PARLIAMENT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 60, 7 September 1907, Page 2

PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. , THURSDAY'S SITTING

Per Press Association. Wellington, Sept. (i. Alter midnight, Mr McGuwau said the Department could supply coal at Palnierston North at 37s Ud per ton. Jn reply to Mv Massey he said it was necessary to supply a particular kind of coiil to the Railway Department and to utilise slack as best they could. Mr Barber said the Department should be worked on business lines, and more energy displayed in carrying out its business. No business individual would drag along in the manner in which the Department had been dragged. He urged that more depots should be established. Mr McGowan pointed out that it I'os just as much to get a ton of slack on of the mine as to get a ton of good household coal. He added that he bad endeavored to spread the supply of coal as evenly as possible,. He suggestet, that the municipalities should take, t.u coal and supply it to the consumer. Mr Poole urged that the Governing' sl'iould open a mine in the Aucklani district, as coal there was at a proni bitive jjricc. . Mr Colvin said the State coal mnu at Seddonville was as well managed a any 'mine in the. colony. Mr Wood pointed out that coal co.it be landed at Foxton at £1 2s 8d .' ton, and, with 4s added for railigi could bo landed at Palmerston for £ (is Bd. Yet the Minister said the Di partment could not deliver it at unde £1 17s Cd a ton. Mr Guinness asked if the Goven ment intended to open up any furlm areas for mining under the Dcpartnien . Uo understood prospecting had bet

carried on and showed favorable r suits. He urged that the Governmei should acquire the whole field at Poll Elizabeth and allow miners to take t sections on lease-in-pcrpetuity. He to

' tended that tlio streets of the townsmp should be pushed on as speedily as »os- ' siblc. „ „ . The Minister, replying to Mr dimness, said the Government was building houses for the miners and allowing - thorn to pay for them at so much per . week. Replying to Mr Massey, he said the inspecting engineer was paid £3 3s per dav by way of salary and travel- - ling allowance, and had his steamer and railway tires allowed. Ho wag only paid that salary when actually cn- ' gaged on the Department's business. The vote was passed unaltered. The next class taken was Land for ' Settlements, total vote £8435. 1 Mr Millar, in reply to Mr Guinness, 1 said it was not. intended to erect workers' dwellings in smaller towns where ' land and rents were comparatively | cheap. Mr Buddo suggested that the Government should try the flat system of housing workers. ' Mr Laurenson said such a step woald be in the wrong direction. The Govi ern|ment should aim at providing some- ■ thing for the worker to do in his spare i hours, and it was essential that he . should have a little land, The speaker ; advocated train services to take the •■ workers out into the country. The vote was passed unaltered. The net class was Maori land settle--1 incut, £2005. ' Mr Horns by urged that payments for Maori land made by Government agents ' should be made at places where "lie money could not be spent in drink. Mi Carroll agreed with the suggestion; The vote was passed. 1 The Government Accident Insurance account, £8490, was passed without . comment.

The State Fire Insurance vote was' £10,400. Mr Fisher urged that better salaries should be paid to the officers of the Department. The vote was passed unaltered. j The Advances to Workers vote, £2320 was passed unaltered. This completed the Estimates. The House rose at 1.50 a.m. j