GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2222, 2 July 1891, Page 4

GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

Wellington, June 30. LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, The Council met at 2.30 p.m. on Tuesday.

BILLS TO PROCEED. The Select Committee recommended that the Legislative Council Bill, the Criminal Code Bill, Partnership Bill, Companies Bill, and Repeal Bill should be allowed to proceed. The Council at 4 o’clock adjourned till next day.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. The House met at 2.30 p.m. on Tuesday. REPLIES TO QUESTIONS. Replying to Mr Palmer, Mr Reeves said that Judge, Richmond did not sit on the Edwards case at the request of the Government. THE FINANCIAL DEBATE. Mr Hutchison (Dunedin) resumed the debate on the Financial Statement. He agreed with the proposals for an income tax generally, but thought it should have been on incomes from £250 instead of £3OO, and that it should go all over the country without any exception. As to the land tax it should be graduated up to £SOO, and after that it should be imposed according to acreage. While he approved of the general policy of the Government he hoped to see some modification in the details of their proposals. Mr Thomson (Bruce) fully concurred with the remark that had fallen from the last speaker, to the effect that the Financial Statement did not provide in any particular way for relieving the hard-working classes of the colony. The Government proposals with respect to the farming class were, he considered, eminently unsatisfactory. He felt sure that in future people who now condemned the property tax would be very sore indeed about the income tax.

Mr Fish twitted Mr Bryce with condemning the appointment of Mr Ritchie as head of the Stock Department when the party to which he belonged made such iniquitous appointments as that of J udge Edwards. The postal reduction was in his opinion utterty indefensible. It was not asked for, and it was not a fair proposal, as it was conferring almost the whole of its benefit on the mercantile class of the colony. Although he was supporting the Ministry, if any member proposed a resolution subverting this part of the Government proposals he would vote for it. He thought that the proposal of the Government to purchase private land would lead to corruption of the gravest kind. It was to his mind utterly unsound, and could not be carried out without borrowing. The graduated land tax as proposed was also utterly insufficient, and under it large landholders would be better off than they were under the property tax. He moved the folio wing amendment; —i; That the financial proposals of the Government are in accordance with the general wishes of the people, providing as they do for the repeal of the property tax and substituting a graduated land and income tax ; that the principle of change in the incidence of taxation is i satisfactory to the House, and will promote the well-being of all classes in the colony.” Mr Richardson, alluding to the Judge Edward’s affair, declared that any attempt to upset the appointment amounted to repudiation by the colony, i

Referring to the saving alleged to have been made, he quoted largely from figures in the estimates, and said that the expenditure this year would be £3OOO in excess of last year, although they were told there was a saving of £II,OOO notwithstanding all they had heard of so many officers being dismissed from the Civil Service, there were now eleven more officers in the Service than when the Government took office. As far as he could gather from the estimates, the cost of the Land and Survey office was £9200 more than before these offices were amalgamated. Notwithstanding the fuss the Minister of Lands had made in his search for dummies he had not uprooted a single case of dummyism.

Mr John McKenzie moved the adjourn ment of the debate. The motion was agreed to and the House rose at 12.30 a.m.

THE INFLUENZA EPIDEMIC. In view of the recurrence of influenza is a malignant form in various parts of Europe and America, the Victorian Board of Public Health has decided to issue a circular giving advice in regard to the treatment of the disease. The circular states that persons suffering from it should not attempt to shake it off or be indifferent to its effects. They must lie up in a room properly warmed and ventilated, without draughts and avoid all unnecessary exposure. In all cases the strength should be well maintained, and in the absence of medical advice a little quinine in a tablespoonful of jam may be taken twice daily. The disease, moreover, is to be treated as one which is communicated to healthy persons by those suffering from it and by means of clothing and other articles which have been exposed to the infection. It is necessary, therefore, to keep those suffering from, the’ disease apart from the rest of the household, and to see the rooms occupied the sick are properly ventilated while being kept free from draughts, and in particular to see that the linen used by the sick is frequently and thoroughly boiled, and that other articles used by the sick, or exposed to the infection in other ways, are thoroughly disinfected. In view of the fact that weakness of body renders persons attacked by the disease liable to suffer severely, it is of the first importance to maintain a sound state of bodily health, the home must be dry, clean, well ventilated, well drained, and not overcrowded, clothing must be suitable, food must be wholesome, and excesses be rigorously avoided.