PARLIAMENT.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXV, Issue 250, 19 October 1904, Page 6

PARLIAMENT.

fOUSE OF REPRESENT ATIVESJ - ' 3y . Telegraph—Parliamentary Reporter.) . WELLINGTON. Tuesday. FIRE BRIGADES. In the House of Representatives toay Hie Hon. Jas. Carroll moved the onimittal of the Fire Brigades Bill. lr Carroll said that it had been found nadvisable to follow the Australian ystem of having one Fire Board for aeh State. The provincial system was uggested, but so s much protest was afsed that it was ahandoned, and that >t local control substituted, every porough with a population of 1000 beng constituted a lire. district, with. >o--\ver for several district's to combine. Jnder the bill, a-s it now stood, a Fire Joard would take the place of local .uthorities. Half the coutributions vould be paid by the insurance comlanies, and half by ■ the local authoriies. The Government would not con.ribute directly, but its property would ye ratable under the Act. The Government would also appoint an. in;peetor of fire brigades. Mr Aitken said the amendments in :he bill were the result of suggestions nade by the Municipal Fire Brigades' Conference. Mr Kidd said that a large amount of jxpert evidence haci been taken, and ie had no doubt but that the* measure vould be a good working bill. He ven;ured to assert that the Insurance ;ompanies would not Increase their premiums as a result of the charges jnder the Bill. The Minister in charge of the bill, in reply to criticism, pointed out that the system of having one Fire Board' for the State worked excellently in Australia. The bill did not propose to ;o as far as that, but made small areas md relieved the local bodies of half the :ost of the maintenance of the brigade. Ec ascribed much of the oppos : tion to the bill as being due to the fear of the insurance companies of the State Fire Department. Members: Where is it? Mr Carroll: It is. coming into exist!)ice, and if. will not be born in a hurry. The motion to go into committee on the bill was carried by 34 to 23, but Drogress was reported, the Minister consenting before any of the clauses bad, been passed. The bill was thus 3helved for the session. NATIVE LAND RATING. The Native Land Eating Bill Avas nest taken in committee. Thrf bill provides that native lands now subject to half rates shall be subject to full rates, exampting those from rates when the title has not been ascertained, and prodding for half rates for papakainga and ;>apatupu lands. The bill passed through committee '■with the amendments made by the Native Affairs Committee. MINING ACT AMENDMENT. The second reading of the Mining Act Amendment Bill was next taken. The bill provides for underground mining being permitted .on lands hitherto set apart as reserves under the Mining Act. and for the granting of prospecting warrants over a maximum area o-f 10,001, acres, one mineral being specified. Mr Herries warmly supported the bill saying that it would give an impetus to mining for other minerals than gold and silver. ( Air Moss supported the bill on this ground, asking for more protection foi holders of agricultural leases. The Minister for Mises stated that by granting larger aTeas the bill would encourage mining, while the five years' tenure would encourage the investment of more money tin the industrj". The bill went through its final stage with the amendments made by the Mines Committee. MINING COMPANIES. In committee on the Mining Companies Bill, which is principally a consolidating measure, Mr R. McKenzie urged thai the consent of the Minister being neees sary before a prospecting warrant lnaj be granted should not be insisted on on the ground that this left room foi favouritism. fHe moved to delete the wofds "with the consent of the Minis ter* in clause 12. This was debated for over an hour and was rejected by 36 to 10.