HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XLIX, Issue 12632, 20 October 1905, Page 8

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

The House resumed at 2.30

QUESTIONS. In reply to questions -Ministers stated iihat it was unreasonable to comprehend •v.-tlhat there is any necessity to have the ibalance-vsheet of the Salvation Army -audited. The law does not permit the .Salvation Army to be placed on the -same footing as local bodies, so that &he Audit Department could audit its -accounts. That it is the intention of .•Sir Joseph Ward to use his best endeavours to place the CivjJ Service Super-.-anmuation Bill on the Statute Book this w-session. That.no wholesale slaughter of. •penguins lias taken place or is likely to übake place on the Auckland Islands^ or uany of the islands belonging to New ; there is no danger of the extermination of the birds on those Lsiands. That the Government by every possible means is facilitating the placing of this country's products in the .■markets of the United Kingdom to the very .best advantage; every available -opportunity is taken of bringing under the notice of oversea consumers the -superiority of our products, the shipanents of which the High Commissioner Is duly advised by cable the produce "/The Commissioner and his staff are ever -cm the alert in the interests of shippers .and the good name of our products, and any suggestions received from him as to -the better marketing of New Zealand 'fwoduoe are immediately 'given effect 4fco. THE LABOUR CONFERENCE. Mr Seddon stated that unless good •reasons were shown to the contrary the ;proposed Parliament of Labour would ,rtake place early next year. HARVESTER TRUST. Mr Laurensotn asked what the Government intended to do with regard to -the Harvester Trust. The matter required the immediate consideration of Si/he Government. Sir J. G. Ward said the House could not deal with the matter until the La:;3bour Bills Committee had reported on tihe petitions that had been referred to "it. They had to be careful in dealing ■with a matter of this sort that they -did not do an injustice in some other direction. Personally he favoured a free admission of the raw material necessary $or implement making. The remainder of the afternoon was -•occupied with formal 'business and discussion on Ministerial replies to questions. The House rose at 5.30. . . _._ The Housa^gijni^ st yTSoT ~"-~"~'"~^!H!SOTORAL ROLLS. Sir J. G. Ward laid on the table a lengthy report concerning the com~Spilation of tlhe electoral rolls of the colony, which showed that 107,845 -names had so far been added throughout the colony and 48,374 alterations .made at a total cost of £62000. The amendments made by the Legis- : la/tdve Council in tihe Electoral Bill were • agreed to, except the amendment in subjection 2 of clause 54. : r « : The Maori Land Settlement Bill was -considered in Committee. At clause 2, "Constitution of the "Maori Land Boards/ ' ' Mr Heke moved an amendment to ■provide that two .members of such Board shall be Maoris. Mr Carroll thought the clause was better as it stood, as tihe Governor had power to appoint two Maoris if the circumstances warranted it. Lost by 48 to 14, and the clause pass- - ed with the provision that in future the "Maori Land Councils cease to exist in favour of the Boards provided for by v-the Bill.

Clause 6, providing for the acquisition «4>f surplus Maori land by the Government, provoked some discussion. Mr Carroll moved an amendment pro : -aiding that the operation of the clause -^should not De limited to the " surplus" lands of the Maoris. Mr Herries urged that any such provision should not be carried until the I Maoris had been put on the same footIng as the pake'ha with regard to the of their lands. Mr Heke pointed out the danger that -existed of .Maoris being rendered landless by the operation of such a provision. 1 Mr Carroll contended that there was -no such thing as " surplus" Maori Inlands as the law now stood, and " sur;plus " lands would only be created after the Act was brought into operation. "The law therefore would not be operative if the term "surplus" lands was •retained. Mr Massey thought that the word : should be retained, and a definition of surplus lands inserted in the Bill. Eventually Mr Carroll's amendment was lost toy 34 to 32. Mr Carroll then moved a further " that the land be taken by -the Board in fee simple." This was -.-•agreed to on the voices, and the clause -as amended was added to the Bill by 41 to 17.

A new clause (14a) giving the Minister power to remove (restrictions on the alienation of native Jands by way of lease was postponed, and the remaining clauses of the Bill passed without material alteration.