LATE PARLIAMENTARY.

Auckland Star, Volume XXV, Issue 244, 12 October 1894, Page 8

LATE PARLIAMENTARY.

DA_ SITTINGS COMMENCED,

TO-DAY'S .PROCEEDINGS,

THE SAN FRANCISCO SERVICE,

RENEWAL FOR THREE YEARS

(BY TELEGRAPH. —PARLIAMENTARY RE

FOSTER,)

Wellington, this day. _he House met this morning' (Friday), at; 11.30, for the transaction of business. Ib is the nrsb occasion within the memory of the oldest identity iv the gallery thab the House has meb in"bhe morning, excepb on Saturdays, towards bhe end of the session.' On the motion of Mr Seddon, ib was agreed thab for the remainder of the ' session, tho House shall meet each sitting ! day ab 11.30, and sib till 1 o'clock, and also bhab permission be given to Committees bo sib during the sitting of the House BALLANCE MEMORIAL. It was further agreed thab the requesb of bhe Ballance Memorial Commitbee wibh.reference bo bhe erection of bhe Ballance monumenb in Parliamenb grounds be referred for consideration bo the Joint House Committee. THE SAN FRANCISCO SERVICE. The House then went into Committee to consider resolutions moved by Mr Ward rel-fting to the San Francisco mail service. The resolutions ate as follows * — 1. Thab the House empowers the Government to arrange for renewal of the San Francisco mail service for a period of three years. 2. Thab bhe basis of paymeub for conveyance of mails from New Zealand shall be ab tho rabe of Us per pound on the not weighb of lebbers conveyed. (3) Thab all paymenb3 or conbributions from Greab Britain, or other countries, shall be receivable by the contractors, the colonj-'sdirect liability bo bo for paymenbof its outward letters only. (4) Thab ab leasb one New Zealand {..earner in three shall be employed. (5) That the time between San Francisco and New Zealand shall nob exceed twenty days, the port of call in tho colony to be Auckland or Wellington, ab bhe option of the contractors. No bonus to bo paid for early arrival, and penalties at bhe rate of £4 an hour bo be enforced only when labe delivery exceeds forby-eighb hours. 6. Thab all provisions of bho existing agreement (where not at variance with the foregoing provisions) shall be applicable to , any new contract made under this authority. In moving thab bhe resolubiona be agreed to, Mr Ward pointed out that the proposol* were almosb idenbica! wibh those in former contracts. The' only change was thab the contractors were nob named. The whole service, ho said, was conducted on purely business lines. The total. co3t to the colony per annum was £7,929, while the contribution of the United States was £12,000.

Mr Duthie objects to the forty-eight hours grace allowed in resolution 5. He tihoughb ib should be reduced bo twentyfour hours.

Dr. Newman pointed out thab, in consequence of the contract being made with one company, there was no chance of our getting an improved service. Do believed in throwing bhe contract open to all, so that we mighb benefit by the competition which would ensue. . All over the world, he said, steam services were being improved, eaclj line vicing with the other to geb swift boats, and surely we should take care that we were hot behind. Dr. Newman farther asked whether there was any chance of New Zealand being included in the present Vancouver-Sydney service.

Captain Russell considered that ib was a mistake to enter into a three years' contract ir* view pf the probable opening of direct communication between this colony and Vancouver. Ab any rabe we should use that probability as a lover to get a better service between bhis and San Francisco. He bhoughb bhab the contract should nob bo renewed for more than one year.

Mr Pirani. half in jesb, asked the Treasurer if he would accept an amendmenb making Wellington the only port of call in tho colony, bub Mr \Vard said bhe presenb arrangement was tho besb.

Mr Wilson bhoughb bhab provision ehould be introduced into the contract to compel the contractors to employ only European labour, and to pay the rate of wages current on New Zealand boats.

Sir R. Stout proposed thab the first resolution should be amended, so as to leave tho Government free to enter inbo a contract for a service, via Vancouver. We oughb, be bhoughb, to encourage trade wibh Canada, which would cerbainly be done if a service by Vancouver was esbablished. We were creating no trade with America with the preßenb service; nay, indeed, we were helping bhe, Unibed States bo rob us of some of our island trade. In his opinion ib was an utter waste of money to send a representative to the Ottawa Conference with the objecb of drawing closer commercial bonds bobweon Canada and ourselves, if when an bpporbuniby like the presenb occurred we did nob take advantage of it. In reply Mr Ward said that if New Zealand was the only party concerned in tho contract so far aa contributing to the subsidy is concerned, then Sir R. Stout's suggestion would be very proper, bub bhe colony only contributed one fourth of the whole subsidy. Whab bhe Treasurer suggesbed was, nob thab we should do away wibh tho 'Frisco service, bub try to geb the Vancouver service to run alternately with it. ~ Besides, ib would nob be possible now to so far alter the proposed terms of contract, as the amendment suggested, seeing thab the contract would expire in eighteen days. As bo Mr Duthie's contention that bwenby-four hours' grace was. too n-uch to allow, the Treasurer said ib would nob do bo be boo stringent with the contractors.

Eventually Stout's amendmenb was losb by 47 to 16.. Captain Russell then moved to insert an amendment) making time of contract one year, instead of three. This was losb by 42 to 16. ',:■.'•--'.•■■

The. House then adjourned at 1.5 p.m 'or lunch. , r