PARLIAMENT.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 166, 13 July 1907, Page 7

PARLIAMENT.

■ . •;■.-. .__ . HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. (By. Tetesrapn Parliamentary Eeportex.) WELLINGTON, Friday. i RECIPROCITY WITH SOUTH AFRICA. The Hon. J- A. Millar, in moving the second reading of the New Zealand and South African Customs Treaty Ratification Bill, a formal measure ratifying the treaty entered into five months ago, said he hoped members would remember that the figures only covered a period of five months, which did not give much time for extension of trade. If the treaty was'not ,- ratified, the South African market would 't be absolutely closed to New Zealand as local producers were at a disadvantage v compared with Victoria. For instance, - the freight for butter from Victoria to South Africa was 5-Sths of a penny per '.'- I pound, while the New Zealand producer '' £ad to pay 3-Sths of a penny freight to •' Mr Massey, Leader of the Opposition, ■-. said that on the face of. things the treaty appeared to be fair,- but it gave South African goods better treatment than Eng- • ■ lish goeds, though Great Britain enforced '■ no duty upon our products. He thought N«7 Zealand should lower its in .favour of British goods, always providing " they did not interfere with the progress jof local industries. ' ' :' .The Premier said the Government had /"not overlooked the point of preventing :' 'injury to trade with Great Britain, which .'. took so much in return. ".".£. The bill was put through all its stages i!':BO that it could be referred to the Legis- '■; iative Council and finally passed by .-■■■ July 17. -' ■'*-.- THE PURE FOOD BILL. ;'■ v ,. .The House went into committee on the "itoe Food Bill. -- 3fr Massey- complained of the haste • iwith which the measure was being pushed : : ' on, stating that it bad only been circu-.-lated four days, and suggesting that there should be a reference to a committee, to give the persons interested an opportunity of being heard on the bill. The Hon. Gee. Fowlds, Minister in 5 fcSarge of the bill, said this would mean ... shelving^it. As a matter of fact the bill I- Tiad been before the country since last Be=sion,;sb that there had been plenty ..e£,tij2Si:for merchants to become &c- ---• mudriW -with, its contents. .Consideration of the bill was continued, 'and tie clauses empowering officers of the"Health' Department to inspect any •3>la«eand seize any food or drug for the purposes of analysis were agreed to. A clause Vn-as added providing a penalty of . j£2o.for obstructing an officer-in the exejerition "of his duty. :A ~, ;Clause 5, dealing with the method of. Ijtaldng samples for analysis, was adopted ; :■. %Bd- at 12.10 the\House adjourned.