PARLIAMENT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 119, 27 August 1910, Page 5

PARLIAMENT.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. DR. FIXDLAY OX THE CRIMES BILL. Bv Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, Last Xiglit. In the Legislative Council this afternoon the Attorney-General, in closing the debate on the second reading of the Crimes Bill, agreed that there should be an indeterminate sentence in certain cases, from the time the prisoner left the dock, as well as an indeterminate sentence after the completion of a determinate sentence. In the matter of the infliction of an indeterminate sentence, this could safely be left to a judge. In regard to the training of prisoners, while it was the 'bounden duty of the State to teach trades in certain cases, the first consideration would be to equip the prisoners thoroughly for agricultural and other occupations pertaining to the cultivation of the land, which offered ample scope for employment, and would take the men out of the centres of population. He pointed to the fact that there were many thousand acres of land north ot Auckland 1 , unsuitable for settlement at present, which coukl be acquired for 5s an acre. It was his idea to acquire 10,000 acres of this land and to render it suitable by prison labor, for occupation as dairy farm, orchards and vineyards, which could be let or sold to the settler at a price that will enable him to make a good livftg. This would be ample to give the scheme a trial, and employment to 100 prisoners for fifteen years. 'He could provide 500 tacres annually for dairy and fruit farms. He thought it possibls to get competent men outside the civil service for the Prisons Board, but a .Judge of the (Supreme Court should l be head of the Board. As to the contention that the Bill was drastic, he pointed out that the fault of the Elmira system was that it did not go far enough in the matter of the indeterminate isentence, and it was proposed to improve on that system. The Bill was read a second time and referred to the Statutes (Revision Committee, and the Council rose.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. DECREASE OF POPULATION. The House of Representatives met at 2.30 p.m. ' The Workers' Compensation Bill was read 1 a second time pro forma and referred to the Labor Bills Committee. On the motion that the House go into committee of Supply on the Imprest Bill, 'Mr. Allen asked for details of the retrenchment scheme, quoting figures to show that while the Government was assisting immigration, the fact remained that departures were gaining over arrivals. 'He proceeded to refer at length to cases of injustice in connection with the Defence Department, pointing out that there were men in defence corps who had higher qualifications than those promoted over them. Mr. T. E. Taylor (Christchurch) said that married co-operative railway laborers were receiving much less than defence officers who were useless. He objected to the proposal to import boy and girl labor into the Dominion. This would result in a form of child-slaverv. He predicted a warm reception for tile Land Bill, and protested against the Bill being introduced at a few daj's' notice. | Mr. Buddo protested at Mr. Allen's re- ' marks about immigration as unfair, and i cited figures showing the increase in I New Zealand population. Mr. Buchanan denied the correctness !of Mr. Buddo's figures, and contended I that the Dominion was losing populaI tion. The Government should enquire i into the cause of the exodus. > THE RAILWAYS.

Mr. Herries credited the Minister of Railways with ia steady improvement of the railways. The expresses were being kept down without starving them. .Mr. Lang followed in a similar strain. The Hon. J. A. Millar compared the Commonwealth rates with those of the Dominion, and said he was prepared to introduce the Australian rates for passengers and freights to-morrow. The agitation for reduced suburban fares in various districts were set up by speculators, who desired to enhance the value of suburban lands which they had bought up. The House rose at 5.30 p.m. This evening Mr. Millar resumed his speech, ■ and said that enginedrivers and guards were paid for all time over eight hours a day. Referring to Mr. 'Herries' criticism, he denied that the saving effected on the railways now was evidence of extravagance in the past. Every branch line would reduce the earnings of trunk l-ines. This had . been the experience of every country. Mr. Hardy said the railways were be-' I ing used as a taxing machine. Owing to higher freights on Newcastle coal, jarrah timber, etc., settlers in the outlying districts had to pay more for these articles, i while those in the cities escaped this form of taxation. THE CADETS.

Mr. Fowlds, dealing with the cadet question, said that as long as he was Minister of Education he would see that the civil and educational control of cadets was not superseded by military control. He averred that Major McDonald was very well qualified for the position of commanding the cadets, and his work in connection with the cadet system entitled him to great credit. Mr. Herdman, while giving Hon. Millar credit for his able management of the railways, urged that it was impossible for one man to successfully work such a huge concern, and predicted that railway commissioners would yet be advocated by the Minister. New South Wales' figures showed that the railways of that State were worked at profit and managed better than those of the Dominion. . .

Mr. Hanan declared the people of the Dominion would never to hand over the control of the railways to commissioners. Mr. Massey denounced the Govern- j ment's borrowing policy, which differed from that of the Opposition, as the former used money to retain power. He complained of the absence of important returns which should have been tabled before the Estimates. Parliament should insist on the Public Works Statement being brought down within a month of the session. The retrenchment figures did not bear out the alleged saving of £300,000. If the country was so prosperous, why not repeal the surtax?