PARLIAMENT.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXX, Issue 8524, 31 August 1907, Page 5

PARLIAMENT.

By Telegraph—Own Correspondent. LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. WELLINGTON, August 30. In the Legislative Council, to-day, the Maori Land Settlement Act passed its final stages. The Pure Foods Bill, as amended by the Select Committee, was partly considered, and progress reported, after the title had been altered to "The Sale of Food and Drugs Act." HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. TARIFF BILL. The House of Representatives in the afternoon resumed consideration of the Tariff Bill, and on the motion of the Premier it was decided to report discussion, a decision that is calculated to extend talking. The grape duty came on again, and Mr W. H. Field moved to excise the penny per pound duty. Northern members fought for its retention on the ground that many small growers in the Auckland Province would be ruined if grapes were admitted free. Southern members, on the other hand, protested against inflicting an extra charge for grapes upon poor people for the benefit of a few growers. The House, however, preferred to. protect the growers, by giving 51 votes for the duty to 17 against. The desirability of protecting'consumers and securing for them the advantages of the remission of taxation cropped up on the question of the remission of the sugar duty. Mr J. Graham (City of Nelson) asked the Minister to give an assurance that the reduction on sugar would benefit the consumer. He thought jams ought to be a halfpenny cheaper, but if the manufacturers failed to pass the concession on to the consumer, then it was futile to reduce the duty and lose revenue. Mr T. Mackenzie, taking another aspect of the case, urged that the Commerce Department should keep an eye on the price of raw material coming into the colony, and also on the price at which the manuiactured article is retailed to the consumer. To neither of these points did the Minister give a definite reply. Mr T. Mackenzie endeavoured to get packed tea on the free list, but found 41 against him to_26 in favour of his proposal. In the House in the evening discussion on the schedule of the Tariff Bill revolved around textile goods, but although several amendments were moved to reduce duties the Government proposals were supported by majorities.