PARLIAMENT.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8272, 27 October 1906, Page 5

PARLIAMENT.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. By Telegraph—Press Association. WELLINGTON, October 26. The Council resumed at 2.30 p.m. The following local Bills passed all stages.Onslow Borough Drainage Empowering Bill, Timaru Harbour Board Bill, Napier Harbour Board Loan Bill, Palmerston North Dairying Sobool Bill, Petone Bcrougb Streets Bill, and City of Dunedin Lands Vesting Bill. Tbe Waimate Agricultural Reserves Bill and Teachers' Superannuation Act Amendment Bill were reported from Committee. Tbe Habitual Drunkards Bill was committed. Tbe Hon. H. Feldwick moved to make "habitual drunkard" a person convicted three times in six months, instead of £nine months, but the amendment was lost by 19 votes to 3. The Council rose at 5 p.m. EVENING SITTING. The Council resumed at 7.30 p.m. Tbe following Bills were passed:— Habitual Drunkards, Soenery Preservation Aot Amendment, Apiaries, Scaffolding, Miuing Aot Amendment, Teachers' Superannuation 'Vet Amendment, and gWaimate Agricultural Reserves. The Council adjourned at 9.15 p.m. HOUSE OP REPRESENTATIVES. Tbe House resumed at 2.30 p.m. SAN FRANCISCO v. VANCOUVER MAIL SERVICE. On the motion to go into committee of tbe whole to cousider the San Francisco resolutions, Mr J. Alien moved the addition to the San Francisco resolution of a provision against the granting of any subsidy during the preseut conditions of the American navigation laws. As a former suppoiter of the San Francisco servioe he explained that the passing of these navigation laws had turned him against thesarvioe. Moveover, the service had failed in every respeot to come up to promise; it was slow, irregular, and unable to bear comparison with auy up-to-date service. He favoured the route as tbe best, but he would not support an inferior servioe under a commercially hostile flag. Regarding the Vancouver service, be considered it useless to think of it, He preferred the Suez service. The oosfc bad been given at £48,000 a year for a weekly servioe, whiob would further the bast interests of our own people and our ovtfn trade. The Premier : Lascars are employed. Mr Allen was referring to the Federal Servioe. The Premier: It is not running. Mr Allen: But it is tn run shortly. The JPrwmier said that tbe San Francisco service, shorn of all sentimental considerations, was the quickest and best possible. For tbe navigation laws of Amerioa there \Vas a reprisal on our Statute Book at tbe present moment. The line advocated by Mr Allen could not compare with it, and moreover it parried Lascarß. It had been said that a line via Mexico would have secured tbe same advantages as the San Francisco service, but enquiries had proved that was wrong. He defended the servioe from the aspersious of its opponents. He reviewed the terms of the contraot, summed up its advantages, urged that it was right to give the company a reasonable time to improve their ships, and moved the resolution. Mr T. McKenzie proceeded to point out that the commercial hostility of America was much worsa than Mr Allen had stated. The Vancouver servioe would have been established long ago if the Govern ment had been prepared to give reasonable terms. Sir E. Dawes (he had his authority for the statement) would have built a suitable line of steamers and inaugurated the serviue. Mr Wilford said it was too lale to substitute anything else for tbe service, and therefore quite ualess to oppose or try to ameni the resolutions. Mr Hogg said there was no aeed for this small country to rouse national jealousies. The San Franoisoo steamers were deficient. They would be improved. He urged the Government not to forget that coastal freights require cheapening; also, since the inauguration of the San Francisco servioe the import American trade had increased by £1,415,000. (Voices: "The East Coast trade"). Mr Hogg said he meant the import trade. Mr Laurenson had not always supported tbe Han Francisco service, but cosmopolitan confederations, the speedof this service, and the absence of any alternative had induced him to change his mind. Mr Tanner explained that ho had ceased to oppose the San Francisco service, because tbe substitute sought to be provided bad broken down. The San Franoisco route was the best, and the only one available. He oould support it perhaps regretfully but sincerely.

Mr Massey denied there was anything in the American shipping lawß to prevent British ships from trading to San Francisco direot, and pointed out that, the navigation laws of New Zealnnd are far more drastio . than the , American. He scouted the idea that the Auckland members were whipped into line by any newspaper. They were sensible basinees men, understanding the position. The trade with America coating £IO,OOO a year was ten times tho trade with South Africa, which had cost £90,000. Ho complimented the converts cn tho other side who had listened to reason, and be stigmatised as backsliders those who had turned their bauks on San Francisco, and amonp these was the member for Bruce. Like the converts he was prepared when the time came to support a better and be would do it mere willingly than he supported the San Francisco service. That service bad ouly been Irregular since the great earthquake. There was no possibility of establishing any other servioe. Canada j and Australia had united in preventing any diversion of the Vancouver boats to New Zeqland. Australia

had in faot shown a certain amount |of unfairness. When better things, came he would be prepared to sopport Vancouver. Mr Aitken had aways felt kindly towards tne San Franoisco service,, but that servioe had become disorganised long before the San Francisoo earthquake. Now business people require reliability. He preferred reliability with four or five days more steaming to a shorter servioe which came up to time once a month. lhe House rose at 5.30 o'clook. EVENING SITTING. The House resumed at 7.30 p.m. Mr Flatman found tbe reasons in favour of San Franoisco stronger than ever. Mr Izard preferred a weekly Suez servioe. Mr K. G. Alien opposed the resolutions. The House divided on the addition of Mr Allen's proviso—ayes 23, noes 41. Tbe addition was lost. In committee Mr Fraser proposed to reduce the period before betterment of tbe San Franoisco servioe from two years to one year. 'lhe Premier considered that would bo fatal to tbe aoutract. Tbe amendment was lost by 42: to 25. The Stn Francisoo clause was oarried without amendment. The Vancouver resolutions wei-e theD, after a sligbt discussion, carried on tbe voices. . The resolutions were reported to the House and adopted.