PARLIAMENT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 63, 1 August 1912, Page 5

PARLIAMENT.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 31. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. REPLIES TO QUESTIONS. By Telegraph—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night, The House met at 2.30.

Ministers replying to questions said that every effort was being made to bring all unoccupied Crown lands into proiitable utilisation, so that their tenants or purchasers may become responsible for their share of fencing. The liability to defray half the cost of erecting a dividing fence between unoccupied Crown lands and public reserves and adjoining occupied land would be .so extremely heavy that no Government has yet proposed to incur such an expenditure, which in a large number of cases, would be quite unwarrantable; that the service and the status of the Civil Service is under the consideration of the Government; th:<t the question of immigration will receive very careful eonsideiation (Government reference to the ■; .biccc will be made in the Financial Statement, and the Government expect t'.at with the reorganisation of the High Coi:>n>i< doner's department more will be dune to bring the right class of immigrants 1o New Zealand than has been tin- case in past years); that important an (i t'iiieiil s to the existing Old Age Pensions Act arc under consideration. HECKLING THE GOVERNMENT.

An Tmpiest Supply Bill for £701.400 «as introduced by Governor's message.

Mr. Massey stated that since the I'ouse had last met the deaths of severa"' prominent men had occurred. He intend .id u.V'n supply had been granted, to move the adjournment of the House out of respect to the memory of the deceased. He had no desire to limit or curtail any discussion, but he did hope that there would be no useless discussion.

Sir Joseph Ward said that he wanted to know what was in the Bill before he would promise to curb his criticism.

Mr. Allen said that it was an ordinary Imprest Supply Bill, with the exception of an increase in the Consolidated Fund of £so^ooo. LOAN RENEWALS. Mr. Myers drew the attention of the Minister of Finance to a paragraph appearing a local paper, stating that hie (Mr. Allen) had made satisfactory arrangements in London for the renewal of all loans maturing in London during this financial year. If Mr. Allen did say that, he said it was incorrect. Arrangements hid been made for a renewal of all loans maturing before .his Government left office. No loans were falling due in London during the cjirreH financial year. Mr. Allen said that he was not aware that arrangements had been made to renew all loans maturing in thte Dominion. There was a loan of £30.300 falling due in London during this year, also £ To,ooo in Australia. He had renewed a loan of £BOO,OOO in the Post Office at 3% per cent. He was unaware that Mr. Myers had made arrangements with the Post Office for renewals. Negotiations were now going on with the holders of debentures ill London, Australia, and New Zealand. FORCING DOWN THE INTEREST RATE. Mr. Myers replied that he had had an interview, with the head of tile Post Office, and had arranged for the whole of the loans maturing at 3% per cent. He was sorry Mr. Allen had beaten "the depositors down % per cent.

Mr. T. Mackenzie .said that a lady had once informed him that she would support Mr. Massey because he had said on the hustings that depositors in the saving banks should get 5 per cent, for their money.

Mr. It. 11. Rhodes stated that he could find no record of a renewal of loans at 3% per cent. He further stated that depositors would not suffer in any way.

PURCHASE OF ESTATES. Mr. Buxton drew attention to the statements that the Government had purchased the Mt. Nessing and Sherenden estates, whereas they had been arranged for by the late Government. How could the Government arrange for these things in three days? Mr. T. Mackenzie said that his Cabinet had arranged for the purchase of both estates.

Sir J. Ward asked why the rate paid to the Post Office savings bank had been forced down % per cent. Jt was the Postmaster-General's duty to see that there wits no reduction in interest. Mr. Allen must know that he could not get £BOO.OOO at 3% per cent, anywhere except from the Post Office savings bank. Mr. Allen said-that there had been no forcing down of interest. He was just as anxious as the Postmaster-Gen-eral to make the funds of the Post Office secure. The secretary of the Post Office had informed him that if they could get £4500 more in interest per year they could make, the reserve fund secure. He reminded the House that some years ago the Opposition had paid the Post Office only 3 per cent. Sir J. Ward urged that the Post Office ought not to be paid % per cent, less for money than was paid elsewhere. Mr. Wilford asked if the money could be got for 3>/ 2 per cent, in London. Mr. Fraser: So, certainly not. Mr. Wilford: Thank yooi. I was waiting for that. He tlion proceeded to quote from Hansard a statement by Mr. Massey. made last year, that the Post Office should be paid the .same rate of interest as was paid to the rich men of London.

Mr. Russell corroborated Mr. Buxton's statement that the Government had not bought the Sherenden or Mt. Nessing estates. They could not do it in three days.

Mr. Massey pointed out that 5 per cont. interest would not pay what we will have to pay when the four and ahalf million loan falls due. He regretted to mention that 8 per cent of our loans had been left in the hands of the underwriters. Regarding the purchase of the two estates mentioned, he said that negotiations had been carried up to a point nearing completion when tlfey assumed ofliee, but it was left for him to conclude them. Why, he asked, did his predecessors not conclude the deals? The Bill then passed all its stages. MOTIONS OF CONDOLENCE. Motions of condolence with the relatives of the late Mr. Eugene O'Connor and Mr. Olliver were also moved by Mr. Massey and carried. The House adjourned till 2.30 tomorrow. LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. The Coiinc v i■ o f :;t 2.30. On the molii)of Mr Hell, .seconded by Mr. Sati'ij(l tii." Council passed a similar in >t:o!i ](•.-]( i tin.r the death <j!' the Mikado to teat passed in the oilier Mr. ];/'• nickel a resolution that the Coinm' lecnH 'ls sense of the high pn'.!!" -rvviiH's rr.aKral to the Legidai'l!" : i i- '.Silt- Hon. Mr. Oliver (an exM iniste ■ ot tie Crown and an e.\-ni•-I(! ici- i,'. Iwtii i) iiTtclies of the Legisiatipv,, ;ini of «• it) a thy with the family of the deceased. T'li-i v.'is Fi'cirdcd by Mr. Luke, and s,'i :k '1 to lv Mi strs. Call an and Duncan, and carried. A similar motion was passed regarding the Jatc Mr. Eugene O'Connor, a former member of the House. The Council then adjourned until the "veiling as a mark of respect to the Mikado and deceased politicians. Tin- Council resumed at 8 o'clock, and passed the Imprest, Supply Bill.

Mr. Hull notified the appointment of I the Hon. T. Mackenzie as lligh Com--1 missioncr.

Messrs. Jenkinson, Carneross, and Loughnan expressed appreciation of the appointment, and the Council rose.