PARLIAMENT

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 71, 14 September 1911, Page 5

PARLIAMENT

I WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. By Telegraph—Press Association. WelLiaogAon, Last Night The House of Representatives met ait 2.30 p.m. REPLIES TO (QUESTIONS. Replying to questions, Ministers *tat•ed that tie periodical revision of «üb;postmastere' salaries was almost oomplete. Unite this Ttw.ision increases representing improved business will be paid at tfffiecs w/bare such increase is warranted. Crown lands in the neighborhood of Otautau h-jII pnoibaMy foe >open for selection in February or March. The attention of tke Minister of Marine has been drawn to the. statement .of Mr. Bishop, SJmL, that steamship companies .are gradually whittling away every light that passengers have had conserved to them for years past i>y *ommon law, And the question as to whether there -should be further legislation in the matter is now under consideration. It was never Intended that a State superannuation fund should accept liability in respect to persons who have once contributed I to the fund, but wko subsequently left I the service. The present.principle Vould not be departed from in connection with I the Railway Superannuation Fund. | THE FINANCIAL DEBATE. Mr. Hine continued the debate.on the Financial Statement. He was sorry lie could not see anything particular in the Statement. It appeared -to hint ,to be simply a vote-catcher. He mentioned that Sir Joseph Ward's Statement gave the amount spent on railways as £25,000,000, and Mr. Millar made it £30,000,000. The amount spent on roads and bridges was the greatest condemnation the Ministry could have. He cited the case of a baekblock farmer who had been eleven years on his section and had no track thereto. The farmer in question had eight children, and when the case was brought under the notice of the Minister of Public Works, all the sympathy he got was, "Why don'f you abandon your section?" There was, Mr. Hine continued, an entire absence in the Statement of the most important matters of the day. They were land tenure and the cost of living. He stated that since the Ward Administration took office, £070,508 remained unexpended out of the amounts voted for roads and bridges. Mr. Stall worthy refuted the Opposition suggestion that the Statement was a vote-catcher. It was only natural that every good proposal should catch votes, just as rotten planks lost them. The people of the country recognised good proposals when they saw them, and that fact accounted for "the continued return of the Liberal Party. With reference to the cry of '*)pcn up the native lands!" he would like to see both native and other lands put together and dealt with collectively, and not as at present. i Mr. Mander said in reference to the remarks which were always directed towards the Opposition* that they did good work in probing the Government up and in making suggestions, which the Government usually took up. With regard to loans to local bodies, he suggested that the Government should guarantee to the banks money to be voted for local bodies before the Estimates came down. This, he contended, could easily be done, and local bodies could have access to the money at an earlier period than at present. He" held that both Maori and pakeha should be treated similarly in respect to taxation. The former should contribute towards the cost of the works through which they derived benefit. He instanced the case , of the Main Trunk railway increasing the royalties on timber on native lands from one penny to two and three shilI lings per hundred feet, and natives paid nothing towards the cost or upkeep of the railways. If the Budget programme were carried 1 out, he saw no rea>soii for two parties. His objection was to what had been left out, and the bad administration of the Government. The Premier stated in the House this afternoon that the Representation Commission would not take evidence by deputation. All objections must b'e in writing.

The House adjourned at 5.50 p.m. On the House resuming, Mr. Scott, in continuing the debate, pointed out that in no way were members on his side of the House land monopolists, but poor, hard-working fanners. He indicated there should be a good market in Java for Xew Zealand frozen ineat and asserted that Australian produce was available there. He suggested that the great importance of afforestation warranted employment of two thoroughly competent men, who should be placed in charge here. He considered the Department one of the most important in the State. Dealing with the subject of immigration, he averred that farmers were willing to pay any wage for efficient labor. Mr. filover urged the Government to make early provision for old soldiers, who were rapidly sinking; also to bring down the limit of old-age pensions for females from 05 to flO years. He drew attention to the languishment of some industries of the country, particularly the iron industry. He complimented the Government upon the proposed insurance against unemployment.

Mr. Xosworthy sought an explanation of what he took to be a contliction of statements in last year's and this year's Budgets concerning the national' debt, lie stated that the Government was absolutely afraid to bring down a land policy. They were destitute of a land policy of any shape or form. He was prepared to support the co-operative bank, if the StSite protected it, and the assistance indicated could be supplied to farmers without State aid. He askeo. why large city linns should not be burst up, just as large estates were. Small men then could get a living. The whole Budget appeared to him to be a dose of chloroform for the electors. Mr. Poole considered the Budget wa,s the most progressive one ever placed hefore the country. He was sure an honest attempt was being, mnd'e to settle the native land Question. The broadening of the pension system would bo hailed with delight, and he believed that the spirit of humanitarianism was so strong nowadays that such legislation was imperative. He welcomed the Budget as an instalment of the progressive legislation, which would rule out tlifct conservative and retrograde section nf the community which was not prepared to give the rank and file a chance. On the motion of Mr. Dive the House adjourned at 11.20 p.m.