EVENING SITTING.

Press, Volume LXV, Issue 13613, 23 December 1909, Page 7

EVENING SITTING.

The House resumed at 7.30 p.m. CHRISTCHURCH DRAINAGE. Tlie Christchurch Drainage Bill was put through its final stages. TRAMWAYS BILL. The Committee on the Tramways Bill was piven leave to sit to consider the Bill durine; the sitting of the House. Messrs MASSEY and T. E, TAYLOR advised the Government to postpone the Bill till next session. Sir JOSEPH WARD suggested that the Committee should bring in the Bill, and if it proved debateable it could be dropped till next session. FINANCIAL PROVISIONS. Amendments to the Native Land Act and the Land for Settlements Administration Act in regard to their financial provisions were introduced by Governor's message. Sir JOSEPH WARD said that under these two measures, oower was givsn to raise £500,000 from the sum borrowed annually under the State Guaranteed Advances Act. for the purchiso of native lands and land for settlements respectively. Thus the amount raised ostensibly for loans to local bodies- would either have to be doubled or the whole million would bo •»b----sorbed. In order to get over this difficulty, it was proposed to transfer this borrowing sections from these Bills, aud nlace them in the State Guaranteed Advances- Act, a separate* department beimr. created to carry out the operation-! of the Native lj-ind Act md the Land for .Settlements Adminisf'"tion -Vet. An alteration bad been iii-ulo fi**in'' definitely at £1,000,000 per annum the amount'to be raised for loans to local bodies and purchase of native Innrl. instead of making it subiect to a resolution of the H r *ise. Tlie actual amount ra->°d anriipl'y would have to be reported V> Parliament. After feme discu- -ion the Sneaker ruled "that t'-e i-ronosed amendments •i-ould constitute an apnrorriatinn diff»ren* to what had been.»arced to by the Committee of the -.vholr- Hou-'e. and that three messages from the

Governor recommending appropriation should be made under tbe Constitution Act. THE PUBLIC SERVICE. Sir JOSEPH WARD moved the second reading of the Public Service Classification and Superannuation Act Amendment Bill. He briefly explained its (which have already been published). Clause 8, which fixes the maximum retiring allowance at £300 a year, would be struck out, as it would be unfair to ask a man to pay upon a higher salary than £200, and only receive that amount ns a retiring allowance. Mr JAMES ALLEN, while approving the provisions of the Bill generally, said he regretted that Clause 8 was to be abandoned altogether. It was desirable to have' a maximum pension of £300. ami this provision should have been on the statute-book long ago. The Bill was read a second time on the voices. FINANCIAL MEASURES. Bills to amend and consolidate the law relating to native lands, land tor and State guaranteed advances. Mere introduced by Governors Message. In Committee Mr SI. E\ moved to except the clause which had the eaect of re-insertir.c in the State Guaranteed Advances Act the provision for inv«»tment of municipal sinking funds with the Public Trustee. , This is the clause v.'.ioh was struc>i o.it on Mr Sidey's motion some time ago. The motion was defeated by 37 votes to 27. , _ Mr MASSEY characterised the tactics of the Government in this -natter as the meanest and most contemptible he had ever witnessed in or out of Parliament. Messrs HERRIES, ALLEN, and Mc. L.VREN expressed indignation at the action of the Government in reversing a decision of Parliament. Mr T. E. TAYLOR said he could not s.» anything wrong in tlie Government's action. Sir JOSEPH WARD, in reply, said his political opponents had gone pretty low in their attempt to score against him. He had made no secret of his intention to retain the clause in the original Bill which provided for the investment of local bodies' sinking funds with the Public Trustee. He had told Mr Sidey himself, as well as others, that, he had no intention of going on with the Bill if this provision were deleted. Sir Joseph said this provision was .".'art and rvarcel of the financial fabric' of the Bill.

The House was still sitting when the Telegraph Office closed' ot 2 a.m.