PARLIAMENTARY GOSSIP.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIV, Issue 171, 20 July 1903, Page 3

PARLIAMENTARY GOSSIP.

Telegraph.— Parliamentary Reporter.)

WELLINGTON, this day

A SUGGESTION FOR AUCKLAND. T he Minister of Lands having stated that there are large areas of worthless Crown lands in the Auckland province, Mi Witheford has, asked him if he will give these as an endowment to the City of Auckland for hospital and charitable

aid purposes. PRINTING AND ADVERTISING,

Mr Massey wants a return showing m the amounts paid to each newspaper n the colony for Government adverJLements for the year ended the 31st March 1903; (2) the amounts similarly r»id for Government printing, stating f 0 whom paid; ana (3) the amounts xpended for advertising New Zealand Snery (a) in the colony, and (b) outJde tie colony, stating to whom the same has been paid. BECKONING UP THE PICNIC.

Mr Herdman is moving for a return riving the cost to the country of the loent Parliamentary excursion to the Pacific Islands, such return to include any sum or sums paid, or to be paid, to the Union Steamship Company ior alterations to the s.s. Mapourika, and all other expenses incidental to the trip. THE GREAT NORTH ROAD. Mr Mander wishes the Government to take over the Groat North-road in the North of Auckland. SUGGESTIONS. Mr Taylor wishes the Minister for Railways to amend the provisions of the Government Railways Superannuation Fund Act, 1902, to provide (1) that the provisions made for a widow of a Member shall apply to the member's mother if he has been her sole support; /•2) that the allowance made to the widow of a member who has been superannuated be the same as if the member had died previous to his retirement; md (3) that in compulsory retiring Allowance, each year's service rendered to the Department to count for superannuation. ABSOLUTE PROHIBITION? Mr Tavlor is to ask the Premier whether in View of his recent declaration that he is in favour of preventing intoxicants being consumed even m private houses within "no license" districts, he will submit legislation to the House this session providing for such a law within the prohibited native area in the Kin* Country, before suggesting such an interference with the liberty of the subject in other parts of the colony. AUCKLAND EOAD QUESTION.

Mr Kirkbride wants to know whether the Government, in accordance with the recommendations of the Waste Lands Committee of last session, have obtained a report from the officers of the Koail Department as to the best route to be adopted to connect Turanga Creek and Maraetai districts with the Mam-road to Auckland, and if so, what has been decided on in consequence. AUCKLAND LANDS COMMISSIONER. The report that Mr Gerhard Mueller, Commissioner of Crown Lands at Auckland, is to retire from the Civil Service at the close of the present year is not altogether correct. Mr Mueller has now passed the age at which Governmei?.. employees should retire. His case was considered by the Cabinet when the last compulsory retirements were made, and was adjourned until the next list oi retiring officers is being made out. Mr Mueller has established a record for length of service, at all events since the time limit was .introduced. END OF THE DEBATF,. The debate on the Address-in-Reply was concluded early o\i Saturday morning, eleven days having been occupied. The only eight members of the House who did* not speak were the Speaker, and Mr Wilford and Mr Hone Heke, who are absent, and Messrs Rhodes, Hardy, Fisher, Hall and Sir Win. Steward. Ihe most burning topic of the debate was that of land tenure, on which the House is fairly evenly divided, with perhaps a slight advantage to the freeholders. The question is so full of complications, however, that it is difficult to say what will be the position of the Land Bill when the session closes. Licensing, too, has caused a deal of discussion, members feeling somewhat sore that they were not told the intentions of the Government in the matter. The opening up of lands for settlement and the roading of the hack blocks were strongly urged from both sides of the House, mainly fey the members for Northern constituencies. The railways were not brought up prominently during the debate, except in Sir Win. Russell's attack on the account system, while the necessity for the oarly completion of tlje North Trunk Railway was borne in on the Government by Northern member-!. The preferential tariff question was touched on by most members in a tentative style, the general body of the speakers favouring some system of preference to Britain. ASSETS REALISATION BOARD. The Assets Realisation Board and its work was discussed at the closing stages °f the debate on the Address-in-Reply, Mr Miller, criticising the Premier's statement that the board had saved half a million to the colony, said that the estates absolutely dosed amounted in Talue to £405.027. which had been realised during a very favourable, period. Now £405.000 represented ovei 20 peT cent, of Mr Foster's ascertained value, Which was £1,850,000. If they took that and the ascertained deficiency, £198,000, they would find that the lands which had been sold were only realising Mr Foster's valuation. Although the estates had been disposed of during a Period of prosperity, it looked, he said, as if the remaining £3 6/8 on bank shares would have to be called up. Mr "■ Praser, who is a member of the •Assets Board, stated in reply that when the board was set up it was known that tho book values and the real values c °uld not possibly be made to balance. The board had to realise the properties ln the best possible way. and he contended that that had been done. If a eom"Httee of the House was set up—and he h °ped it would be—to inquire into this jnattpr. it -would br shown that the hoard had had very great difficulties to contend with, and it would not have oeen easy for any other set of men to have done better.