Parliamentary. (BY OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.) Wellington, August 9.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume II, Issue 35, 17 August 1899, Page 3

Parliamentary. (BY OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.) Wellington, August 9.

FINANCIAL STATEMENT. The debate on the financial statement s anything but biiiliant, and hsteneis I aie inclined 'to wonder where the usefulness of it came in. Oil Friday, things were unutterably tame at times. Occasionally a single Minister would be seen on' the Treasury' Benches, and once duiing the afternoon, while Mr Field, the : member 'for "Otaki, was speaker, the bell

had to be rung in order to get together a quorum. Mr Lawry moved an amendment which was purely a party movement. Various rumours weie afloat as to hostile amendments, winch were to be mov§d by the Opposition and left wing, but Mr Lawry's amendment, advocating the borrowing of two millions having been negatived, prevented any other amendment from being moved. During his -speech the member for Painell refeired to the fires of the left wing, which once promised to burn biightly, but were now of a cadaverous fire, and would soon expue thiough want of combustibles. If the Opposition got on the TiPiisury benches, he leckoned they would be a band of political pirates, followed by a ciowd of political kleptomaniacs. Referring to a speech delivered by Captain Russell at Auckland some time »go, he said that while listening to it he suffered all the agonies of suppiessed blasphemy. Wi Peie, the Maon member for the Eastern Maori Distuct, unblushingly advocated the loan of twenty millions, as he failed to see what could be done with a paltiy million. If the Government would not listen to his lequest, he had serious intentions of 30imng the left wing — that is pioviding they wovld elect him as their Pieinier — the only diawback was that the left wing were so noisy he did not thmk he could stand them. He thought Piiani too small to boriow money, a big man was the best for that purpose. The Government ought to go in for a loan of twenty millions, and not bother themselves about paying for it. Their grandchildreu would pay it all back again. It was all very well for ceitain members to expiess their disapproval of such a large ban, but if the amount he proposed to borrow was placed upon the table of the Hous,e, those who had been the loudest to denounce it, would be the first to rush to the heap and seize their share. Mr Pirani thought that the reason the Government had reduced the late of interest on deposits in the Post Office Savings Bank was because they had allowed various bodies which had bonowed money to run into an ears with their interest. He quoted the Hokitfka Harbour Board, two years. While such a slate of aSaus existed, he contended that the interest on the savings of the people would be reduced in eveiy possidle manner. With reference to unparliamentary language, he thought that a politico-natural history could be written, and he pioceeded to place on recoi d a collection of expletives that the Premier had applied to him on various occasions. He had been called a political wasp, a mosquito, a ferret, and I a moodlewort. It is surmised the debate will last another fortnight, notwithstandng its tameness hithtrto.

pr/rmoKS. ! Among the petitions piesented recently is one from a number of journeymen flommiiiers who have petitioned the | House, piaving that legislation may be I passed that will (rive them an opportunity ' of enjoying the weekly hall hohilay. A petition has been forwarded to the Premier through Mr Hogg (Masteiton),' I signed by 80 sbeepfarmers in ,the Masterton district, asking the Government to establish State freezing and export woiks, and intimating that the signatories aie piepared to enter into a bond to dispose of their live stock only to the Government for a term of years, or give any other reasonable 'guarantee that may be requned. The petitioners reckon Jib at the tiozen meat tiade i^n their dis>tuet is in the hands of two companies," between which instead of -a 'healthy irivsJry/ there appears to be an understanding almost amounting to a paittiership, with "the result that a uniform pike for, sheep is offeied. Th«y add that the" difference between the price of sheep at Aldington ! and in the Masterton district-p roves that I they have not been leeeiviag a fair and reasonable price for their stock, and they point out that the giading and transport'

of meat under the auspices of the State would be a guarantee of the most valuable nature to the consumers in either pavts of the woild. *

QUESTIONS. Mr Hogg is asking the Acting-Minister for Lands and Minister for Public Worka whether he will oiake provision in the Public Works Act Amendment Bill now before Parliament, for the right of sawmilleis to lay tiamways through private lands, so that they may have access to milling timber. Mr Taylor wants to know whether some provision will be made this session, for placing upon a satibfactory footing, the question of compensating butchers who have to destroy meat condemned after being killed. He also wishes to know from the Minister in charge of the Piinting Office whether it is true that some 50 piece-work compositors, casually engaged in the printing office, were compelled to cease woik for half a day on the occasion of the recent Wellington City by-electioa, and lost their earnings for the half day, whilst all other employes of two month* standing received pay for the lost time.

HOUSE RENT. In view of the fact that from 15s to 16s per week have to be paid for four-roomed houses in Wellington, Mr Gao. Fisher is asking the Government to inciease the wages of messengers and railway servants living in Wellington.

LiBOTIII UNIONS. In consequence of the attitude of some of the unions during the recent bye-elec-tion, delegates from vaiious unions which seceeded from, the Trades and Labour Council met on Saturday evening, when a new federation of labour was formed. The "Unions represented in the new organisation lie : — The New Zealand Workers Union, the Carriers, Plumbers, Tailoie3ses, Bakers, Van Drivers and Grocers Assistants, Typographical Association, and Saddlers. Eeplying to the question of giving Maori and half-caste girls hospital training, the Premier stated that the Government weje in favour of placing a grant on the civil list for this purpose, also - he would communicate with the hospital authorities to see ii they were in favour of taking in such gills. Ho thought the matter deserved every consideration, although it was thought that the girls would hardly care about returning to their old life after a course of hospital training. He would giTe the ' matter a fair trial, however.