PARLIAMENT.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10066, 13 August 1910, Page 5

PARLIAMENT.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

By Telegraph—Press Association. WELLINGTON. Last Night. The Legislative Council met at 2.80, whan the Hon. W Callan continued the adjourned debate on the Destitute Persona Bill. The Hon. J. MiGowan ("oubted whether they would ! e wise in going the lengths proposed in the Bill in respect to the maintenance of relatives.

I Thy Hon. C. H. Luke particularly approved of the provisions of securing reciprocity with Australia, but questioned whether the general extent of the Bill was not too great. The Hon. J. T. Paul said the Bill struck him as a very honest ard laudable attempt to grapple witn a very difficult question. The Hon. Mr Jenkinson pointed out a number of objections to which he directed attention. The Attorney-General, *in the course of his reply, pointed out tha,t [there were three parties concerned in the matter of ■destitute;?-persons, requiring relief, viz, the destitute persons themsehes, near relatives, and the State. The fundamental principal which ought to be established was that near relatives who are able to help the destitute ought to be compelled to do so. The Bill was read a second time and referred to the Statutes Revision Committee, and the Council adjourned until Wednesday.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

The House met at 2.30, when the debate on the Financial Statement was resumed by Mr Dillon, who said he had always been in favour of opening up lands for settlerr.e t, and that the estates already sub-divided in hia district had proved successfulMr Greenslade declared himself in, favour of closer settlement and the optional system.

Mr Jennings went into figures to. show ttie increase in the National Deb!; during thi various' adminiii'rntiuns, and .qjot dMr Coghian to 'prove tha,t lha w.ai.h of the Dominion was very widely He objected to;the crypticgutter--aices in regard to "Tdinmznyim." T e talk about, "Tammanyism" was fuslian, and the innuendo was not in the interests uf the House or of pj'oiic life generally. He hoped that in any land measure introduced by the Government full co'nsideraiioD would be given to settlers on hush and swamp lands. While in favour of limitation of area, jhe considered this was sometimes carried to extremes in the case of backblocks land. He considered something ought to be done to.prevent the gambling at land ballots, which was systematically carried on.

Mr Glark deprecated the compulsory training of married men over the age of 21, as proposed under the defence system. He hoped Rifla Cluhs woulJ receive every possible encouragement. More should be doce in the way of rural education b? th 3 State.

The Hon. R, McKenzie ailud d to the fact that there had been little criticism of the Public Works and Mines Departments during the debate. This was an indication thst the administration of th 3 Departments under his charge gave satisiaction. [He announced that 135 niles of new railway would be ipened during the year. 'This, of :uurse, would add to the expendi;ure, and the estimates would be ac:ordingly increased next session, 3e denied Mr Massey's claim ta lave influenced Jegislation. Replyng to Mr Buchanan's allegation tnat ;he Government increased its "exjanditure on public works just previms to elections. He quoted figures to rove to the contrary. Tl e mining ndustry was never in so flourishing, j condition as at present, the mines products for last year havirg reached .he record figure of JE3.791,000. Touching on the question of franchise, he said that plural voting on oca! bodies would have to he estabished. Referring to Mr Hine's alegations of "Tammanyism," he laid the Government was ready to neet his charges, and would deal with Mr Hlne in the proper way. The member for Stratford would be i marked man until he disclosed iameß in .connection with his allegations. The proposal to borrow £500,000 for the development "of water power was probably the great>st ever submitted to the House Sir Julius Vogel propounded lis railway scheme. In conclusion, ;he Minister predicted a reverse for ;he Opposition in the near future. Mr <J. A. C. Hardy said that if ,he Government would only bring lown a good, reasonable Land Bill, tnd stick to it, the Opposition vould give them a straight go, and ;he result would, he believed, be the lefeat of the Government. The Hor. Mr Ngata said Mr Heroes' policy to-day was to place the Maori on an independent fcotina and ;o sever him from his lands. Mr tfgata went on to refer to the mo;i ns standing in the name of Mr Wa'sssy, affirming the necessity for ,be complete equality of both races. The debate was adjourned till 7 30 »n Tuesday evening nexP. The House rose at 9.30 n.m.