GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2725, 16 October 1894, Page 2

GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. Tho Council met at 2.30 p.m. on Friday. GOVERNMENT RAILWAYS BILL. The Governor’s amendments in the Government Railways Bill, relating to the status of railway servants, were agreed to. DAIRY INDUSTRY BILL. The Dairy Industry Bill was read a second time on the voices. BATING BILL. The debate on the motion for the second reading of the Rating on Unimproved Value Bill was resumed. An amendment was proposed by Mr Pharazyn that the Bill be read a second time six months hence. The amendment was carried on a division by 14 to 12. The following is the division list:— Ayes (14). —Walker, Bonar, Dignan, Pharazyn, Oliver, Bowen, Richardson, Stevens, Swanson, Williams, Ormond, Acland, McLean, Peacock. Noes (12). —Stewart, Barnicoat, Kerr, Macgregor, Rigg, Montgomery,Whitmore, McCullough, Bolt, Feld wick, Buckley, Kelly. MINING COMPANIES BILL. The Mining Companies Bill was read a second time on the voices. The Council then adjourned till Monday at 2.30 p.m. HOUSE OP REPRESENTATIVES. The House met at 11.30 a.m. on Friday. ORDER OF BUSINESS. The Premier moved that the House meet at 11.30 each day until the close of the session and sit untill 11 p.m., and on Monday from 2.30 p.m. In reply to a question, the Premier said the only subjects which should now provoke much debate were the Midland Railway Bill and legislation regarding the Assets Company. The motion was agreed to. ‘.THE BALLANGE MEMORIAL. The request of the Ballance Memorial Committee with reference to the erection of the Ballance monument in Parliament Grounds was referred to the Joint House Committee. SAN FRANCISCO MAIL SERVICE. Mr Ward moved a series of resolutions empowering the Government to arrange for a renewal of the San Francisco mail service for three years. He said that the present resolutions were almost identical with those passed in 1891. The total cost to the colony last year was £7929. After some discussion Sir R. Stout moved to amend the resolutions by omitting “ San Francisco ” and inserting “ North America ” in order to give the Colonial Treasurer a free hand to arrange for a service by the Vancouver route. Mr Ward pointed out that New Zealand contributed only a fourth of the cost of the service, therefore she could not do anything in the direction indicated by Sir R. Stout, without the consent of Great Britain, America, New South Wales, and the other colonies interested in the service. He might say that this colony had already offered £IO,OOO for a service via Vancouver, but they were not going to obtain that by knocking the San Francisco service on the head. The object of the colony should be to secure a fortnightly service, alternating between San Francisco and Vancouver. Sir R! Stojit’s amendment was lost by 47 to 10. Captain Russell moved a further amendment that the contract be for one year instead three years, Mr Ward said the colony could not enter into an agreement for one year. After further discussion Captain Russell's amendment was lost by 24 to 17. The House rose at 1 p.m. and resumed at 2.30. iu Committee? on the San Francisco mail service resolutions, an amendo? 60 *’ by Mr Pirani, to make Wellington the port of call instead of Auckland, was lost by 51 to IQ. Captain Rq?se)l m ov ®d that the penalty be enforced if the be 24 hours late instead of 48 hours. The amendment was lost by 46 to 15. Tho resolutions were reported to the House with verbal amendments and agreed to. RAILWAY BRIRdES, Mr G- W. Russell brought up flip report of the Railway Committee on the condition of certain railway bridges iu the colony. He congratulated the House and tho country on the fact that after an exhaustive enquiry the committee had found that the bridges were in a satisfactory and sound condition. The evidence, however, showed that there had not boon anything like careful supervision of railway bridges, and that was why the Committee emphasised the necessity for most thorough supervision. He moved that the report be referred to the Government for consideration. Mr Tanner, as one of tho Committee, dissented very largely from tho report. The debate on the report was adjourned till Monday.

