PARLIAMENT.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10060, 6 August 1910, Page 5

PARLIAMENT.

I By Telegraph—Press Association. I WELLINGTON, August 5. ' LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. In the Council this afternoon. Dr Pindlay moved the second- reading of the Oaths Bill, the object of which was to do a«ay with the insanitary practice of kissing the Book. The measure also providfcd for alternative forma of oaths in order to meet al! cases The Bill was read a second'time and referred to the btatutcs Revision Committee. The Attorney-Ue'.eral moved the second reading of the Destitute Persons Bill, which he explained was to relieve the necessities and sufferings of women and children. The Bill was not the same as last year, for there were many important alterations. The Attorney-General went into statistics to show the extent nf ihe desertion of children. Tlieie wer»- 2380 children in industrial schools, 50 per cent, of which were deserted by one parent or other, and of these'charitable aid boards pay for 728 at a cost of £IO,OOO. Industrial schools cost the State £44,457, and of this amount unly £5786 is contibuted by parents. The Bill provided that where a relative was able to give -support he would be compelled t<» give euppcrt. Power was given to order payment on account of past maintenance as well as maintenance for the future.

The debate was adjourn*«,', J*t)d '.ho Council rose. HOUSE OF REPRESENTAIIVES. The Hcuse met at 2.30. Mr J. Craigie, lim&ra, nsutned the Financial Debate. He looked upon the Budget as the work of a statesman. The proposals for creating stock, under which all loans could he consolidated and sinking funds provided, were sound finance. If the Government carried this measure oat it would make a name for itself. He did not regard huge surpluses as an unmixed blessing. When the Treasurer had a good year, taxation ought to be remitt c d to porre atent. The Advancfs to Settlers Ait ought to be made applicable to Maoris.

Mr Malcolm said in dealing with the land question that the country was sorely in need of capital, *yet the Government would not sell lar.ds which would provide a large amuuat of capital. Another loss sustained by the State under the leasehold system was the lessened production. City represantatives claimed for the town workers the whole product of their labour. He that claim, and asked the same for *,he farmer.

The Hon. J. Miliar remarked on the predominance of the land question during the debate. Members seemed to forget that after the Land Bill of 1907 was passed Che Government was returned tojpower. The land question had little or no effect on an election. The freehold farmer possessed one advantage, - that was |the right to **™ Had it not been ' - there would < -** »a Jefflrehrtd. I ° < f&tople settled on theJaf.d c&ere was to-day. Yet the freeholdera wished to deny the right of posterity to get on the land onjhe. terms obtainable at prestut. How could men without money get on the land unless under the leasehold system, Mr Malcolm raa qufte wrong in supposing the city members were opposed to the interests of the small farmers. Turning to the linking fund proposals, Mr Millar replied to the Opposition critiewm. Mr Fraser had said if £150,000 had been - set aside out of the consolidated revenue, there would oily be £350,000 to transfer to the Public Works Fund, consequently tlie former Bum|would have to be borrowed. This is like saying -that if ££150,000 was used to pay off a loan, the Dominion would be the loser to that extentMr Herdman had referred to the capitalist with £IO,OOO, who had been driven away by labour legislation, but he (Mr Millar) was in negotiation with a man who was about to invest £50,000 in the South Island. It had been said that the railwaymen were dissatisfied. He invited tnem to go to Australia and see the conditions there.