HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XLIX, Issue 12639, 28 October 1905, Page 8

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

After the Telegraph Office clos&d, in Committee on the Bills of Exchange Act Amendment Bill, clause 4 was, on ohe Premier's motion, struck-out. In Committee on the Land for Settlement Extension Bill, Mr Baume's new dause, to provide that in future lands for settlement shall not be disposed of under lease in perpetuity, was added to the BUI by 40 votes to 20. Mr Baume moved a new clause providing that all land for settlement shall be ■open on the occupation Avith the right of purchase tenure. This was read a second time by 38 to 22. A lengthy discussion ensued, and eventually Mr Seddon moved to report progress, which was agreed to on the voices. The following Bills were put through their final stages:—Bills of Exchange, Senta-y Hill-NeAv Plymouth Deviation, and Epuni Lease Surrender. At 2.40 the House rose till 11 a.m. • The House resumed at 2.30 p.m. NEW ZEALAND INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION. Sir J. 6. Ward moved the second ireading of the New Zealand International Exhibition Bill, which, provides for the appointment of an Executive Commision for the purposes of carrying out the Exhibition and the admission of exhibits free of duty together with other necessary machinery. It also proposes that a local authority may out of its ordinary revenue defray the cost of collecting and ptrepaa-ing exhibits of the products and resources of its district, and gives power to the Commissioner to make regulations for the management of the Exhibition. The Minister also added that authority had been given for a railway siding ito be constructed into the Exhibition. Already there were indications of a large number of visitors from outside.

Sir W. Russell urged that the Bill gave too much financial control into the hands of the Commissioner and the Colonial Secretary, and he complained that the House was given no idea of what the Exhibition would coat.

Sir J. 6. Ward: The lowest tender is about £25,000. Replying after a brief debate, Sir J. GL Ward said he would be disappointed if at the end of the Exhibition the colony's contribution amounted to more than £30,000. The second reading was agreed to on the voices. TEACHERS' SUPERANNUATION. When amendments made dn Committee i<a tthe Teachers' Superannuation Bill oame up for consideration, Mr Fowlds moved that the House go into Committee for the purpose of considering a motion that an address be presented to the Governor praying that provision be made for an annual appropiriatioin of £17,000 to be paid to the fund as recommended by the Education Committee so as to make the scheme actuariailly sound. This was ruled out of order. The amendments made dn Committee in the Bill were agreed to, and on the motion of tlhe Premier it was recommitted for the purpose of considering a new cilause 'brought down by Govea--nor's message concerning the existing rights of contributors under the Civil Service Act. This new clause was adopted on tlho voices.

On the motion for the third reading of the Bill, Mr Massey said that while approving of the principle of the Bill be regretted that the Government had not seen its way to adopt the recommendation of the Education Committee and thereby place the scheme on a sound financial basis.

Mr Fowlds spoke to the same effect; Sir J. G. Ward pointed out t/hat the Education Committee 'had not recommended the raising of the capital (assumed at £400,000). They recommended only that the interest should be paid, that a sum of money should be paid into the fund to meet an imaginary capital. Mr Fowlds, however, was advocating that without the security of the State money should be borrowed, that the contributors to the fund were to make up,the interest upon it, and that they were to be independent of . the. House and country. Would they got the teachers t(i«.approve that kind of policy? He did not thiink so. He pointed out that the only superannuation schemes vi the Old Country which (had done well 'had first of all been condemned by the actuaries. The debate was interrupted by the 5.30 adjournment. The House resumed at 7.30. TEACHERS' SUPERANNUATION. The debate on. the third reading of the Teachers' Superannuation Bill was oofntinued by Messrs Jas. Allen, McNab, and Millar, who' agreed with Messrs Massey and Fowlds that the scheme should foe made actuiarially sound from the outset. In iiis reply Mr Seddon contended that with the State guarantee the fund must be solvent, and he anairutained that the country was in a position to give that guarantee as to the actuarial position. The history of the friendly societies showed that too much reliance musit not be placed, on actuarial -warnings. As for the taunts that we were throwing our responsibilities on posterity, he stated without fear of contradiction that the work done under this scheme would confer vast benefits on posterity. He hoped that .before he left the service of ithe colony there would be as the outcome of wfhat they were doing now with (the various schemes before the House a retiring annuity for every worker in •the colony. The Bill then passed its final stages on the voices. WORKERS' COMPENSATION. The Workers' Compensation for Accidents Bill was put through its final stages.