PARLIAMENT.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 9130, 1 July 1908, Page 5

PARLIAMENT.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. BY TELEGEAI'H —PRESS ASSOCIATION. WELLINGTON, June 30. The Legislative Council met at 2.30 p.m., and passed a motion suspending the Standing Orders, so far as to allow the Imprest Supply Bill to be passedjn all its stages at one sitting. The Council then adjourned till 2.40 to await the receipt of the Bill from the House. The Bill arrived at 3.15, and was passed in all its stages without discussion. The Council adjourned at 3.25.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

The House met at 2.30 p.m

The following Bills were introduced and read a first time:—Tapanui County Bill,- Westport Harbour Beard Loan Bill, Public, Works Act Amendment Bill, Duty on Flour Abolition Bill (Mr A. W. Hogg), Oamaru Town Hall and Gasworks Sites and Recreation Reserves Bill, Quackery Prevention Bill (Mr J. T. M. Hornsby), New Plymouth Harbour Board Empowering, Musicians Bill, Municipal Corporation Act, 1900, Amendment Bill, Oamaru Harbour Board Loan Bill, Licensing Polls Aosolute Majority Bill, Christchurch City Sanitation Empowering Bill, Steward Marriages Validation Act Amendment Bill, Auctioneers' Amendment Bill.

The Imprest Supply Bill for £726,000 was introduced by Governor's message, and put tnrongh all its stages. The.following are the schedules of the Bill: First sched-ule-Consolidated Fund, £450,000; Puolic Works Fund, £200,000; Loans to Local Bodies Account, £5,000; Land for Settlements Act, £1,000; State Forests Account, £2.500; State Coal Mines Account, £30,000; Scenery Preservation Account, £1,000; Hutt Railway and Road Improvement Account, £6,C00; Railways Improvements Authorisation Act Account, £12,000; Maori Land Settlement Act Account, £500; Waikaka Branch Railway Account, £4,000; total, £712,000. Second schedule—Government Insurance Account, £7,000; Government Accident Insurance Account, £1,000; State Fire Insuiance Account, £1,500; Public Trust Office Account, £3,500; Government Advances to Settlers Office Account, . Government Advances to Workers" Office Account, £200; total, £14,000. The House at 3.20 p.m. adjourned until 7.30 p.m. The Hpus3 resumed at 7.30 p.m. It. Chappie, in moving the Ad-drcs--in-Reply, referred to the march of Liberalism since it was introduced in 1890, and what it had set itself to correct. Land monopoly meant land idleness, and land idleness was a cur. e to any country. The Ballance policy of land taxation had been the , cause of bringing land into the market, and removing much of the cause of evil resulting from land idl.ness. The £SOJ taxation Exemption to farmers, the lease-in-perpetuity act, the bush aad swamp legislation, free c rriage of manures, etc., on railways, an 1 concessions to school children by train, had all been concessions to farmers. After dealing with what was being done for the dairying industry he contended that New Zealand had product* equal to any other country in the world. He asked, did the farming community recognise the Liberal Government were their est friends? He :aid "N-," anu explained that the rk:nn was that small farmers had been told that they would under Liberalism be. suujected to similar pressure to the land monopolists and in many instances the charmer had been listened to. He wished to tell the small farmers that the policy of the Government was in their favour, and would be greater so in future. He referred to the Arbitration Act as a humane measure designed to abolish sweating and make for peaceful settlement of disputes. Mr H. J. Greenslade (Waikato) defended the peregrinations of the Ministers' and claimed that the recent visit of the Prime Minister to the King Country had given ample dence of the necessity of roading the back blocks. The speaker believed that half a million would be little enough to spend annually for roadmaking. Though not seeing eye-to-eye with the Government on their land policy he favoured the optional system. Mr W. F. Massey, Leader of the Opoosition, claimed that there was a lot' of discontent throughout the. country, despite the virtues of the Liberal Government, as set forth by the mover of the Address. He combated the advantages which were claimed for the land legislation. What was the use of the Advance to Settlers Act while they had the Colonial Treasurer going to all the financial institutions of the Dominion for money. As to the value of experimental farms, he believed in theory, but they were of little use te t he practical farmer unless he could follow up the results and get at the actual cost of such results. Dealing with Socialism, he declared that land nationalisation j was Socialism, and those who supported it were Socialists. He said he "would go for the repeal of the Arbitration Act if it was not amended. He said the blot on the land settlement was that the areas were too large. The small man was the man who should be assisted. The Gaming Act should be amended to remove the blot which compels racing clubs using the , totalisator t;i license bookmakers. f Thp Prime Minister denied the allegations that lie, as Colonial Treasurer, had gone to a financial institution borrowing money. He denied he was a single taxer, and said so from every platform. When the Address-in-Reply was out of the way he proposed to explain to the House the Government proposals cm the matter of a new House of Parliament. He ridiculed the statement made ty Mr Massey that the rc-in.-titemcnt of Parliament H >use .was to be £250,000. In no insta-uc had the. Government had under consideration a larger sum t lan £150,000. He claimed the undoubted rjght to visit the various parts of the country in the interests of the community, and. would continue to do so if necessary. As t3 Chinese, lie asked members to see the effect of,'the Billfto which as* sent had recently been given. If the effect was not as desired then trie House could consider the question of an increase on the poll tax. When the Government amendments to the i Arbitration Act were brought down

they would oe what was conscientiously thought to he a solution of the defects in the present measure. , The debate was adjourned until 2.30 p.m. to-morrow.