HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXII, Issue 6700, 18 October 1905, Page 3

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Wellington, Ocfc 17. The House mefc at 2.30 p.m Mr Seddon moved that on Wednesday, and on each alternate sitting day thereafter the House meet at 11 a.m., and that looal Bills only be considered tomorrow mornirjg He hoped to bring the session to a close on Wednesday, 25th mat. The motion was agreed to on the voices. The amendments made by the Legislative Council in the Shops and Offices Bill were referred to a committee consisting o r Mr Seddon, Mr Mnssey, Mr Arnold, Mr Lewis, and Mr Barker. The Government Advances to Settlers Bill and the Timber and Flax Boyalties j Bill were put through their final stages. j Mr Seddon moved the recommittal of the Workers' Dwelling Bill, to move a new clause to enable the Government to utilise the now disused Polhili Gully rifle range (Wellington) for the purposes of the Bill. This was lost by 30 to 2(5. Mr Duthie moved to refer the Bill back to the committee for the consideration of clause 9, Modes A and B. This was agreed to on the voices, and the Bill was recommitted. Mode A was retained on the voices. In regard to Mode B, Mr Seddoa moved to reduce the payments from 7to 5 per cent. Sir William Russell urged that the term of 32 years was too long, and he moved to alter it to 21 years. Mr Seddon remarked that if the term was altered they would have to retain the 7 per cent. Sir William Russell's amendment was lost by 35 to 23. Mr Seddon then withdrew his first amendment, and moved to m*ke th« payments 6 per cent, for 32 year?, and C. per cent, for 51 years. Ho repeated that the Government was bound to make debt? under the Act, and the proposal he novi made was as far as it was prudent to go. If the committee went further the scheme would not be on safe ground, and he would prefer to strike out Mode B altogether. Ha wished the scheme to be on a sound financial basis, but some members would like to see the scheme wrecked before it was properly started. | The Premier's motion was agreed to oni the voices. . \

On the motion for the third reading n. shorb debate took place, in the course 0' which several members congratulated the Government upon having taken a step in tho right direction. In hia reply, Mr Seddon said the only chance he had of getting the Biil through was to include in it the two tenures —the freehold and leasehold. He announced that that day he had signed the order asking for competitive designs from all the architects in the colony for workmen's homes, and had offered £100 for the first prize, £75 for the second, and £50 for the third. The South Island would compete against the North, and there was' no necessity to have two buildings alike. The Bill meant a break in the raising of rents for the workers, and was only a link in the social chain which was being forged by the Government for the good, not only of the working classes, but of the colony generally. The third reading was carried by 64 votes to 2 (Messrs Heke and Parata), and the Bill passed its final stages. Amendments in the Maori Land Settlement Bill were brought down by Governor's message, giving the Government the right to acquire native lands for settlement purposes, where the owners of the greater portion of the area were willing to sell. Mr Seddon said he would be quite prepared to insert in the Bill a provision that the Government Bhould not acquire Maori land for settlement at less than the land tax valup. ;.

Mr Herriea congratulated the Native Affairs Committee on having shown the Premier that the policy of the Opposition in the past in regard to native lands was the right policy. Mr Carroll said the present Bill did not differ in policy from the policy of the 1900 Act. There was only one feature of sufficient consequence to be called a new principle and that was the power of resumption by the Boards. After further debate, consideration of the amendments was deferred until the committee stage of the Maori Land Settlement Bill was reached. At 1 a.m. the House rose till 11 a.m.