PARLIAMENT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 101, 6 August 1910, Page 5

PARLIAMENT.

FRI DAY, AUGUST 5. LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. By Telegraph—Press Association. Wellington, 'Last Night. In the legislative Council this afternoon Dr. Findlay moved the second reading of tile Oaths Bill, the object of which was to do away with the insanitary practice of kissing the Book. The measure also provided for the alternative forms of oaths in order to meet all cases. In the brief debate which took place the Hon. Mr. Baldey took exception to ; the introduction into the oath of the words, "Almighty God," and the 'Hon. Mr. Samuel considered, "The truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth," •met all necessities, without the form "So help you, God." The Bill was read a second time and referred to the Statutes He vision Committee. DESTITUTE PERSONS. The Attorney-General moved the second reading of the Destitute Persons Bill, which he explained was to relieve the necessity and suffering of women and children. The Bill was not the same as that of last year, for there were many important alterations. The Attorney-1 General went into statistics to show to what extent the desertion of children obtained. There were 2380 cliildren in the j industrial schools, 50 per cent, of,whom were deserted 'by one parent or another, and of these the charitable aid boards pay for 728 at a cost of £IO,OOO. The industrial schools cost the State £44,457, and of this amount only £5786. was contributed by parents. The Bill, provided that where a relative was able' to give support he or she would 'be compelled to give support. Power was given to order payment on account of past maintenance, as well as maintenance for, the future. There was an amended definition of "parent," which included the father and mother of an illegitimate child. Better provision made as to the attachment of wages in satisfaction of a maintenance order. Provision also was made for the making of charging orders for securing payment of monies due under a maintenance order, and also for the appointment of the Public Trustee or other person income arising from property charged in case of default of payment of moneys due under «a maintenance order. It was made an indictable offence to desert a wife or child by leaving 'New Zealand. There were also! provisions for giving effect in New Zealand to affiliation and maintenance orders made in Australia. iir. Findlay "acknowledged the good work of the ißev. Curzon-Siggers, of Dunedin, in the direction of seeing that proper protection was accorded to women and' children, and concluded by saying he hoped the measure would have' the careful consideration of the Council. The debate, was adjourned, and the Council rose.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. THE FINANCIAL DEBATE. The House met at 2.30 p.m. •■ Mr. Craigie resumed the Financial debate. He looked upon the' Budget as the work of a statesman. ' The proposals for creating stock under which all loans would be consolidated and sinking funds provided were sound finance. If the Government carried this measure out, it would make a name for itself. He did] not regard huge surpluses as an unmixed' blessing. When the Treasurer had a] good year taxation ought to be remitted to some extent, and a sound scheme propounded for the cessation of borrowing would have his support. Mr. Parata, speaking on the land "question, said he was quite agreeable that Maorig should pay rates on the condition that they should be expended for the benefit of the native owners of lands, in roading and improving the lands. The Maoris were as energetic as Europeans, but the means of industry were not open to them. The Government should provide facilities for natives engaging in agricultural pursuits. The Advances to Settlers Act ought to be made applicable to Maoris. Only by some such means could a stop be made to the cry that the Maoris were too lazy and neglectful to utilise their lands. Mr. Parata, after complimenting the Government on their finance, said he agreed that the Maoris should pay rates and taxes if they were given the same rights and privileges as the white people, but as the result of old laws the Maori* were tied hand and foot, and were prevented from using their best efforts. If the Maoris paid rates, those rates should be expends on the Maori lands—(Mr. Carroll: Hear, hear.) —for their improvement. In the South Island the bulk of the Maori lands were already paying rates, but if the Maoris asked the County Council foi: money for a road they were told that no money was available. Therefore, where was the good of the Maori paying rates? The money the South Island Maoris had obtained had been obtained directly from the Government. It was not derived from the rates paid. It was paid from revenue of which the Maori paid his share. The Maori w«s as capable as the European, but the Government must open up the way tor him in the working of their lands, the raising of stock, e£c. A portion of the Maori lands, however, should be made absolutely unalienable, because he did not like to see the Maoris, like some Europeans, going about the country sleeping in pig stys and hen roosts, until they got some work" to pay for a bed. He pleaded for another hour in which to speak, because half of his time was taken up in interpretation. (Laughter.)

Mr. Sidey hoped that tlie Advances to Workers Act would lie amended so as to permit of loans 'being made on houses already built. He commended the proposals to conserve water power, and looked' forward to a great increase in the use of electrical power. Mr. Malcolm regretted that the Dominion was losing the services of Lieut.Col. Davies, C.8., and thought the Government ought to have made some effort to retain his services. The House rose at 5.30 p.m.

In th/c- evening Mr. Malcolm continued his speech dealing with the land question. He said the country was sorely in need of capital; yet the Government would not sell lands which would provide a large amount of capital. Another loss sustained iby the State undet the leasehold system.was the lessened production. The city representatives claimed for town workers the whole product of their labor. He heartily supported that claim, and asked the same for the farmer.

