PARLIAMENT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 70, 1 July 1910, Page 4

PARLIAMENT.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. THE ADDRKSS-IN-IIEPLY. ify leJegmpli—Press Association ti /, Wellington, Last Night. Ihe Council wet at 2.30. ~ lle . *} 011, Kennedy Macdonald moved bnetly to the late King, and speaking m temis of congratulation at the a£; pointment of Lord Islington, the mover 1 went on to mention the reference to the i ack blocks. It mis contended that ! something more should be done towards i roading the back blocks, which in some : cases were m a deplorable condition.' On the subject of native lands, he said; the whole object of legislation should , to Bft native lands settled. There should be no question of freehold or leasehold. The Government could not expect to get men there without roadinw acihties. He urged the necessity for better transit facilities on the railways. he Hon. Air. Millar did not appear "to realise the necessity for adopting more strenuous methods than in the past if the railway traffic was to be developed. He gave instances where diminished railway facilities had reduced the value of settlers' lands by hundreds of pounds. lor the country settler, they wanted special fair play. What was wanted was a guarantee fund for the construction of roads within the first three years xhe land was opened up by the Government. The Government should spread their wangs and distribute their money freely, j The Hon. Mr. Beefoan seconded the motion, and made brief reference to the late King and the new Governor. In referring to the returning prosperity after the depression, he said the Government was deserving of the country's best thanks. Its lending\- of cheap money did much to relieve the situation. As to the settlement of native lands, he averred the natives could not be 1 driven. The Maori conference at Waalii promised much. The thing most to be desired was helping on to the land, men without capital. In regard to the Local Government Bill, he hoped it would relieve'the House of the position of being a Board of Works. What was wanted was to have a national Government, leaving the councils to expend money voted in a similar manner to the former provincial governments, and lie hoped that this was what would be brought about by the Bill. The Hon. T. McCardle dealt with land settlement, and the necessity of helping the back blockers by roads. He contended that it was not the best policy, as some thought, to make roads before the land was settled. It was de-' sirable to make provision for the roads, and then proceed to construct them along with the settlement, lie trusted that in the local government proposals, small local bodies would not be done awav with. He' hoped the new Bill would meet back block difficulties, which had been apparent only too long. i The debate was adjourned, and the ' Council rose at 5 until 11 p.m. I

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. The House met a* 2.30. I ACCIDENT INSURANCE BILL. | A long discussion arose on the Pre-i mier moving .that the report of the Accident Insurance Company be laid on the table. ; 'Mr. T. Taylor (Christchurch) said ,ihe time had come when the Government should take over the business of accident insurance as a State monopoly. Since the Department had been instituted a saving of £125,000 had been effected io the people by the reduction of premiums. ' j Mr. C. A. C. Hardy (Selwyn) and Mr.! R. A. Wright (Weilington South) op-' posed the idea. Mr. Massey said that State monopoly was as likely to be as mischievous as any other monopoly. The State Department had been" run at a loss. The proposal that Jhe Government should not lend money to people who did not insure in the State, Department was monstrous.

! Other speakers having .addressed the House on the subject, Sir Joseph Ward said the Government! had all along realised that there should be free scope! for private enterprise, in'the Dominion. ; The Government Life Department '.vas not intended to drive other companies' out of the business, but to secure reasonable rates of insurance. The country would never allow the Government lure Department to go out of business. Pri- t vate companies refused to accept rein-! suranee from the State Fire Department, and if the State did not take reinsurances from other companies, it would mean practically the death of the State Department. Referring to accident insurance, the Premier said there were great risks in making accident insurance a State monopoly, and the State De-i partmenfc could not now undertake the' whole business. Some effort in this direction would be made this session in a legitimate way, but the Government had to bear in mind the responsibilities connected with the proposals made by Mr., Taylor.

IMPREST SUPPLY. An Imprest Supply Bill was' brought down by Governor's message. NORTH AUCKLAND RAILWAY. On -the motion that the House 'go into Committee of Supply, Mr. gander (Marsden) brought up the question of Helens- i ville-Northward railway • route, and j moved that the House disapprove oi the j deviation from the eastern route origi-| nally authprised. I Mr. G. A. Pearce (Patea) seconded ; and gave reasons for supporting wiej original route and Mr. Mander's demand, for a Commission of Enquiry into the. alternative routes. j The House rose at 5.30. J The discussion continued on Mr. Man-, der's amendment up to the supper ad-! journment. j

The House having resumed from the Committee of Ways and Means, the Imprest Supply Bill was read a first time, and, on the motion for the second reading, Mr. Massey moved "that when returns are asked for they should be provided as soon as possible. He complained of the'delay in the matter. Sir Joseph Ward said he would reply to Mr. Massey on the third reading. The amendment was lest by 37 to '2l.

