PARLIAMENT.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXX, Issue 8510, 14 August 1907, Page 5

PARLIAMENT.

By Telegraph—Own Correspondent. WELLINGTON, August 13. LEGISLATIVE CC ONCIL, The Council to-day passed the Reserve Fund Settlement Bill. Hon. Sir G, M. O'Rorke gave notice of motion in reference to the establishment of a provincial form of Government. The Attorney-General promised to procure a copy of the report presented to the Federal Government dealing with infant foods and the destruction of infant life by their use. The Council adjourned for a week. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

The House met at 2.50 p.m. Mr C. A. C. Hardy gave notice that he would move to impose a duty on boots and.shoes of 12\ per cent. The Premier gave notice to intro--duce the Meikle Acquittal Bill. The Costly Training Institution and Tohunga Suppression Bills passed. The Maori Land Settlement Bill was put through the Committee stages with an amendment by the Hon. J. Carroll to make retrospective ,the powers of the Crown to purchase the portions of undivided interests of an owner by a Maori in any land owned by Maoris. The \ estimates were then taken *in Committee. The grant, Justice Department, miscellaneous services, £11,045, was passed unaltered. The House adjourned at 5.50 p.m. EVENING SITTING. The House resumed at 7.30 p.m. On the prisons vote (£44,116), Mr Hogg said that prisoners should work not only to support themselves, but for the benefit of others. If they were subjected to treatment similar to that of the back-blocks settlers few prisoners would return to gaol. Several members urged the reform of the prisons, and a niox-e scientific method of dealing with criminals, which was better than spending huge sums in punishing them. Mr Duncan urged that more prisoners should be employed at tree planting. Mr McLachlan said it was useless to teach prisoners trades in the face of the opposition cf the unions. Mr Ell moved to reduce the vote by £1 as an intir.:::tion that the time had arrived when the gaols should be outside of the cities. After discussion the motion was losi by 33 to 23.