GENERAL ASSEMBLY

Waikato Argus, Volume V, Issue 321, 30 July 1898, Page 3

GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL,

THURSDAY. The Council met at 2.30 p.m. COMPULSORY VACCINATION. Mr Jennings moved, "That the Government be requested to amend the Vaccination Act in the direction that its provisions shall not be compulsory, and that the activity manifested of late by various responsible officers in summoning citizens'of the Colony be curtailed, so that conscientious objections of parents may be considered by the present Parliament." The matter was debat-d at some length, the motion being finally aegatived by 20 to 6. An amendment by Mr Bolt, to set up a Med'cal Commission to report, was lost by 32 to 4, those voting in its favour being Messrs Rigg, Jones, Bowen, and the mover. The Conned rose at 4.45 p.m. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. THURSDAY. The House met at 2.30 p.m. THE TARIFF AND THE WORKING CLASSES. On the motion to go into Committee of Supply on the Imprest Supply Bill, Mr Duthie said it was time that the House took stock of the position. He blamed the Government for not bringing down the Financial and Public Works Statements, aud condemned Ministers for holding back the Public Works Statement till towards the end of the session. He could not find from a study of the facts any warrant for the Premier's assertion that the Government had reduced the taxation of the people by £115,000 through the Customs. He objected to tobacco being taxed as a luxury, seeing that it was so generally used by working men, and constituted one of their chief enjoyments. He concluded by moving, '' That the House is of opinion that the alteration of the tariff of 1895 should be fully inquired into, especially as to its effect on the taxation of the industrial classes, and that the Public Accounts Committee should make Euch an enquiry, and report to the House during the present session." The Premier characterised the amendment as being in the nature of a noconfidence motion, He asserted that the House had been called together as soon as was reasonable or necessary, and as to overhauling the tariff or inquiring into it, he held that it was extremely impolitic, as well as uncalled for, to propose such a course. Since the Government had been in office it had transferred £1,330,000 from the consolidated revenue to the Public Works fund, but he maintained that that was a politic and profitable course to follow, as it averted foreign borrowing, and, at the same time, enabled the Government to carry on necessary public works. There were justifications of the Government's policy and administration, and, in any case, he maintained it was most irregular to try to intercept imprest supply by such an amendment, especially in view of his promise to bring down the Financial Statement next week. As to the operation of the tariff of 1S!)5. it had led to a decrease in tea of £65,838, on lencing wire £22,000, aud on vvoolpaeks £9OOO, in the anuual taxation of the people. Mr Buchanan declared that the increase in Customs duties paid by the people between 1891 and 1895 had been £42,000. The increase since then had been £365,000. Mr Montgomery did not think the time had arrived to re-cast the tariff, and he would not discuss the subject. He wished, however, to direct attention to some remarkable correspondence which had taken place between the Colonial Treasurer aud the Audit Department. Two days before the end of the financial year, the Colonial Treasurer presented a requisition for £82,444 which he wanted certified by the Audit Department. The Audit Department wanted to know if the money was to be used after June 30. The reply was to the effect that the bulk erf the money was not to be used until after that date. This led to further correspondence, in which the AuditorGeneral drew attention to seccion 50 of the Public Revenues Act, which directly provided that money required to be issued by way of imprest for the public services shall be charged in the voucher and requisition against the vote for the service for which such imprest was required.- It was quite clear that on June 30 there could be no vote against which such moneys could be required. The Premier said that the money was needed for the payment of liabilities incurred prior to June 30. Captain Russell stated that Parliament should meet on May 1 every year, aud the Financial Statement should be brought down by the 15th of the same month. It was also essential to the right conduct of the public business that the Public Works Statement should be laid before Parliament almost simultaneously. If that were not done it was obviously impossible to discuss the Government's proposals as they should be in the public interest. The Minister for Lands said the Government had no desire to withhold information from members on any subject appertaining to the public business, and the manner in which members that afternoon had been able to quote from returns was ample proof of his statement. As to the want of accommodation at the lunatic asylums, the complaint in that connection had been chronic for many years, even as far back as or about the time when the Leader of the Opposition himself was in office. In any case, as the Premier had previously pointed out, the officers at some of the asylums had large luxurious suites of apartments, and if overcrowding had been as great as alleged, the inspector should have directed that some of the space should be devoted to the accommodation of patients. He ridiculed the idea of Parliament meeting on May 1. As to the amendment, the information aimed at could be obtained without recourse to the Public Accounts Committee. Mr George Hutchison ridiculed the Minister for Lands' statement that members vvere fairly treated in the matter of returns. He cited iustances in which motions for returns were even talked out in the House by the assistance and with the connivance of Ministers. In reference to the Public Works Fund, there was no doubt the Treasurer was in sore straits for money. It was patent, notwithstanding the Government's nonborrowing boast, that money must be raised, perhaps first in tho colony by debentures, which, however, would be afterwards inscribed in London, where interest would have to be paid—and what was that but borrowing in a foreign market ? He condemned the action of the Treasurer in reference to the reouisition for €82,000 questioned by the AuditorGeneral, and showed that the Treasurer, by means of an order by the Governor-in-Council, which meant the Treasurer himself; subverted or evaded the statute. The tariff in three years had increased by £343,226, and it was useless to say there was notecase for inquiry into the effect which tho tariff was having on the industrial classes, especially as exports had not kept pace wirh imports, which was a complete reversal of the state of things in 1891. Mr Ward said that even if the amendment were carried it would be futile, because it would entail an inquiry, which, in its turn, would be equally futile, unless an increased measure of freetrade or protection ensued, and that again would entail an appeal to the country. An increase in Customs was the natural result pf an increase in imports, which,the year before last, showed an increase of £1,316,000, and last year there had been an increase on that again of £1,600,000. All that showed thut the country's busi-

