PARLIAMENT

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10718, 27 September 1912, Page 5

PARLIAMENT

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. (By Telcoravh —P-'ws Association.) WELLINGTON, Last Night. The Legislative Council met at 2.30 p.m. The Imprest Supply Bill was passed through all its stages, after a general discussion. 'J.lie ihincdiu District Drainage and Sewerage Amendment Bill, Mokau Harbour Board Empowering Bill, Death's Registration Amendment Bill were passed. Tlie Council then adjourned.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. DEATH DUTIES. In the House of Representatives this afternoon, the Chairman of tho Public Petitions Committee reported on tho petition praying for the remission of death duties on the will of tho late Mr T. G. McCarthy, Wellington. The petition was referred to the Government for careful consideration, as if, involved the principal of public policy. Tho' Committee reported similarly in connection with the petition dealing with the will of the late Sir John Logan Campbell, of Auckland. The discussion whinh followed favoured on ono hand the sentimental and.on the other hand the practical. Some speakers favoured a general remission in such cases, and others urged that death duties were the absolute right of the State. The Hon W. F: Massey, in replying Ito the various arguments, said it was impossible for him to state the intentions of the Government, because the proposals had not been considered |by them. TJie Petitions Committee had made no recommendation on the petitions. It was a pity they had not done so in one way or another. He would make a statement to the House in a few days. The Chairman of the Petitions Committee stated that had the Committee como to a decision, they would have decided against the petitions, as the, Wellington and Auckland provinces alone benefited under tho wills, , and; the whole Dominion wonl<3 have to stiand tho refund; ■-

' The reports were r laid oil tho.table. MOKAU JONES PETITION- . A committee was set up, consisting jof Messrs Anderson, Craigie," Dickie, Mander and Statharn to consider, in conjunction with a similar committee of the Upper House, the petition of Mr Joshua Jones, in regard to the Mokau estate. PUBLIC SERVICE BILL. On the motion for tJ.ie £hird reading of the Public Service si,ll. Mr G. W. Russell said he Jjelioved .the measure would tend to a condition of discontent in the service which had hithorto happily been unknown.! He suggested that the num'ber of amendments made in the Bill, by the Minister was tli© result of outside pressure. The Government ha-d come into power 011 the strength of a cry for economical administration, and l it started its career by setting up an entirely new Department, consisting of three men whose salaries aggregated £3300 a year. It was stated that ] a saving of £300,000 oonld be elToctrd. | but that meant the elimination of 12<10 'men from the service,. and he would like to know how that elimination would ,bo carried ont. The greatest beat, on' the whole Bill was the con-' cessions to tho Post and Telegraph Department, while the rest of the service was not considered. Mr J. A. Ha nan considered the carrying. of f!i" Bill was an indication tlvit the democracy •wa'i a failure. There was no argument that tho Bill should only apply to a section of tho service. If the Bill was good for one section, it should apply to all sections.