HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Press, Volume LXV, Issue 13612, 22 December 1909, Page 7

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Tuesday, December 21

MORNING SITTING.

The House met at 10 a.m. SUNDAY LABOUR BILL. Tlie Labour Bills Committee recommended that the Sur.dny Labour Bill be deferred till next session. The report was adopted. MR. J. A. GILRUTH'S PETITION. Tho Agricultural and Stock Committee reported on a petition of Mr J. A. Gih'uth, late Chief Veterinarian, for compensation for loss of appointment in South Africa, that it had no recommendations to make. Mr HERDMAN gave the facts of tho case as already reported. The position offered to Mr Gilruth was one with a salary of £1000 or £1200, while the Government position held hy him carried a salary of £600 or £65Q. Mr Herdman read correspondence on the subject, including a letter from Mr !R. McNab, late Minister of Agriculture, in ■which he stated that Mr Seddon had told him that he had refused to transmit the offer from the Transvaal to Mr Gilruth out of regard for tho interests of Now Zealand. This letter was considered by Cabinet on November 27th, 1007, and tho Government was of opinion that Mr Seddon was justified in declining to agree to the withdrawal of a capable officer from the service of the countiy. Mr Herdman etrongly condemned the Government's attitude in the matter, and moved that the report be referred back to Committeo tor reconsideration. Mr T. E. TAYLOR said ho had little sympntby with Mr Gilruth, whose work and methods ho criticised. The Hon T. MACKENZIE said it would bo useless to refer the report back to the Committee, as no further evidence vas available. The offer of the Transvaal Government to Mr Gilruth could not bo found on tho files, and therewas no evidence that such a document was ever received. The Government had assisted Mr Gilruth by allowing him to travel at a cost of £1300, thus establishing a moral claim tj his services, and Mr Gilmth's pre6ent position in Australia was equal to that offered him by the Transvaal. The offer must have gone to Mr fc>eddor. personally, if it had been received at all. After further discussion, the amendment was lost on tho voices. CUSTOMS DUTIES. j On the second reading of the Customs i Duties Act Amendment Bill, Mr MASSEY protested against the increase in taxation, and asked where this was going to stop. Ho went on to refer in detail to articles upon which the duties had been increased, contending that tho two principal industries of the Dominion, mining and agriculture, had been tho chief sufferers thereby. There was no need for tho Government" to raise further revenue by taxation this session. Bir JOSEPH WARD said that Mr Massey's remarks seemed to bo made for electioneering purposes. Ho held that Mr Ma Key's figures were misleading. Tho total amount expected to accrue from the taxation proposed in the Bill was £50,000, and it was necessary that the people should pay for the extra service rendered in the way of defence. The debate was proceeding when the House adjourned at 1 p.m.