PARLIAMENTARY GOSSIP.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIX, Issue 182, 31 July 1908, Page 3

PARLIAMENTARY GOSSIP.

I —— , fc .''~si Telegraph.—Parliamentary Reporter.? *l f WELLINGTON, Thursday. U ' ; r LOCAL BILLS. The Auckland local bills, including the lackland Drainage Bill, Auckland CemeI teries Bill, Auckland Harbour Board I loan Empowering Bill, Auckland and I -; 'Jtanukau Canal Bill, and the Manukau Barbour Control Bill, have all been referred to the Local Bills Committee, but are not likely to come up for consideraliion before September next. THAMES GAS. Tie Thames Gas Company,' Ltd., is - petitioning, through Mr. F. E. Baume. I that the bill intituled the Thames Borough Gas Bill, read a first time, is not a I "local bill but a private hill, and that a I local bill cannot be passed to take away ; ; the rights conferred by a private bill without a breach of the standing orders I . pfjthe House. | •{ ■ COAL AT KALHU. <•-•:• ;Mr. Stallworthy intends to ask the I '".Junister of Mines whether he will inetxuct the officers of his Department to \ make a special report, after full inquiry, j .jnto the occurrence of coal deposits on .. the Crown lands in blocks ILL and IV., 5 Kaihu survey district, containing 6,450 acres,- also as to the suitability of that ' locality for the establishment of a State 'coal mine ? ; NORTH AUCKLAND RAILWAYS. I ■ ■ Northern members are very active in crusade for the adoption of a progressive policy in the railway development of the North, now that the Main -.Trunk line is nearing completion. A -' ; question Mr. Mander intends putting to the Minister is whether he will make the -necessary provision on this year's Public f ..Works Estimates for the construction of : ;at least twenty miles per annum of the Main Trunk railway north of Auckland, ' -- 'seeing that this line is practically a con- . imuance of the trunk line, and should ..' daim the first consideration of the Gov- .* -emment. Mr. Greenslade also intends asking the . -Government whether they will at as early • a date as possible, give the necessary authority for a trial survey of the proposed railway from the vicinity of the Kawa station, on the Main Trunk line, to Kawhia and Raglan. THE GBEENHEAD CASE. The petition of Mr. C. H. Greenhead, of Waiuku, asking for the re-hearing of a certain action heard in the Supreme Court at Auckland on June Sth, 1905, has been dealt with by the Public Petitions Committee. The report of the chairman covers a recommendation that the Minister for Justice supply Mr. Greenhead with a copy of Mr. H. W. Brabant's report on the recent inquiry held ia Auckland. -STATE FLOUR MTLLS. \ Mr."Hogan fWanganui) this afternoon - gave notice to move: "That the State should take over the flourmilling industry, and conduct ft in the interests of the people hy fostering grain-growing and cheapening the cost of faod to the masses of this Dominion. The member • f ° r was greeted with a storm of "Noes" and cries of "Impossible." ! PROHIBITION THREATS. object to the circularising of members of this House," declared Mr. Honns- ' 'hy. "we have had a .threat held out of , what will happen to any member .who ... ♦ote s against the . bare majority pro-..-.jiposal.. -To anything ©f-fchis kind I object. • * I am no prophet," added the member for Wairarapa," but I say that in 20 years •we will have national prohibition in New Zealand. Only bad generalship will prevent it, and such a hill as that before tins House to-night is likely to retard tee progress of the No-License movement lather than forward it." DEAD MEN TELL NO TALES. Mr. T. Wilford kept the House in a continual ripple of merriment to-night daring his discussion of the Quackery Bill. He ran off a long list of what he alleged to be deadly poisons used as standard remedies by the medical profession, and said he would like to know if any medical men using those remedies souM allow themselves to be held personally responsible for the lives of their jatients. A member: "Dead men tell no tales." The House went into uproar over another sally by the member for Hutt "Whenever a doctor makes a great success," he said, "the world rings with the news of it; but if he fails—well, the earth covers the failure up. That is a gross injustice." "'The member for Hutt is not serious," interjected Mr. Hornsby. "I am as serious as the member for Wairarapa," replied Mr. Wilford, amidst *n outburst of laughter. ENGLISH CAPTAIN'S CRITICISM. "It is amusing to note what Mr. Harnett, manager of the English football team, said to an interviewer in regard to liquor in Invereargill, in view of the fact that three of his own men fell overboard when leaving Auckland," said Mr. ."Fisher to-night. There is no aa^rtrmemt which can be used to prove No-license has not been a success in Invereargill and elsewhere. Mr. Harnett may be a very good sort, but his statement was inaccurate, and deserves to be contradicted." A COMPLICATED PROBLEM. A very considerable time was taken un . this afternoon in discussing a grievance ventilated by Mr Fisher. The member for Wellington Central said the Government had been hoodwinked in regard to the exchange of some Crown land, by which a freehold section of four or five perches in the city had been allowed to go into the possession of a private company, at about one-fourth of its real value. Mi Massey said the fact that a section of freehold land had been parted with at a-quarter of its actual value was evidence of criminal negligence. In his \ opinion, the matter was one for most exhaustive inquiry. If there was any suggestion of shady practices, Parliament's duty was to put it right. , The Prime Minister said he thought the matter was one which should be sent to a committee. The Government conrt- , ed the fullest inquiry, and if it was found ; * that there was anything wrong it would not be too late to put it right. As far i £s the Government was concerned there | ■was nothing which would not bear the fullest investigation,, and, in order to avoid delay, he thought the Lands Committee should be asked to go into the matter to-morrow. Mr Fisher said he was making no allegation against the Government; be simply believed that the Government had ' been hoodwinked. The Minister for Lands (the Hon. Mr McNab) went extensively into the sub- . ject, reading the whole of the correspondence dealing with the transaction, and j the matter was referred to the Lands .... Committee for report. JOTTINGS. The Education Comirittee has recomttended that pupils attending private achools in the cities be allowed to travel , » the railways at commutation rates.

The A to- Ir Committee recxmurujuds that the Government hold inquiry into the allegations of petitioners regarding I the metalling of the road between Tuakau bridge and Pukekawa. Mr. Herries has given notice to introduce the Whakatan County Act Amend I ment Bill. ! Mr. StaUworthy is to ask the Minister for Lands whether it is proposed to have : the Terawhati block, near Kaihu, thrown ' open for settlement, also whether the village sections at Naumai, Northern Wai- j roa, -will be available for selection. The completion of the purchase of the Whangarei block, near Matamata, is being urged by Mr. Greenslade. '"You always find testimonials from clergymen tacked on to these quack advertisements,"' said Mr Hornsby to-ni°rht, when discussing his Quackery Prevention Bill. "Yes, clergymen and members of Parliament," interjected a member, amidst considerable laughter. "I object to having cold water shoved down my throat when I want something warmer."—Mr Rutherford on the liquor question. '"If the bare majority is carried it will give the prohibition movement the great- j est set-back it has ever known."—-Mr Hornsby. "I have travelled hundreds of miles to be present on a No-license platform, and I say in the interests of true reform, drop your agitation in favour of bare majority, and let there be no division in the prohibition party. I would a thousand times rather lose my position in the House than vote for the bare majority." j —Mr Fisher. j