ness was expanding in the right direction. Mr Fraser maintained that the increases in the Customs revenue were undoubtedly due to the tariff as altered by the Government, and that tariff had keeu hi ought down with that object, and not as pretended to remove anomalies. Mr McNab, in referring to the matter of the £82,000, said that the Appropriation Act terminated absolutely with the year for which it was passed, and that imprest beyond the year was legal only in respect to permanent appropriations provided for by other Act's of the General Assembly. Mr Massey thought it a pity that the Premier should have treated Mr Duthie's amendment as a want-of-confidence motion. There could be no question that the tariff had increased the duties on caps, hats, boots, draperies, and other articles used by the people. Mr Taylor said that the discussion was a specimen of what might be expected to take place periodically unless a revolution were effected in the administration of the colony's public affairs. The House divided on the origiual motion to go into committee on the Imprest Supply Bill. Ayes, 37 ; noes, 19. IMPREST SUITLY. The Imprest Supply Bill for £395.000 passed through its preliminary stages, and on the motion that tho House go into Committee of Supply. Mr G. Hutchison said he desired to place on record the Government's failure to supply certain returns moved for by him, and he dwelt especially on the circumstances under which H. C. W. Wrigg became entitled to aud had been awarded the New Zealand Cross. The Minister for Defence said the whole case had been gone into, aud no evidence whatever had been adduced to show that Wrigg was not entitled to the distinction. Apart from Wrigg's own statements the evidence in favour of his claim preponderated over that which had a contrary bearing. Capt. Russell characterised the Government's action in the matter as unwarranted by the circumstances, and contrary to tho regulations which had been laid down in the matter. The Premier contended that Wrigg had thoroughly deserved the decoration. He quoted the documentary evidence on the strength of which the Government had acted in the matter, Eventually the Imprest Supply Bill passed through its final stages. The House rose at 1.10 p.m. FRIDAY. The House met at 2.30 p.m. OFFICERS OF THE HOUSE. The Premier announced that Mr Otterson, the. assistant clerk, had been appointed clerk in succession to the late Mr Friend ; Mr Rutherford succeeds Mr Otterson and Mr Lowe succeeds Mr Rutherford as second assistant clerk, and Mr Kane succeeds Mr Lowe as Bill reader. Mr Baldwin is to succeed Mr Kane as Clerk of Bills. Capt. Russell expressed pleasure at the appointments, but asserted that the announcement should .have been made by the Speaker. "The Premier stated that constitutionally the appointments rested with the Government, which, however, consulted the Speaker in case of officers of the House. Mrßollcston held that not the Government, but the Speaker should exercise the power of appointment. ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS. The Premier said the report of the Police Commission had been received last night, but it would not be ready for presentation tc Parliament for some little time. It was the intention to have the whole evidence priutcd. Ministers said they would endeavour to give girls from the country who have passed the sixth standard equal chances with ladies living in large centres for admission into the telephone service. It was not advisable at present to amend the Hospital and Charitable Institutions Act in respect of election of representatives for districts where the Counties Act is not in operation. Negotiations for the purchase of the Glenmark Estate, Canterbury, had not, so far, arrived at a definite conclusion, but the Government were willing to buy if the owner would come to the terms approved of by the Land Purchase Board. The Minister for Agriculture said it would'entail expense and the employment of an expert at Home to obtain a detailed fortnightly report of the Home prices of wool, hides, skins, tallow, frozen meat, grain, grass seed, flax and fruit, and have the same published through the press of the Colony for the purpose of giving to producers in New Zealand full"and reliable information respecting the market value of their products. For the present, things would have to continue as they are. It was intended to place the elections to Charitable Aid Boards on a more popular basis, and to increase the facilities for women exercising their rights to take their places as members. REMOVAL OF WOMKKS DISABILITIES BILL. Mr Taylor moved the second reading of the Removal of Womens Disabilities Bill, which provides that a woman may be nominated, appointed or elected to any public office or position to which a man may be appointed or elected, any aw or statute to the contrary notwithstanding. He explained that the object of the Bill was to admit women to membership of all local Government bodies, juries and Parliament. Women, he said, were clear enough, intelligent and strong enough in character to grace any Legislative Assembly in the world. Mr Ward did not think the women of New Zealand were desirous of obtaining the right to sit in Parliament, nor was it desirable that they should be as it were invited to enter the hurly burly of political elections. The fact that women were equals of man in art, literature and the professions was no argument in favour of their entering a sphere to which they had hitherto been strangers. Mr Scobie Mackenzie said there was no logical argument against the admission of women to the House, yet if the Bill left that provision out it would doubtless have a better chance of success. Having granted women the franchise, they could not consistently deny their right to sit in the House, yet it remained a fact, logio notwithstanding, that, temperamentally, women were not qualified for the spheic of politics, though they were fit for spheres of much greater importance to humanity. Several other speakers followed, when the second reading was carried on the voices.