PARLIAMENT

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 264, 14 December 1909, Page 3

PARLIAMENT

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL MONDAY, DHCEJIBER 13. By Telegraph.—Preai Association. Wellington, Last Night. In the Council this afternoon, the Hons. Reeves, W. C. Smith and .Ton»s were sworn to for another term as Councillors. Leave of absence was granted Sir Maurice CRorke for the remainder rf the session on account of the ill-healih of his wife. The Attorney-General gave notice to move that the Standing Orders be' suspended for the remainder of the session, in order to enable all Bills to be put through all stages at one sitting. The Land Settlement Finance Bill, third reading, was agreed to on the voices after a long debate. The Shipping and Seamen Amendment Bill passed its final stages. The adjourned debate on the Death Duties BUI was resumed by the Hon. Ainstey, who thought secession duty might have been higher and the estate duty somewhat lower. He criticised the principle of gradations in the Bill. The Hon. Wigram, having criticised certain phases of the Bill, the debate waa adjourned until 7.45. In the Council in the evening, Hon. Trask resumed the debate on the Death i Duties Bill, giving general approval. He suggested taxing motor cars, racehorses, and would put a penny a head on all i sheep raised, which would bring in a .| revenue amounting to £87,459. There < ■were other things too numerous tn i x mention upon which he would put a ] tax, but he woulld do nothing to iax i the working man. I Hon. Barr considered the Bill went in . the right direction, but he would lika , the Government to distribute wealth , while it was being created and not af tsr > ft is created. A Death Duties Bill could not do this. - '

After Hon. T. J. Smftff had briefly Spoken, the Attorney-General) in his reply, admitted the Bill was not perfection, but he hoped if the necessary alterations could not be made now, he as Attorney-General hoped to be able to Improve it later on.

The second reading was agreed to.' The Attorney-General moved the s*cMiff- reading of the Naval Defence Bill. ■The country, he said, was committed to the Bill, and it was unnecessary for him to dwell upon the subject. It was a .measure to give effect to the will of the majority, and it was for those who pagkt disagree to cheerfully submit to that will.

The second reading was agreed to. , The Attorney-General moved the second reading of the land fo r Settlements Administration Bill recently passed by the House. He proposed to refer the Bill to the Statutes Revision Committee. The second reading was agreed to, and the Bill refened to the committee as suggested. ! HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES THE GAMING ACT. In the House in the afternoon, replying to Mr. Massey, Sir Joseph Ward said he intended introducing an amendment of the Gaming Act this session, and to pass it, or at least an Act to prohibit galloway and pony racing. Mr. Massey announced'tis intention to oppose the legalisation of bookmakers tin the? turf. VAEIOUS BILLS. The Stamps Duties Amendment Bii!, which provides a tax of 2% per cent, on race meeting receipts and 10 per cen;. on bank note issue, and the Public .Works Amendment Bills, introduced by Governor's Message, were read a first time. HOUBS OF THE HOUSE. The Premier moved in accordance with previous notice that on »nd after Tuesday next, the House sit from 10 a.tn. until rising, for the remainder - of the session. Mr. Massey, in opposing the motioa, asked for a statement of the business proposed to be taken by thfe Government, and especially what was to be done in regard to the Land Bill, which ought to be proceeded with. He diil not approve of the manner in which business was being rushed through. Speaking for himself, he said he was quite prepared to come back after

Christmas rather than have legislation «■ hurried through. This would causa

members who had agricultural interests considerable loss. Mr. Pearce expressed similar views. Mr. Thomson moved as an amend-

ment that the motion should read "That the House rise at 12.35 a.m'." The motion was curried bv 45 to 25.Mr. Allen urged the Premier to civ? the House a dear statement of the work he proposed to got through before tK-. close of the session, and protest'?*! against the custom of hurrying Bills through the House in the dying days of tlieeeasion. Sir Joseph Ward, in reply, said much time had been wasted By speakers on the Opposition side debate. In r«gard to the the session, lie could say from t-lie experience of t lie House that present session had been more productive than any he remembered. He asked the House to sit in the forenoon in view of the approaching tnl oj tile session. This had been done before in order to meet the convenience of members. Mr. Thomson's amendment would have resulted in blocking business. He would be in a position on Thursday or Friday next to give a statement of the business proposed to be concluded before Christmas, so that the House could decide whether it wa* necessary to come back after tie holidays or not. He would suggest that his motion to sit in the morning should not take effect till Thursday, which would mean that the House would sit in the forenoon for a week before closing flown. The motion as amended was agreed to, and the House rose at 5.30. ' FRIENDLY SOCIETIES BILL. In the House in the evening the Friendly Societies Pill was reported "from the committee with unimportant amendments and passed. GUARANTEED ADVANCES BILL. * On the motion that the New Zealand £tate Guaranteed Advances Bill be read ft third time, Messrs Alton, Newman, Jlassey and Bnclianan discussed the proposed amendments to the Bill which had been rejcci. , , r; pressed regret that part 2 of iv o Local Bodies act lad been rt, nd that local bodies had therefore to Bnd their own sinking funds.

Sir ,Joseph Ward expressed astonishment at the strictures of Mr. Massey •nd his colleagues seeing that under the Sill the mode of borrowing was a distinct improvement on the old system. At present members of local bodies Were appl.>i:i'! for loans but moneys were exSer?ici ! , :i- the full amount authorise!! Ii • 1 rrn lent, yet friends of local bodies in the House were opposed to the proposals of a Bill which wou'.d be of immense benefit to local bodies. The Premier declared the provisions of the Bill were exceedingly favorable to local bodies, ami flu- -vstem of Stafegnoranteed advances was one he considered, other countries would quickly follow. Applications for loins at the rate of- £12,000 per day were coming into th« Advances to Hettlers Office, or four millions a year. The Bill made pronfion to meet tlis Inrare demand for moBey at reasonable cost. The Government was keeping the whole system on a solid financial Basia. The Bill was read a- third time. BTJBUC WORKS STATEMENT.

The Premier announced that the Pubv'irks Statement would be brought upwu uu Monday next.