government advances to settlers BILL. The Premier, Mr Ward, Mr McKenzie, Mr Bell, and Mr Steward were appointed managers on the Conference of the Council’s amendments in the Government Advances to Settlers Bill. POST AND TELEGRAPH BILL. The Post and Telegraph Department Bill was introduced and read a first time. UNCLAIMED LANDS BILL. Mr Ward moved the second reading of the Unclaimed Lands Bill, to deal with lands the owner of which is unknown.— After a discussion Mr Ward said that the Bill aimed at making the existing law workable. It did not mean confiscation. —The second reading was agreed to on the voices. SEA FISHERIES BILL. On the motion of Mr Ward, the Sea Fisheries Bill, to consolidate and amend the law relating to sea fisheries, was read a second time. workmen’s wages bill. Mr Reeves moved the second reading of the Workmen’s Wages Act, 1893, Amendment Bill. He said that the Bill was designed to stop contracting oat allowed by a loophole in last year’s Act, and it would also more securely protect wages, to meet the case in which shearers had struck after doing the greater part of the shearing, bat were not paid for the work which they had done. Sir Robert Stout pointed out that the Bill was an entire alteration of the law of contract. Mr J. W. Kelly said that the Bill was meant to protect shearers’ wages. Captain Russell held that it should be equally binding on shearers and employers. The debate was interrupted by the 5.30 p.m. adjournment. On resuming at 7.30 Mr Guinness resumed the debate on the Workmen’s Wages Act Amendment Bill and moved that the measure be read a second time that day six months. The debate was adjourned on the motion of the Premier. THE PUBLIC WORKS DEBATE. On the motion that the House go into Committee of Supply for consideration of the Public Works Estimates, Mr Mitchelson said that it was utterly impossible to debate the Statement satisfactorily, as it had only been brought down the previous evening. The Government had snch a large majority at their back, and the various members of their party had been so well provided for that it was almost useless for the Opposition to attempt any redaction in the public works expenditure. Ha mast, however, protest against the scatter-oaah policy of the present Government, and he thought that before long they would land the colony in very serious trouble. The amount proposed to be spent this year was far in excess of what the colony could afford, and it would mean eventually that the Government would have to propose a loan to carry ou the public works of the colony. Referring to the North Island Trunk Railway, he said that the Government had seized the sinking fond to such an extent as to amount to sly borrowing. He regretted to see the Premier holding out hopes in various parts of the colony for extending the railways, as he must see that the colony could not undertake those works unless they went in for another loan. The sum Asked for the goldfields was far in excess of what the colony could afford, and the same remark applied to the vote proposed for harbors. He should uot attempt to reduce the Estimates in any way, as he knew by past experience that nothing, could be gained by that. Dr said that the Government had frequently asserted that their policy was one of tapering off, but there was quite a change in that respect in this Statement, as there had never been one in which so much cash was flowing about in all directions.

Sir Robert Stout complained of delay in bringing down the Statement, and said that the Government by their action in this respect had been simply playing with Parliament. It was very noticeable that the self-reliant policy initiated by the late Mr Ballance had been entirely abandoned by the present Government. The House was asked to vote in round numbers this year £1,000,000 of borrowed money for public works, which was altogether more than the colony could afford. The appropriation of £36,000 this year for roads was excessive. If that amount were spent on railways there would be some return, but so far as roads were concerned there would be only an indirect return. The appropriations proposed meant additional interest to bo paid by the colony of £25,000 or £30,000 a year, and he ventured to say that any members who advocated the policy contained in this budget would not regain their seats. He entirely objected to go on with the Estimates to-night, and said that it would be burlesquing party Government to deal with votes for £1,000,000 at such extremely short notice. He again warned the House that they could not afford to spend £1,000,000 a year in public works. They could not possibly go on borrowing in this manner. Mr Hogg thought that the Statement was one of the best ever brought down in the history of the colony. Captain Russell agreed with Mr Hogg that the construction of roads was more desirable than railways, but he could not agree with him that by going further into debt and increasing their expenditure they could decrease the public debt of the colony. The first duty of the House was to guard the public purse, but the present Premier and Treasurer had no such idea as that. Sir R, Stout had spoken of the late Mr Ballance initiating the taperingoff policy, but whilst he did not at all detract from Mr Ballanoe’s efforts he wished to point out that it was the late Sir Harry Atkinson who had the courage to propose a tapering-off policy in 1887, and Mr Ballance merely continued it. He instanced the expenditure in 1890-91 when Sir Harry Atkinson was in office as £334,251 and compared it with that of the present year amounting to £1,000,000. Yet they were told that the Atkinson expenditure was of the most extravagant character. He condemned the making of railways through country and said that the inevitable result would be that the poor would suffer and taxation increase.

