HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Press, Volume XLVI, Issue 7359, 11 July 1889, Page 6

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Wednesday, July 10. The House met at 2.30 p. m. LEAVE OF ABSENCE. Leave of-absence fcr one month, which Was granted to Mr Beetham on account of 111 health, was extended to the end of the .session. . THE.'eASPABINI CORRESPONDENCE. Mr Fisher, referring to the Gasparini correspondence, laid on the table the previous night, said that the correspondence .bad been printed at the request of Sir W. Jervois, the. late. Governor, who had rejquested to be furnished with nine copies. His Excellency had also expressed his regret that he (Mr Fisher) should have been subjected to such an unfounded accusation 4» bad been made against him in connection with this matter. QUESTIONS. Mr Joyce asked the Premier if he is aware of the necessity of amending the Employment of Females and Others Act, •1881, in the direction of defining the space £pr ventilation, to prevent boys of fifteen jears of age from working fourteen hours , a. day, and to provide penalties for the wilful obstruction of police officers. • Sir H. Atkinson was afraid the Government would not be able to deal with the matter this session, but inquiries would be xaade and if it was found necessary steps would be taken to provide a remedy. Dγ Newman asked the Postmaster.General if he will reduce the high fee now .charged for registration on letters to places outside the colony, and also the registration fee within New Zealand. ' SlrH. Atkinson said the matter was ander consideration, and he should shortly propose a reduction. > Mr Anderson asked the Premier if the Government will adopt Professor Long's suggestion, and import one or two "dairy experts," for the purpose of instructing colonial dairymen In the best method of making butter and cheese for export. Mr Richardson said the question was under consideration, but the Government had aot yet had time to deal with it. ' Mr Taiwhanga asked the Government whether they will at once introduce legislation for the better preservation of one of New Zealand's most valuable products, TpTwrm&vm tenax. Sir H. Atkinson regretted the Government could not see their way to legislate in this matter. . Mr Fish asked the Premier whether, seeing the great dissatisfaction existing amongst local bodies with regard to the i proposed Hospitals and Charitable Aid Ace. be will, after a debate upon the BUI, postpone its farther consideration till > next session, in order to enable members of Parliament to confer personally with ■ ihe local bodies in their respective districts with regard to the same. Sir H. Atkinson said the Government • had no desire to hurry the measure, but .theyhoped that by giving reasonable time they might be able to pass it this session. If necessary they would allow the Bill to -stand over till next year. ■ DtFitchett asked the Premier whether he wJUI recommend that the scope of the enquiry by the proposed Commission on ■the sweating, system be widened, so as to •include the case of shopgirls. ; Sir E Atkinson said the matter had already been brought under his notice by Mr Fish, and the Government had contented to extend the scope of the ComBxiaaion in that direction. ■'• '"CHURCH PROPERTY TRUST BILL. - • The Qhristchurch Church Property Trust .Bill was received from the Legislative Council and read a first time. ' : MUNICIPAL CORPORATIONS ACT,, "■' Mr Perceval introduced the Municipal Corporations Act Amendment Bill. COLONIAL ACCOUNTS. ..-,?■' ■ "Mr Moss moved that a return be laid before the House showing the persons or public bodies to lvliom were paid sums from votes made in block in the Appropriation Act of 1888, and the services for which they were so paid, the total amonnt of the sums so paid being £437,789 8s 9d. He moved the adjournment of the House to enable him to speak on the question. ! Sir H. Atkinson said the cost of producing this return would be about £300, and-it wonld take several months to prer pare it. He submitted that such a return would be perfectly useless, and that nobody would ever look at it. If the House desired it an abstract book from the Treasury could belaid in one of the rooms for the inspection of members, but he thought the House would not consent to auch a large outlay. Mr Moss said that a return of this kind wa* ; prepared every year in the United Btates, and there was no reason why such a book should not be issued in the colony, containing the names and salaries of all the officers in the Government Departments. f

Mr- Baixanck thought if the Public Accounts Committee were set up it would probably meet the views of the - member for Parnell. Sir H. Atkinson said he should propose the Public Accounts Committee on Friday. : Mr Moss contended that the publication of such a return as he asked for would do away with the motions for returns which were now so frequently asked for. He Ventured to say that unless the Public accounts Committee obtained larger ■■PSSE!" *£ would 0° » ferae to appoint it. *s-The Speaker here said this motion having; been opposed would have to stand over till the motion preceding it was dealt with. • COLONIAL DISTILLERIES. Mr Duncan moved—" That, in the "opinion of the Bouse, a Bill should be - introduced by the Government during toe present session to provide for the hotoe distOlation of all spirits used in the colony, much a Bill to make provision for the early erection of one or more central distilleries of sufficient capacity to produce all spirits consumed in New Zealand, under such excise regulations as shall effectually prevent smuggling or illicit distillation, without raising or lowering the price to the consumer." He spoke at some length in support of the motion, urging that it would prove of great advantage to farmers. Mr Hodgktnson understood that this motion meant that the Government snoula go into business as general distillers. He thought the Government had gone quite far enough already into the Inenrance. The proper way tattSS*** °* •d'antage to the farming

mo *ed Uut the debate be "oaoawwddbivethe effect of laTolTtag UwegjJOT b> eon»lde»bte confer otm-

