Parliament

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 136, 2 November 1914, Page 2

Parliament

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 31. ' i By Telegraph.—Per Press Association. Wellington, Octoebr 31. ! The Legislative Council met at 11 a.m. As the Iron and Steel Industries Bi'.l J'-ad not been, circulated Hon. Bell moved that the Speaker resume the chair at 8 o'clock, when ha would move the second reading.

AFTERNOON SESSION. Wellington, Laist Night. The Council met at 2.30 p.m. IRON AND STEEL INDUSTRIES. The Iron and Steel Industries Bill was received from the House, and passed through all stages. Clauses 12 and 13, dealing with offences against tlia Act, _ wore struck out Hon. Bell explaining that such offences were already punishable by law. LEGISLATORS'., AND COMMISSIONS. The Legiglative Amendment Bill, No. t, was read a first time. The measure makes plain the position of members of Parliament who accept Commission upon the sale of land to the Grown. Any member who accepts commission upon such a, sale is liable to forfeit his seat. The Council Tose at 4.15 p.m. Th; Council resumed at S.lt> p.m. The Legislature Amendment Bill, No. S, was taken in Committee, reported without amendment, and passed. The Council adjourned at 8,20 p.m. until the ringing of the bell.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. AFTERNOON SESSION. The House met at 2.30 p.m. IMPREST AND SUPPLY BIiLL. The Imprest Supply Bill, authorising the payment of £2.070,000, was introduced by Governors Message. Sir Joseph Ward asked why the financial returns for the Scptemiber quarter had not been published. ELECTORAL. Sir Joseph also made another complaint about the wholesale manner in which well-known people were taken off the rolls, although they had not changed their addresses. Il' e suggested' legislation enfranchising everyone who had been three months in a district, and a year in the Dominion 1 . Mr Isitt oaid that unless something was done a great iiiauv people would! be disfranchised. 1I L . strongly supported the idea of allowing people to vote on a declaration before the returning officer on lolling day. Hon. llcrdman pointed out that under the Legislature Act Amendment, people whose names had been inadvertently left off the roll road vol ll by making a declaration before the 'returning! officer,.

The Premier read a report from fie F.lectoraUYp.vrluieiit which set ou! thai all the main rolls exeipt Wairarapa iver,. now issued.

Mr "Vassey also rend reonrfs from registrars, the r-sult of who-* works he claimed would resuli hi clean rolls.

KI\ T ANCfAT. DCTA'Pi;. Hon. Allen, in reply to Sir Josenh "Ward, said that the September (pi:>rtci'ly returns had been sent to the' Audi- Department on tin: 14lli ;i:st. They had not yet been ivtui'ned, mid that was lie reason they had not been published, Mr U". W. Russell declared that we Were rapidly t'etiiny into a most unsatisfactory financial po-iiion. The last Liberal surplus was tSliyori). The his.j "itelonn" surplus was £'l|(i,i! : H), a de/ -line that was rapidly drivinp; as to a deficit. :Jn»liead of doeroM.siiu)'. ex-' pC'iiditure imd 'prooorfiotuteic increased, while the last.'six moults of railway revenue had simply been disastrous. Taxation had ris<-n by !;!■■, 1.1 per head since the present Covoruuienv took office, londiii'r to settlers had decreased, it was less firm ;unl his opinion was that our liuances would never be restored uniil Sir doscph Ward was ill tlit head of the Xnv.i.-ury asain. On resuming at 7.'SO p.n:.. Sir .TosepU Ward continued the debate -upon i.iie Imprest Supply Bill. He quoted figures to show thht land s,;ttlenieni under the Musspv administration was lower than at any period in the Liberal Covon,uirnt's historv. lie also epioicd tij;iiiv< to show that moi'' money had been spent upon roads and bridge-, each war :i;y the Liberals than by the present (!<>vwnmi'ir.. lie pointed out liiat in two

'-'cans of "Re.forr.ii" jovernment tile unexpended votes totalled IiUoiUK)-:!. The Prime Minister accused the Leader of the Opposition or want of candour. He bad not told the House that there were only HM'i.liM acres of first-class Crown land available when the present Government came iii'Ui office, audi with that limited area it was impossible, that settlement cotilr! vweed ■proceed as rapidly as when there were millions of acres open for settlement. In two. years they had put 4135 settler) on the land, and that rw.oi'd, he claimed, was as good as anything the fiiheral party had ever done. So far as land loi settlement was concerned the present Government had multiplied their ■predecessors' record so far as urea was i ,nc;rned by ten He <|uole<,l ■figure a to show the number of settlers who acquired the fee sim-plo of their landv from whom the Crown received £2:li>,!)oS. 'J hat was very satisfactory, and V still thought that when things again become normal the. State would he receiving I'soO 000 per annum from these settlers. The debate was continued by .Messrs. Witty, If. M. Eraser, and Atnioro, who was speaking at the supper adjonrn- / merit

After the. supper adjournment. iTio debate was continued by Messrs. Webb, Glover, and Sedclon.

Hon, Allen then briefly replied, contending in answer to Mr li.us.sell that it was unfair to judge the revenue on the first half of the year. He predicted that our finance would be .perfectly satisfactory before the year was cut. So far us the Advances Office ■\v;v3 concerned the loans were first cut down by 'he Ward Government, but the fact had been concealed from the pco-ple. Ilia Government bad restored the finances of this Department, mil were only compelled to reduce because of the war. There was no -holding money back, and there was a larger vote for workers' dwelling? ou the Pivb- !.!■■ Works Estimates than ever in the ■history of the Dominion. Instead of taxation being increased by 13s Id per head, taxation had been reduced.

The Bill was then read a second lime, and passed tin. committee, (stape. On the third reading, Sir Joseph Ward claimed that the increases in taxation during his time included the cost, of the defence scheme, and the Dreadnought! He had not professed to reduce, taxation, but had given the people enormous concession in many of 'he remissions. The charge against lihe Government was tliai after they had. said tiliat taxation