Mr '.V. I*. Reeves said that the various Opposition speakers had accused the Government of reckless plunging and borrowing, yet each condom tied the Government for not spending more money, in their own district, The Government had been accused of spending too much on roads, but that was rather inconsistent, as two years ago Mr Rollestou, the then leader of the Opposition, had contended that railway expenditure should be tapered off and more money devoted to roads. That was what the Government wore doing now, as they believed that if colonisation was to progress they must have roads to carry on settlement. The Government must have money and that money they meant to get. The people at the last general election had endorsed this policy, and declared that settlement should go on faster than over.

Mr Geoige Hutchison complained o{ the small amount appropriated for settlement in the North Island as compared with tiie profligate expenditure on the mining industry on the West Coast of the South Island. The Premier was no doubt responsible for this. He did not object to the way in which the greater part of the money was to be spent, but he did object to the way in which the money was proposed to be raised. Mr Ward pointed out that Mr Hutchison and Mr Mitcbelson had roted for for the purchase of native lands, and yet they held up their hands in horror at the Government borrowing proposals. It showed that the Opposition in their great anxiety to oppose the Government were unable to do so logically. He admitted that the colony had been passing through a very severe time, but they had held their own very well in comparison with other colonies. The colony in fact was in a very hopeful condition, and the Government must do their beat to assist it. He believed that the Statement would be found to be iu the general interests of the country and he denied that in the appropriations the Government sup porters received undue consideration. Mr W. Hutchison spoke in support and Mr Buchanan against the Statement. Messrs J. McKenzie, Collins, Fraser, Earnshaw, McKenzie (Clutha), and Allen also spoke. The Premier replied on the Public Works Statement debate. He referred to the fact that no serious fault whatever had been found with the Statement jby hon. gentlemen and said no departure had been made this year from, the policy enunciated by the Government when they first took office. The amount of appropriations asked for this year was nearly £IOO,OOO less than the sum asked for by Mr Mitchelson in 1890-91, and some £40,000 less than the amount appropriated last year. The Opposition had failed to make out a case against the Government in regard' to punishing certain constituencies because their representatives were not ministerial supporters. It was a fallacy for Mr Mitchelson to say the. Government were taking North Island Railway loan money for roads. In this regard the present Government were only doing what their predecessors had done, and what he Seddon) believed to be the right thing. As to the proposal to take over' the Mokihinui- Ngak&wau railway, this step had been advised by the Railway Commissioners, and fortified by this opinion he thought that the action of the Government was justified. Complaint had been made of the large sum to be devoted to the mining industry, but he defended this, and said the time had come when something must be done in prospecting the deep levels of the colony. The sum was not at all out of proportion to the requirements, and the money would be wisely spent. As to what had been said about “ tapering off,” it was simply nonsensical to say they must be guided by what had been done two or three yean age when the conditions of the colony were altogether different. The present Government had reduced the expenditure on account of the Public Works fund to the lowest sum in the history of the colony, and this was a complete answer to the criticism of Dr Newman that the Government was pursuing a scatter-cash policy. The allocations were fair to the colony as a whole. The House then went into Committee of Supply for consideration of the Public Works estimates. Public Works Department, £BISO Immigration, £SOO Agreed to without alteration. ~~ Railway construction works—£26o,2so. Various votes under this heading passed unaltered after very little discussion. North Inland main trunk railway—£s2,77B—Agreed to.

Progress was reported at 2.65 a.m. and the House adjourned till 2.30 p.m. on Monday.