, with six years' service, was drawing the same amount. A draughtsman at Gisjborne, with 28 years Service, was receiving £210; another at Napier with only six years' sorvico received only £5 less. When he (Mr Fisher) entered a Government Department Once, he found a man there ad- ( dressing envelopes at £270 per year. , A cadet doing the same worlc, and doing it better, because it had not to he done over again, got £4O. The reason , for the dearth 6f surveyors was the miserable salaries. A classification was urgently needed. He moved to reduce the vote by £1 as an indication that the time liul arrived when temporary! officers, with long service, should bd placed on the permanent staff. After discussion, Mr Fisher failed to obtain a teller, and no division could take place.

(Left Sitting.)