Mr. Millar remarked on the predominance of the land question during the debate. Members seamed to forget that after the Land B'jtt of 1907 had been passed the Government was returned to power. The land question had little or no effect on the election. The freehold farmer possessed' one advantage—that was the right to mortgage it. Had it not (been for the leasehold there would not have been one half of the people setA tied on the land there was to-day; yetn freeholders wished to deny the right' of posterity to get on the land on terms] obtainable at present. How coiild men'

[without money get on the land unless under the leasehold system? Mr. Malcolm was quite wrong in supposing that city members were opposed to the interests of small farmers. Turning to the sinking fund proposal, Mr. Millar replied to the Opposition criticism. Mr. Fraser had said that if £150,000 were set aside out of the consolidated revenue there would be only £350,000 to transfer to the Public Fund; consequently, the former sum would have to he borrowed. This was like saying that if £150,000 were used to pay off the loan, the Dominion would be the loser to that extent. Mr. Herdman had referred to the capitalist with £IO,OOO, who had been driven away by labor legslation, hut he (Mr. Millar) was in negotiation with a man who wa9 about to nvest £50,000 in the South Island. It lad been said that the raihvaymen were lissatisfied. He invited them to go to Australia to see the conditions there. le. denied that there was any bar to promotion into the first division of >hose in the second division. Referring ;o the timber industry, he said Oregon ;imiber paid freight and a half on railways us protection to local timber. Dealng with the railways generally, Mr. Milar said he had made enquiry into the ionditions all round in Australia, and ?ould say the railways of the Dominion were on a sounder basis, and that the rank and file of railway servants were nuch better off in New Zealand than in Australia. It had been said that railway commissioners were free from political control. He, however, learned from the commissioners themselves that they were subject to political control. Replying to a question by Mr. Massey, Mr. Millar said the cost of living would tvork out much the same in the Dominion and the Commonwealth, except, perhaps, in rent. How had the commissionera treated the public of Australia? They had made no concessions such as had been made by the Dominion in iavor of show stock exhibits, racehorses, butter boxes, wool, etc. These concessions amounted to very large sums anauajly. Indeed, since the railways had ieen taken over from the commissioners the total concessions amounted to two millions. Taking the Dominion service ill round, he said any unbiassed person, liter examining the Australian services, would admit the Dominion had very little to learn from the Commonwealth. Mr. Herries entered into details of comparative rates for the various classes of produce in New Zealand and Australia. In regard to fares, no doubt long distance fares were lower in the Dominion, but the suburban fares were much higher than Australian fares. Turning to the land question, Mr. Herries denied that the Opposition wished to abolish the leasehold system. What they desired was to make the leasehold a, stepping stone to the freehold.»' Dealing with the native land question, he regretted that Mr. Carroll had not yet spoken. The Government's native policy was a vacillating one. The great nulk of the lands acquired by the Crown remained in the state it was.when purchased. Only an eighth had been brought under cultivation. The Native Land Commission had resulted in the Act of 1807, which was another bar to progress. The chief clause in this Act was one providing that all native lands lit for European settlement should be vested in Maori Land Boards to be divided into equal parts, one to be sold, and the other to be leased. Of the lands so .csted a mere trifle had been thrown open for settlement. He asked for a return showing the exact amount of land which had been settled upon as a result of the recommendations of the Commission of 1909. It was intended' to stop private alienations, but this was sjoing on more widely than ever. The lands should be individualised and ilivided compulsory, the .cost of surveying to be placed on the land. ' ■Mr. Carroll said it was difficult to liscover what Mir. Herries' policy was. He declared that the Opposition was responsible for the "Taihoa policy" in rejpect to native lands. The whole question of native land settlement was considered from a European point of view, the sole object being to satisfy the lust r or land. Was that a high plane to take? Mr. Herries knew how difficult t was to individualise native lands. Af;er deducting areas aleniated, and those inder special legislation, there was left in area at March 31 last of 8,037,121 ieres, which was classified under vari>us heads, over three million acres taxable paying rates to-day. Since 1007 nuch preliminary work had been done n order to give effect to the recommenlations of the commission. Every available surveyor was at work on native amis in Auckland, Hawke's Bay, Taralaki and Wellington, over 100 men beng so engaged surveying and laying off •oads in an area comprising 465,749 icres. The cream of the Maori land had )een secured long ago hy enterprising mkehas. Therefore the work of surging was carried on in back blocks nid mountain tops, and was necessarily slow. ;

Mr. Carroll, referring to rating native lands, exonerated himself from the charges of refusing to enforce judgment against natives for rates. After referring to the progress of land settlement generally, and traced the progress made at Taumaranui and Te Kuiti, he finally dealt with the leases on the West Coast. 1 Objection had been taken by lessees to holding land under the Maori, but the tenure was very advantageous to both parties. Maoris drew rents on a 3 ] / 2 per cent, basis, and tenants had an equal say in fixing rents. Yet they were not satisfied, and demanded a perpetual lease. He concluded by advocating equal riffhts for both races, and he would do hCs best to that end, but he would never forget the race he represented. The debate adjourned and the House rose at 11.40 p.m.