EVENING SITTING.

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 10777, 3 October 1900, Page 6

EVENING SITTING.

Tbe House resumed at 7.30 p.m. LOANS TO LOCAL BODIES. Mr SEDDON moved tbe second reading of the Government Loans to 'Local Bodies Act Amendment Bill, extending the provisions of the Act of 1896 Mr W. FRASER asked the Premier to agree to insert an amendment making the Act apply to local bodies who had borrowed gtior to the Act coming into <force, and who ad not paid off the whole of the sum borrowed. The amount required would not be so large as to embarrass colonial finance, and would prove of immense advantage to many local bodies. Mr MILLAR also advocated the extension pf Che privilege, but to local bodies who had borrowed prior to 1895 The PREMIER said he was prepared to bring within the rating area Crown lands which had been benefited by special expenditure. As to granting loans to local bodies to pay off a portion of the loans that had matured, it would be a Jarge order and would lay the Government open to the charge that they were heaping up the public debt of the colony. Hβ thought it would be better to let that question alone at present. The Bill was read a second time. SECOND READINGS. The LocaJ Bodies Loans Act Amendment Bill, and the Fisheries Encouragement Act Amendment Bill were read a second time. THE TOWN OF ROTORUA. Mr DUNCAN moved the second reading of the Rotorua Town Council Bill, incorporating Che town as a borough. Mr SEDDON, in reply to a question, admitted that the buildings and baths were obsolete, and said that it was intended to expend a considerable sum in effecting improvements. Mr FOWLDS called attention to clause 14, the Council to act as a Licensing Committee, and said he was afraid, looking at the constitution of the Council, that brewers would gain too great an influence in regard , to licenses.

ilr DUNCAN said the exceptional constitution of the borough would give it sufficient revenue to keep the place in good order, and that the proposal to give the Council power to control lictnsee was an experiment. The Bill was read a second time on the voices. TECHNICAL INSTRUCTION. Mr SEDDON moved the second reading of the Manual and Technical Instruction Bill. Mr G. W. RUSSELL objected to the inclusion of private schools in the Bill, aa opening the way to denominational education. Mr BUDDO did not think the Bill should be made to apply to boys under thirteen years, as up to that age they had no time to spare from primary instruction. If continuation classes were established, a boy could then spare time for technical education. Mr MONK said nothing -would be more cruel than to educate a boy to a trade and then debar him from getting employment, as the restrictions as to the employment of apprentices did at the present time. Mr MEREDITH said the Bill would have to be scrutinised carefully to ascertain whether help to denominational education did not lurk in it. He hoped the private schools enumerated in the schedule would be eliminated, and that the Bill would apply only to schools, established under the Education Act. Mr PIRANI thought all secondary schools should be eliminated from the schedules, and that the Bill should apply only to primary schools. Messrs ELL and' WILLIS supported the Bill, which they said would prove of great advantage to the young of the colony. Mr T. MACKENZIE thought that more attention should be devoted to oualify the youths of the colony for agricultural and pastoral pursuits. Mr SEDDON said it would be for a mijority of the House to say whether the two private schools in tie fchedxile^—Wanaranui Collegiate School and Christ's College Grammar School—should be included in the Bill, but persbnallv he would object to their exclusion. Some members were so prejudiced on the subject of denominational schools that they would sooner see the youths of the colony suffer than that private schools should be encouraged in jjivinsr technical instruction. He would sooner drop the Bill than exclude these schools, I but he was not goinij to drop the Bill. The Bill was read a second time on the voices. OTHER BILLS. Mr Seddwt moved the second reading of the W«it Oa-"t Settlement Reserves Act Amendment Bill, which was agreed to without dw'vssion. The Maori Councils B ; ll wa sr c nd a second time and referred to the Native Affairs Committee. NEW ZEALA~NT> CONSOLS. The New Z'-alnrd Consols Act Amendment Bill parsed through Committee without amendment. LOANS TO LOCAL BODIES. The Government Loans to Local Bodies Amendment Bill was enmmittpd. ' A provision was add°d to clause 2. rateable property with respect- to current loans, that no such rat-es phall apply to Crown lands nt the time the rate was imposed except by consent of the Minister, and provided further that the section shall not apply to loans raised prior to 1900. ■ A new clause was added that boroughs should be included in the principal Act. and that abattoirs may be incli'dfd, but in no case should more than £2000 be advanced in any one year. The Bill passed through Committee as amended. The Local Bodies Loans Act Amendment Bill pa"=!»ed through Committee without amendment. THE MIDLAND LAND ABEA. Tlie Midland Authorised Area Land Settlement Bill -was committed. Mr G. W. RUSSELL moved to insert on addition to clause. 3 that such Innds should be-subject to revaluation every thirty years. Th* PREMIER snid be would oppose the amendment and if it were carried he would drop the Bill and throw the land open under the ordinary Land Act. Th« amendment was lost by 36 votes to 18. Mr BUDDO moved an. addition to clause 5 protecting people who had bought land from the company, but who had not received the title thereto. This was lost, by 55 votes to 15. Clause 5 was amended, giving applicants the right to appeal to tie Supreme Court. The Bill passed through Committee as amended. OTHER BILLS IN COMMITTEE. The Fisheries Encouragement Act Amendment passed through committee without amendment. The Rotorua Town Council Bill was committed. At clause 14, the Council to act as a licensing committee, Mr FOWLDS moved to strike out tie clause. \ The clause was struck out on the voices, and the Bill passed through committee as amended. The West Coast Settlement Reserves Act Amendment Bill passed through Committee without amendment. BILLS PASSED. The ruioui Bills which bad been com-

mitted w«re reported, and passed their final stages. TECHNICAL INSTRUCTION. The Manual and Technical Instruction Bill was committed, progress being-reported at clause 1. The House rose at 12.25 a.m.