PARLIAMENT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 141, 1 November 1912, Page 5

PARLIAMENT.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 31

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL,

By Telegraph—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night, The Council met at 2.30 p.m. THE LAND BILL

The Land Bill was further considered i* committee.

In the matter of the width of rights-of-way on subdivided land (clause 3), which Mr. Barr moved should be not less than 60 feet, the Minister promised to recommit the clause if he found there was any real room for misunderstanding, and Mr. Barr withdraw his amendment. The Minister intimated that he would introduce a new clause (4a), giving power to appoint a deputy-Surveyor-General. A new clause (lia) was added, amending section 41 of the principal Act. by making "Crown lands" include "(a) national endowment land" and "(b) land vested in the Crown under the Education Reserves Amendment Act, 11)10." The following clause in substitution of clause 10 was submitted by the Minister: "An applicant is landless within the meaning of this section (103 of the principal Act) if he does not hold under any tenure such area of land, whether Crown land or not, as in the opinion of the Board is sufficient for tire maintenance of himself and family, provided the Board may, as a condition precedent to approving an application for land, require any such applicant to divest himself within six months from date of the approval of the application of any interest which he may have in any other land. Until the applicant has so divested himself of such interest, he shall not be deemed to have any interest in the I land to which application relates. If he fails to divest himself, his deposit shall be forfeited." The portion of the original clause giving preference to applicants with children dependent on them, and applicants who had been twice within two years unsuccessful in ballots, was retained. The amendments were agreed to.

Clause 20 was amended to remove the limitation that allotments shall be settied only by British subjects "who are holders of kauri gum digging licenses." Clause 48, dialling the Minister to advance the cost of subdivision of land on execution of an agreement with the owner, was amended by a provision being inserted that the repayment of such advance "shall have priority over all other charges and incumbrances, whether registered against the land or unregistered."

Progress was reported, and the Council adjourned, out of the memory of Sir Wm. Steward, until to-morrow.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

The House met at 2.30 p.m. THE WAIHI STRIKE.

A discussion arose on the Petitions Committee's report of a petition from Timaru praying that the strikers in the Auckland gaol should be released. Several members contended that the law had been vindicated, and that the men should be released.

During a speech by Mr. Robertson Mr. Harris interjected that the law must be upheld. Mr. Payne interjected that the member for Waitemata (Mr. Harris) had hidden from the police for two days' in Napier. The Speaker ordered the withdrawal of the words, which was done.

Mr. Harris explained that he had come out before the mast, and had. deserted, his ship, but had never hidden from or been sought by the police. Mr. Herdman, replying to the arguments, said that there was not one member who would protest against the enforcement of the law if they knew the whole of the circumstances. He read a letter dated September 5, and signed by 38 Waihi citizens. The letter stated that an intolerable condition of industrial warfare had developed in Waihi, and they called on the Government to perform its duty and protect them and their property. They considered that matters had got to the condition that they were in through the inability of the Government to grasp he situation.

The Minister said that so long as he was Minister for Justice law and order would be enforced. He would make no distinction between the Waihi strikers and anyone else. It had been suggested that the Government had sent a special magistrate to Waihi to try the men. That was absolutely incorrect. The Magistrate had had three courses open to liini when the men came before him, viz., imprisonment, fine, or ordered to keep the peace. He had inflicted the lightest possible sentence. The Minister emphasised the point that the men were not confined to gaol by the Government but by their own wills. Cries of "No! no!"

The Minister said that anyone could sign a bond or get a friend to sign it and get his release to-morrow. The men were classed as second-class delinquents, and the regulations for that class were enforced. The men were not denied anything that the regulations allowed. He had given instructions that the men could do any work in prison there was, if they choose. The House divided on an amendment to refer the petition back to the Committee, the voting being 21 for and 44 against. Mr. Witty then moved that the report be referred to the Government for consideration. The Government had had a' very unpleasant duty to perform, and having performed it were satisfied to leave it at that. Mr. Witty's Amendment was lost by 40 to 22, and the report, which had no recommenc'ation to make, was received. SIR W. J. STEWARD.

Massey informed the House that he had just received news of the death of Sir W. <T. Steward. He would ask the House to-morrow to adjourn out of respect to his memory. The House then adjourned. The House resumed at 7.30. MINOR MEASURES.

On the l'rime Minister's motion consideration of the amendments made tfl the Taieri Land Drainage Bill by the Council was deferred till the next sitting day. The House proceeded to diaclss the report of the committee set up to consider the report of the TaupoTotara Company's petition.

Mr. Massey paid that tlie matter had been fully considered by the committee. He proposed to visit the locality during the recess, and with that design in view he asked the House to leave the matter in the hands of the Government.

Eventually the matter was referred to the Government for consideration. Amendments to the Fisheries Amendment Bill and Government Life Insurance Bill were introduced by Governor's message.

NATIVE LAND. Mr. Hurries moved that the Native Land Amendment Bill be. committed. In doing so he hoped, lie said, to bring down a comprehensive series of amendments to the Native Laud Act next year. He thought the present Bill represented the united wisdom of the tohungns of the House. The Minister explained that it was optional with the natives as to whether tliev should give a lessee the option of purchase of lands. An entirely

new provision was that which proposed to declare on sufficient grounds, a native a European. Under that clause a large number o! native would be entitled to cast off the shackles of the native laws, but would assume all the responsibilities of Europeans, the payment of rates, for instance.* He had issued instructions to get a report from lands boards showing. the various blocks which cannot be dealt with by Maori Land Boards under the present law. It was proposed to reinvest those in native owners to deal with as they thought proper.

Sir James Carroll said that the Bill had received very close attention at the hands of the Native Affairs Committee. It was chiefly a machinery Bill, designed to facilitate the working of present legislation in regard to native lands. As to the Europeanising of the Maori, he thought it was a good thing to put the Maori on the same plane as the European, though it might not "be a good thing to bring about such a process suddenly. The House should carefully watch native land legislation, and he hoped the natives would be more fully consulted on the subject. The Maori wanted the same help in using hiti land as was given to Europeans. He hoped the Act would enable the Maori to utilise his own land, so that he could become a producer.

Dr. Te Rangihiroa and Dr. Pomare approved of the Bill, the latter remarking that the Maori would not at all object to taxation if he could thereby get the privileges enjoyed by the European. Mr. Mac Donald said that if the settlement of native lands was to be expected, the present supply of surveyors would have to be augmented. He believed in taking native land for cutting up into small areas under the Land for Settlement Act.

The Bill was commited and reported ■with amendments.