PARLIAMENT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 71, 2 July 1910, Page 8

PARLIAMENT.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. ADDRESS IN REPLY.

By Telegraph—Press Association,

Wellington, Last Night. This afternoon the debate on the Address in Reply was continued by tlie Hun. T. J. Paul. He had no doubt as to the wisdom of the intention to remove the bookmaking clause from the Gaming Act of 1007. He hoped the Land Bill would he on the traditional lines of the Liberal party, and that in no way 'would it be a 'backdown on the principle. He was glad to know that further help was to be given to deserving workers. The proposal outlined in the Speech was one of sound statesmanship. He emphasised the necessity of checking combines inimical to people. Were it not for the action of combines, there would .not he such numerous applications to the Arbitration Court on the .part of for increased wages. He urged an enquiry into the operation of the i (English law as affecting the Dominion unions. He attributed part of the success of the Conciliation Councils to the reluctance of unions to go before the Arbitration Court, which "was often unsympathetic toward' labor. In some cases the councils w. re not as satisfactory as suppose.'. The Hon. J. 11. Sinclair dealt at c6tt j siderable length with the question of lease -in - perpetuity lands. Sir John McKenzie's idea had been to give something as near the freehold as possible, and yet to secure the interest of the State, and so prevent aggregation of land. The question of leasehold or freehold did not more than touch the real issue. An essential provision for the revaluation of lease-in-perpetuity lands was wanting; but this had been provided for in the national endowment leases, which were therefore real leases, whereas the leases in perpetuity were substantially freeholds. He hoped the national endowment leasehold would remain unaltered. Supporters of the leasehold principle should do their utmost to bring about the most favorable readjustment. If lease-in-perpetuity lands were disposed of; very substantial funds could be'created for the purpose of freeholds. The growing disposition in the House was for the conversion of these lands into freeholds, but in his opinion settlement and not tenure was the principal thing to be aimed at. The debate was adjourned, and the Council adjourned until Monday.

HOUSE OP REPRESENTATIVES. In the afternoon Mr. W. J. & Macdonald (Bay of Plenty) moved tSte Address in Keply. After a reference to the death of Kin|| Edward and members of Parliament, he said the Government was entitled to some credit for the return of prosperity after the depression, aw! their efforts to procure cheap money would be helpful to settlers. Hi? thought Crown lands should be thrown open to optional tenure, and hoped a vigorous land policy would be pursued, and that unproductive lands would be brought into use. The .procedure in con-' nection with native lands required simplification, and he regi>?,tted that greater celerity had not been shown in throwing open • native lands for settlement. He considered that the rating on grazing runs was quite inadequate. In many eases small runs ought to be placed on tlte same footing as freehold lands. More stringent measures were required Ito cope with noxious weeds. He advocated the setting aside of special areas for settlement by railway co-operative t workers without outside competition. - Mr. Craigie (Timaru), in seconding, ■ touched briefly on the question of the conservation of. water-power, which presented great potentialities. He approved local government reform in the direction of decentralisation. The relief of .parents was a great national question, and money would ibe better spent in this direction than on immigration. On the ..lterd* tenure he advocated the leasehold ipure and simple and tfce offering of greater facilities for the people to go : on the land on Canadian lines. I

Mr. Massey (Leader of the Opposition) ; complimented both speakers on their solid and sensible speeches. He controverted the assertion that renewed prosperity was due to the Government. It was due to the fact that our primary produce was fetching better prices. ■ He condemned the merging of the Roads ; and Bridges Department into the Public Works Department, which caused trouble and vexation to settlers. While sud.'porting sinking funds in ( principle, the practice of providing them out of borrowed money was not good. On the land l f p\:estion, he said the men on their side ■vonld give others the right to the freehold' which they themselves possessed. He was unable to find a single proposal in trie Speech by which the Government would stand or fall. All contained a reservation whereby they could be al-' tered to suit the opinion of thee House. Regarding water-power conservation, the Government's policy was a dog-in-the-manger one, and detrimental to the interests of the Dominion. If the Local Government Bill would aid local bodies in financing their works it would receive his Hearty support. It should be brought down early, in order to give the County Councils Conference an opportunity of considering it. The increased taxation of Fast session should be repealed, as it was now unnecessary. Library subsidies ought to be restored. The Opposition wanted a progressive land .policy, and the greatest mistake the Government made was the setting apart of Crown I lands as national endowments. These ought to be sold and invested in town lands. The only solution of the native land problem was to give the natives similar rights to Europeans in dealing ! with their lands. He hoped matters connected with the working of railways would be improved during the session.. The bookmaker clause of the GamingAct should be repealed. The House rose at 5.30 p.m.

The Hon. Mr. Ngata resumed the debate in the evening. He said Mr. Massey's policy was to blow wapsud bubbles which invariably burst. In fifteen years up to 1909 about half the total area of native lands had been fold,

chiefly to the Crown. Tn two months, since the altered procedure connected with native lands transfer had taken effect. '21)0.00!) acres had been dealt with by the Court, while since last session 4:38.004- acres had been surveyed and £2Ii,OUU allocated for the work'of survey now proceeding in the North Island. Mr. Ngdta went on to trace the history of native land settlement and the difficulties connected therewith, and paid a tribute to the work done by Mr. Carroll. Speeches were also made by Messrs. E. H. Taylor, Dive, and Poole.'

The House adjourned at 10.53.