PARLIAMENT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 60, 25 September 1907, Page 2

PARLIAMENT.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. By Telegraph— Per Press Association. Wellington, Lust Night. The Council met at 2.30 p.m. The Hon. J. Uigg asked the AttornevGeneral who is responsible for the following standing advertisement appcaring in the records of the newspapers, and especially the misleading reference to land grants contained therein, as regards New Zealand:—"Assisted passaws to Australia £5, to Queensland £B,\ New South Wales'" £6, to Western Australia £lO, to New Zealand free land grants; apply at once for application lorma and full particulars to the nearest took s office. 'J'hos. Cook and Son, Chief Oilice, Ludgate Circus, London, E.C." the Attornoy-Cieneral said the advertisement must have lieen inserted by private persons. The Clovernmcnt knew nothing about the matter.

The Attorney-General gave notice- to introduce the Fire Brigades Amendment Bill to-morrow. The Attorney - General moved the second reading of the Statutes Repeal Bill, to remove from the statute-book a number of enactments that from their nature would find no place in the consolidated statutes in council. The Hon. Wi l'ere appealed to the Attorney-General noi to further complicate the laws of the colony, but so to arrange that those referring to particular matters shoukT lie kept together. Mr. Wi l'ere went on to refer to his boisterous disposition when ho was in I the other House, but said he had now ; qualified himself to become a member I of a House that consisted of gentlemen. . If that chamber conserved the interests i of the Maoris he would say this was . indeed a chamber of righteousness, add-! 1 ing: "1 appeal to you, the Hon. Mr. 1 Ormond, to protect your Maori people, f. and if you neglect to do so I'll break - your nose." e The Hon. Mr. Rigg having drawn the t attention of the Acting-Speaker- to the a objectionable words, Mr. Wi Pere said he had no intention s to offend his friend, and withdrew the t expression. d The Bill was read a second time and j, referred to the Statutes Revision Com- .. mittoe.

The Attorney - General moved the second rending of the Police Offences Bill No. 2, to protect business houses and traders from certain devices adopted by ,the less scrupulous who set up in shop windows that they supplied the Government with goods. The Bill also made it unlawful to use other people's names in connection with the naming of animals, objects, etc., or to send out bogus summonses or legal notices. The Bill was read a second time and referred to the Statutes Revision Committee. General moved a proviso to the clause compelling bread to be of specified weight. The proviso left it to the Government to regulate what bread should be exempt from the provisions. The clause was adopted and progress reported. , The Council passed the Imprest Bill through all its stages. The Council rose at 5 p.m.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

The House of Representatives met at 2.30 p.m. The Ofcakl and Porinia Empowering Bill was read a third time and passed. IMPREST SUPPLY BILL. The Imprest Bill was brought down by message from the Governor. ■Mr. Massey said he would like to take an opportunity of referring to the question of travelling expenses and allowances in the public service. Prominent attention had recently been drawn to a specific'case of travelling allowances which were paid to an officer all the year round, and other cases had been referred to. The public wanted to know about the matter, and he thought a committee should be set up to go into the whole matter. He complained .>f the delay in bringing down the Public works Statement, as it kept loml bodies in doubt as to what money would be available, and he thought they should know this at the earliest possible moment,

Mr. J. Allen drew attention to the necessity of reducing the time limit for registration of the birth of children, in order to check infant destruction. Mr. Fisher also referred to the necessity of travelling expenses being investigated. . Mr. Arnold urged that the Government should give an indication when the Public Works Statement would be brought down. 6

