Parliamentary. Wellington, August 7.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume III, Issue 30, 9 August 1900, Page 3

Parliamentary. Wellington, August 7.

In committee on the Ministers' Salaries and Allowances Bill, on clause ?., pioviding for seven other Ministers, each at a salary of ;£lOOO, Mr S9cldon moved to make the n-unber six. He bolievad that there was woLk for seven UiisnLr'J, bnt r. 3 the 2 * -. <\ -iif&ar.rca of opinion amongst ruouibwrs on that point he decided to reduce the number to six, and see how that would work. Making that concession, he bad-gon^ as far as he could reasonably be expected to go. The question of an increased number of members of the Houso was nofc at present under consideration, but he believed that, looking at the increased population of the colony, there should be increased representation. The proposal now made was to raise the Native Minister to the full status, and to provide for an additional member of the Executive, making eight in all, as a prior amendment was moved to strike out nine and insert eight thousand, thus making the total amount payable tm Cabinet £8900. Mr Meredith admitted that th« Premier was too hard worked, but thought it would be better if the Premier and Minister of Railways worked lags and that some of the other Ministers should work more. He thought a Minister's time was taken up too much by accepting invitations of members to deliver political addresses from the North Capo to tho Bluff. Ir eight Ministers wero appointed they would hare tho balance of power, and if a new Minister was appointed the Premier- j would get a "rouud robin" from the North Island members, insisting upon a member from that district being appointed to a portfolio. He advised the Premier to give up his connection with tho Anglo-Continental Syndicate and Assets Board, which would relieve him of a great deal of work. Mr Gh W. Russell said the Liberal Party did not object to an additional, or even two new members to the Ministry, but what they wanted to see was men competent to fulfill tlie i duties of the respective offices properly, and so relieve the Premier and Minister of Railways of the work of tho many offices they filled. The House divided on Mr Sedion's ainendmeut that eight thousand be inserted instead of nine thousand nine hundred, a« the usual salaries of Ministers. — Carried by 45 to 28. The Premier's amendcaons to insert " six " instead of " seven " Ministers was carried on the voices. A petition was presented to Parliament to-day from tea merchants, timber merchants, manufacturers, tinBtniths and printers, asking that a higher duty be imposed on teas imported in packages and boxes than upon those imported in bulk. The petition states that large quantities of teas are imported to New Zealand which have been packed outside the colony, in packets ; that coolie o.nd other cheap labour is exclusively employed in preparing the packets and boxes in which the teas so imported are packed, and also in packing tho tsaa. Tea merchants in New Zealand, they say, are placed at a disadvantage at compared with foreign dealers, who can obtain labour for packing at nominal rates, and who contribute nothing to the income tax or the revenue of the colony, and do not aid in the development of its resources. If all teas were imparted in bulk and "manufactured in New Zealand, large quantities of timber, paper and other material grown and manufactured in tho colony would be utilised in the making of packets, boxes and cases, and the industry would afford employment to large numbers of tintmithß, carpenters and other artißans, and also young peopla. The petitioners therefore pray # that an additional duty of, say 2d per Ib, be impo«ed on teas imported in packets and boxes weighing less than 301b net.