PARLIAMENT.

Taranaki Daily News, 14 July 1916, Page 4

PARLIAMENT.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night, The Council met at 2.30 p.m. Hon. Sir F. H. D. Bell explained thai owing to the illness of one of the managers, the proposed conference on the .Mi itary Service Mil] would not be held until Itiesday. He moved the adjournment dI the Council until Tuesday The Council rose at 2.40. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. i'li.e House met at £;w p.m. iAIr H. McC'allum introduced the Wal. rau Harbor Loan Enabling Bill, which was read a first time. BRITISH DEPKXDEXTS FUND. Sir Joseph Ward announced that the following nddilionul contributions toward, the British Sailors' Dependents uml liad been received: Wellington branch of the Navy League (second inc e v e £]'-1 500 W Na , Pier Patliotic So " eietj \\averley .'Patriotic Society (second instalment) £230 ■ Riverton Patriotic Society £lOl. Native lands reports, Mr Herries brought down the annual report of the Native Land Courts and Maori T.timl Boards. T '°,"' $■ ,T" - N " gata rai,ed « discussion on the Native lands generally, particular y the scheme for providing returned •Native soldiers with land. The discussion was continued until after five o'clock, when Mr. Herries rose to reply. He said he thought, generally the treatment accorded to the Natives of New Zealand would compare favorably with that meted out to any aboriginal race in the world. He did not think it could be the fact, as stated by one lion member, that one man had secured 13,000 acres of Native land in tho -Northern district. He had no Departmental information on the matter since 1909, but the professed policy of the country had been in favor of the opening up of Native lands under certain restrictions. The debate was interrupted by the dinner adjournment.

EVENING SITTIXft. The House resumed at 7,30. Several amendments in the Finance Bill were received by Governor's message. On the motion to go into Committee to consider some, Mr. J. McCombs drew attention to the rent question in Wellington, and asked if the Government intended to introduce a Bill dealing with the matter, and Sir Joseph Ward said the question could not be dealt with in the present Bill, as the matter was before Cabinet, but a Bill would be introduced in a day or two. The 1 House went into Committee on the Finance Bill. Sir Joseph Waul remarked that lie believed it would be found the amendments would fairly meet the objections raised during the second reading. If the Committee stage was passed at that sitting he proposed to take the third reading on Friday. Mr.| A. H. Hindmarsh raised the question of young professional men who were eligible for service, but who remained at home and were making profits because their competitors had gone to the front, claiming that these men should not be entitled to exemption from the excess profits tax. The Minister said such cases must be left to the discretion of the Commissioner. All the circumstances would lie taken into consideration, but single men could not claim .exemption under the hardship clause. Mr. Pearce regretted that clause :!i, giving power to i-.siic debentures for the purchase of bind for settlement. <lill remained. lie argued this was jj vicious piovision. as it would encourage a reckless Ministry that, believed in paper money to buy land for paper, not with its face value, and land-owners would be compelled to accept. Sir Joseph Ward, in reply, said the dilliculty was to get money to curry on the war and purchase Haul at the same time. If the power to issue debentures was not given, land could not be purchased for settlement. (I.eft sitting.)