COMMITTEE OF SUPPLY. The House went into Committee of Supply, and passed a resolution providing a sum not exceeding £713,000 for the public service for the year ending .March 31, 1911. f (Left sitting.) NEWS AND NOTES. •(By Telegraph—Special ! Parliamentary Corresponden[ Wellington, Last Nigßt. THE LICENSING- Q [JE^TION, Mr. Laurenson's deeisiqL to WitflidraTV the Licensing Bill is uiJjygtpQfl fa -Jje the effect of the

belief that the No-license Partyfcwthepresent is too hopelessly divided upf«o« tion. It is now understood ttlw the Government will not touch the licensing, question. Mr. Hogg's intimation to persevering ( a Liberal at next election is rejgUnled as a straw showing the collapse of the Independent Labor Party, as a result ot the Auckland by-election, RATIONAL HOURS.. To-day there is an immense erowd of. notices of motion, etc. The chief is Mr. Jennings' for morning sittings and early, hours. There is a strong feeling io' th® lobbies in favor of this plan, many protesting vigorously against the night y sittings as demoralising and unhealthy. These are regarded as upholding Mr. Jennings' contention that politicians are short-lived. Old hands agree that ft radical change of the standing orders i> ; needed to limit the hour, as the pre* ent system encourages obstruction What is wanted is the closure. ROADS INSTEAD OF WATER POWER. Backblock men, discussing the Governor's speech, believe that the country should concentrate on roads as the pax* mount question, some preferring an A& ditional half million expenditure instead of utilising it on water power. THE LAND BILL. V In regard to the Land Bill, a rooted determination among the country mem* hers dominates the situation. The general feeling of members i 8 against the new North Island Railway, League. *' ! A RATHER DULL DAY. A rather dull day, with nothing but notices of motion and general talk all round, as is customary sometimes in the matter of an Imprest Supply JJill. A caucus of the Opposition revealed nothing, and the want of a caucus ot the four Labor Independents revealed less. In the last case there is nothing to reveal, for it is well known that for the present the attempts of the last few. months, which have been so well boomed throughout the Dominion, have ended in collapse. ' ;

THE ROAD QUESTION. , The road question in connection with the back blocks finds more interest ia the lobby than anything - else. The general feeling among the country members found utteraSfce in the Council during the debate on the Addresa-in-Reply. The Hon. T. K. Mac Donald was speak" ing of these roads, and had got very warm in <his advocacy of the wretched settlers whose lives and comforts are at stake. As he worked himself into a wanner and warmer state the Attoi-■ney-General gently reminded him that I the Government lost year had spent on the back blocks roading more money, than any Government before, it. " Then you ought to have spent twice as much, and morel" retorted the orator, and there was a loud laugh. That retort represent the views of all the country members, as I have said. ■OfJ;hese the most eloquent and persistent is 'Mr. Jennings, whose pictures I of country life are punctuated by emaciI ated forms and facts of men dying for 1 lack of communication, while their felj lows litterally litter the lobbies. I UTILISATION OF UNIONIST | MONEYS. | Mr. McLaTen is insisting that the English decision against the use of Unionise moneys for political punposes is under quite a different Act to the New Zealand one, and that therefore the refusal of applications from unions for permission to spend politically is wrong. He intends to have it out on the floor of the House, but as payment of members is provided for, and there is not too much electioneering expenses nowadays, no one is much affected. THE OFFICIAL ROLL. By the way, this reminds me ot the proposal in the Governor's Speech to establish a system of making up the roll officially. This is vehemently objected to in some quarters, as too much meddling and mollycoddling, but it is replied that the elector is by no mepns lett to himself under the present system, as every party in the State is doin" its best to get its adherents on the rotl. If, therefore, the State does the work, there will be much relief, for which there ought to be much thanks.

! A BOMB SHELL. A bomb shell has fallen, in the shape of a Government announcement of a Giii for reopening the Meikle case. Some of the bitterest anti-Meikleites are »b* sc nt from the seat of Parliament, but there are enough enemies to make it very hot for the mbeasure in question. THE NEW COAL MELD. Where is the coal mine, newly discovered in the Waimarina block? Mr. Wilford, like everybody else, wants to know, so he has asked the Government for the information. THE BOOKIES. Mr. Taylor is asking what the Government is going to, do about the remarks of Judge Chapman in re the bookies, and everybody is wondering. At the same time the matter is being tackled in earnest by a private member (Mr. Newman), who has given notice to introduce a Bill abolishing the bookie and all his works. Public feeling is very united against the fraternity here.