_ The debate was interrupted by the 0.00 adjournment. The House resumed at 7.30. p.m. - Mr. Hurries wanted to know exactly what the Exhibition had cost, and ne hoped to see before the session was oyer a hill account of what the Christchurch Exhibition had cost the colony. It begun and ended with scandal, and a Royal Commission should inquire into it Another thing wanted was a full report of what the Civil Service cost. Another question which would have to be settled before the end of the session was the question of railway employees. Everyone knew that there was discontent, not only with the pay, but with the hours of work in several of the departments. Men were going away from the colony to seek service elsewhere because of the better conditions prevailing. If nothing were done to allay the discontent there ■etrik a rei)etitioll of the marine Mr. Graham urged the importance of proceeding with the railway in his district Ihe necessity for the completion of the North Island Main Trunk line was no reason why other authorised railway works should be starved Mr. Okey referred to the necessity for bringing down the Civil Service Superannuation Bill, about which members in the service were becoming anxious Mr. Mills put in-a plea for the claims of Nelson and Marlborough in the matter of railway extension. Mr. Gray adhered to his former opinion ot the Exhibition. There had been a great waste of public money. A man had been employed at £BOO a year sitting smoking cigars and watching other men saw wood, which would scarcely pay for cartage. The Exhibition had been a success despite the management. '

Ihe lrenwer said if a stranger had been m the House that afternoon and evening and had not known what was going on he would have assumed that there was concerted action in the matter of uaggmg the Government. The whole grievance appeared to be that there were no Public Works Estimates before the House, and that there were no proposals but ordinary requirements to pay for he service of the country. At the rate the House was going, the Public Works Estimates would come about ten weeks hence after they had finished the Land Bill, Native Land Bill, Local Bodies Bill Anti-Gambling Bill, Civil Service Superannuation Bill, Civil Service Classification Bill, Railway Classification Bill, Fire Brigades Bill, Conciliation and Arbitration Bill, and Post Auditor Bill A member: What about the Local Government Bill?

Ihe Premier said he had omitted that, >ut the hat quoted would be an indicaion of the work before the House. Pro>osals had been made all round the louse which meant many millions of >ounds in addition to the ordinary oxicnditure, aud which would burst the country if nny Government attempted ,o give effect to them. Last year the government had provided for £4,700,000 ncluding renewals, and this year there ivould be about the same amount. Ir [lie debate there, had 1 only been about ;wo speakers who had not urged an ex penditure of a million pounds in execs; >f the amount Government could sane turn. It was not fair to the counts that members should from time to tini' expect the_ Government to repel win would be injurious in every wav 4 to travelling allowances, he had givei tie House full information. As to Ml Kel .v, who had got £SO for certiii' ivork connected with the Commerce' De partment that gentleman, as a pres« inan, had facilities for obtaining inform,, tion which others could not possess H was either a Government servant no S", hc , gf travelling allowance, T), p«W y i Wd while out of th colony, and received nothing on nccoim of travelling allowance. He deprecate the attack upon a certain Judge, aiv the nianifest desire to bring him befor, a arlmmentary committee. As to th Kxhibition, lie asked if, before assnmin the oases, would it not be well to wai until the matter was all over an. settled Mr. Herrics had alluded t seanda s connected with the Exhibition Moneylenders had robbed an unfortun ate man, who, forgetting his position had appropriated some Exhibition fund and left the colony, and the were urged to bring him back, „nde the assumption that there must be anm other scandal in the background. Th Government would not shirk the. fulles inquiry aa to tha expenditure on th,

Lxlubition. As to the railway, before he session closed proposals dealing with the railway service would be submitted It was not the duty of members to eate a spirit of unrest. He asked the ' House «nd the railway service to wait :mlil his proposals were submitted On the question of the second readme 01 the Imprest Supply Bill discussion mis continued, and the Bill passed ihrough its iinal stages and was passed. THE TARIFF. A message from the Governor conveying amendments to the TariJl 13111 was H'ouglit down. The Premier explained that raw cot:on would be admitted free if imported jefore 31st December next, if it is shown ;hat it was imported under a valid contact made before 30th September. Medicated infants' food would also be ulmitted free, likewise automatic airirakcs, as it was not intended to give my one firm a monopoly. It was also proposed that the ad valorem duty of an u-ticle should be defined as f.o.b. value plus 10 per cent. Twenty per cent, duty would be imposed on galvanised cupheaded milk .In Schedule A, Class 12 uiy painting drawing, or photograph in any medium having ft value for duty exceeding £2O should be assessed for duty at £2O plus the value of the frame and mounting if any, and plus the value of canvas or other material upon which such painting, drawing, or photograph was made.