LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

Press, Volume L, Issue 8597, 26 September 1893, Page 5

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

(press association tblbgram.'f Monday, September 25. AFTERNOON SITTING. The Legislative Obuncil aat at 2.20 p.m. CONSPIRACY ACT AMENDMENT BILL. The Statutes Revision Committee recommended that the Conspiracy Law Amend' ment Bill be not proceeded with. The committal of the Bill was fixed for next day. LIQUOR BILL. The report of the Conference on the Alcoholic Liquor Bill was agreed to. FIRST READINGS. The Shops and Shop Assistants Bill, Land Acb Amendment Bill, and Tairua Land Bill, were received from the Home and read » first time. REPORT. Mr BAILLIE moved, and it wa« carried, that the report of the Privilege Committed be agreed to. RAILWAY BILL. • The COLONIAL SECRETARY moved the second reading of the Railway Bill, and in doing bo said that whoa Parliament) handed over the State railways to three Commissioners, the country took a leap in the dirk. At that time there was nothing but general dissatisfaction expressed with regard to the management of railways \mder Mr Maxwell, aud whilst saying thla much he desired to say that probably no civil servant had ever boeu Bubjecleri to so much causeless abuse as Mr Maxwell had been subjected to. property to tho value of £20,000,000 had been handed over to tho three Railway Commissioners, who were entirely irresponsible fco the State, and this leap in the dark, he ventured to say, would never be tolerated in auy other country save in tho colonies of Victoria and New South Wales. It was with tho view to place a Minister of the Crowe as Chairman of the Board of Commissioners that the Government had brought down the Bill, which in tho respect ho had indicated was precisely similar to the Victorian Railway Act. He thought the proposed change would have a highly beneficial effect, and therefore ho aakud that, apiurt from party considerations altogether, the Council would see fib to pass the iiilL : SirG. VVHITMORE paid a high tribute to the Commissioners of Railway* and Mr McLeau for the manner in which, by their efforts, they had averted any eerioua damage to property during the late strike. With regard to the appoiutment of a Minister of the Crown to act as Chairman of tlie Board, he would say that the Commissioners had merely done their duty in resisting out 9 rageotis demands upon the part of the Government. Hβ did not approve of the Bill, nor did he approve New Zealand copying on every possible occasion the example of Victoria. Should any hon. gentleman move a hostile amendment he would bo glad to support it. Mr REYNOLDS aaid he would like to see the Bill held over, till the country had had an opportunity of speaking npon the question. As one who possessed considerable Parliamentary experience, he had no hesitation in saying that the Government railways had never been so well managed as they were at present. He objected to the railways being placed under the control of any Government, and would be. ready to support any adverse motion, even if it went bo far as to place the Bill in tne waete paper basket. Mr OLIVER pointed out that the success which attended the management of the New Zealand Government railwaye was due to the fact that it differed from that of Victoria, inasmuch as the New Zealand Commissioners had full control, whilst the Comruisaionere ct the Victorian railways could not, without the sanction of the Minister for Railwaye, alter the tariff. This, he would say, and it was that the present Commissioners had evolved order out of chaos. The hon. gentleman pointed out that under the present system no political patronage could be bestowed. He did not intend to move an amendment to the motion for the second reading, but when the Bill was in Committee he thought it would require amendment. Mr STEWART thought it was difficult to decide whether it would be bettor to place the State railways under political control or not, but considering the Bill had passed the other Chamber by such a small majority h« thought the Council would do right* & rebooting it. Under the present manage* . ( ment the railways had b?en eminently •§** ;A cessful, and there had alto been « »i»0 jdm

fmnronitv from accident. He did not intend to oppose the second reading, but when in Committee he should move as an j Amendment that the present Commissioners I fthould retain office another year. J Mr RICHARDSON was indistinctly heard, but was understood to say that he considered that the superior officers of railways ahould be sent elsewhere, say every five years, in order to obtain the latest information as to the working of railways. He expressed the hope that the Bill would be made workable, and with that end in view the second reading would receive his support. Mr KELLY, whilst acknowledging that the Railway Commissioners were men of great ability, objected to the entire control of a great State Department, such as our railways, being handed ove«- to an irresponsible bt-dy. He regarded railways as the jain roads of the colony, upon which persons desirous of passing over must pay toll if they desired to use them. He ridiculed the idea that the Government would exercise more patronage if the railways passed to their control than was exercised at present. He expressed a hope that the Bill would become law. Mr BO WEN said it should not be forgotten that the existing law was passed by a. Parliament which had then just been returned by the country, and for that reason he did not think it would be right for a moribund Parliament to alter that law. With respect to what bad been said about patronage, he said that as the Commissioners exercised their patronage on fixed rules, having no object to gain, and the Government would have political objects, to achieve, he considered the wisest course the Council conld pursue would be to relegate the Bill to the electorates. Mr McCULLOCH strongly supported the second reading. Mr JENKINSON expressed himself as being in favour of the BilL The Legislature, which handed over the control of the railways, was heartily sick of the matter, and were glad to get rid of it at any price. He failed to see why they required an imported expert at the head of the department. All they required was a smart commercial man, whose services might be obtained within the colony. This he would say, without a fear of contradiction, that the action of the Commissioners during the strike had had the effect of reducing the wages of every artificer, mechanic, and labourer in the colony. The dinner adjournment was made at 5 o'clock.