Mr Pykb supported the motion, and asked if there was any reason why local industry should not be encouraged. Mr Monk's amendment was then put, the division being—Ayes, 33; Noes, 33. The SsßAKESgave hie casting vote with the Ayes. He said he had done so to enable Mr Monk to adjourn the debate for the present. It would Ithen be open to him to move that the debate be adjourned for a month, or whatever time he desired. Mr Monk then moved that it be adjourned for a month. Mr Reeves (Inangahua) moved its adjournment for a week. Mr Fergus pointed out that there was some misconception on this matter, as distilleries could now be established in the country. Mr Pykk objected to the adjournment i for a month, as it would be injurious to the country. The adjournment for a month was lost by 45 to 31, and "week" was inserted instead. THE PROPERTY TAX. '■' Mr Barron moved—(l) That in the opinion of the House it is desirable that the Property Tax, unless it can be abolished at an early date, should be annually decreased, so that it shall not exceed three-farthings in the pound for the present year, one half-penny for 1890, one farthing for the year 1891, after which date it shall entirely cease; (2) that any deficiency in the revenue occurring thereby shall be made good by further retrenchment in the public service." He said the whole question had beenwell threshed out in the House and the country, and he should notattempttoofferanyargumentson it. He hoped the House would not delay the motion till after the half-past five adjournment, as they all knew that if the question was not decided now it would take a low place on the Order Paper. Hon. members would agree with him that it would be a difficult thing to do away with the property tax at once, and he thought his proposal would meet the difficulty in a satisfactory manner. Mr Fergus gave Mr Barron every credit for his efforts in the direction of economy, but there was one thing the hon. gentleman had failed to do, that was to provide a better way for obtaining the revenue for carrying on the government of the colony. The proposition of the hon gentleman was that the property tax should be reduced by something like £90,000, but he did not show the House how this was to be done. Before bringing on this motion Mr Barron should, have indicated the specific services from which this amount could be taken. Was it to be taken off Postal or Education votes, or off the general services? It was perfectly impossible for the Government to reduce the Estimates by £90,000 this year. If the hon. gentleman wished to cut down the wages of railway employees and artisans he (Mr Fergus) could show him how £60,030 could be saved in that way, but would Mr Barron advocate such a course. Did he want the police force or the volunteer force reduced? He felt that some indication should be given by the mover of the direction in which this large amount could be saved.

Mr Ballance was surprised at the Premier not replying to a motion of this kind, which was undoubtedly a hostile one. Supposing the motion were carried, what effect would it have on the position of the Ministry? Would they treat it as one of want of confidence ? It seemed to him that the motion was quite indefensible, altogether apart from the objections urged by the Defence Minister. If it were carried it would mean putting a large amount of taxation on the mass of the people, and he should oppose it. Mr Scobie Mackenzie was astonished at Mr Ballance's effrontery, especially when it came from an hon. gentleman who last year fought and struggled to put £260,000 extra taxation on the people. He himself did not care where the remission of taxation came from; the country wanted a remission somewhere. He did not think the Minister for Defence at all answered Mr Barren's contention, as they might now fairly look for a large increase in the revenue, as indicated in the Financial Statement. There was no reason why the motion could not be amended in the direction of taking off an eighth this year instead of a farthing, but he should support it. He voted for the motion on account o± the principle involved in it. Mr Moss Bald the difficulty was, that if they made any amendment which took the shape of a no confidence motion, the question would be decided, not from ite» own standpoint, but from that of the existence of the Ministry. He, however, would move as an amendment—"That in the opinion of the House the property tax is unfair in its incidence, harassing In its effect, and an obstacle to progress and settlement of the colony." He moved this without consultation of any kind, and he hoped the Government would not treat it as hostile. By affirming his amendment the principle could be affirmed without imperilling the existence of the Government. Mr Reeves (St. Albans) seconded the motion, which he thought a capital way out of the difficulty. Mr Hodgkinson supported the amendment, and he thought an expression of opinion of that kind should be accepted by the House, as there was no doubt the property tax had hindered the settlement of the colony more than anything else. Mr Guinness thought that no good was to be gained by discussing the question now, as they would go over the whole matter when the Government Bill was brought down. He should therefore move the adjournment of the debate for a month. Mr Pyke objected to the adjournment of the debate. : The adjournment was carried by 40 to 34, and the House rose at 5.30 p.m.