HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 45, 16 November 1907, Page 7

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

MAORI LANDS. In the House of Representatives yesterday afternoon, the Maori Land Claims adjustrnont and Laws Further Amendment Bill was introduced by Governor's message. In reply to Mr. Massey the Native Minister said the Bill was a "washing-up" measure it was customary to introduce

a Bill of this description at the ond of tho session. Tho Bill was read a first tirqe, and referrod to the Native Affairs Committee. PACIFIC ISLAND CASE. Tho Committee, which dealt with tho petition of Mr. Thomas Bell, regarding his right to tho title of Sunday Island, reported that they wore of opinion thut tho claims were based upon the misapprehension that the mere occupancy of an island, which had not boon declared British territory, vested the foe simple in him; that occupancy conforred no such rights, as was shown by" tho opinion of the Solicitor-General. Tho Committee had, therefore, no recommendation to make.

Tho Caso Explained. Mr. Massoy gave a brief outline of Mr. 801 l s case. The petitioner took possession of Sunday Island over thirty years ago. For a number of years he was not interfered with, and he stocked his island with sheep and cattle. In 1883 he was informed that the island had" boon annexed by New Zealand. Surveyors were sent there td subdivide tho island, and very soon settlers came from New Zealand. Bv the method of subdivision Mr. Bell's stock were cut off from wator, they died, and very soon ho was a poor man. Tho settlement 'proved a failure, and the settlers returned to New Zealand. Mr. 8011. also was compelled to leave, and reside two years and a half in this country, until hp could raise sufficient capital to return and make another start on the island. Tho point,, said Mr. Massey, was that tho annexation was illegal; and ho quoted from a dispatch from Lord Ripon to that effect. He held that the Government, having sont tho settlers out, was responsible for Mr. Boll's losses; and, in opposition, to tho opinion of the Solicitor-Gen-eral, he quoted tho opinion of Lord Salisbury to show that' Mr. Bell's occupancy of the island did actually constitute ownership. Also, on two occasions, had Mr. Bell not been on the i island, German men-of-war would probably have taken possession, and Now Zoaland would have had a foreign power within two or three days' stenjn. Mr. 801 l should have been better treated. An Important Point. The Hon. R. M'Nab said this matter had been fully threshed out in 1903, when a former petition from Mr. Bell had been favourably reported upon. As a result, £50 was placed on the estimates. Mr. M'Nab then read a letter from Mr. Bell to the late Mr. Seddon, expressing willingness to accept the £50 in full settlement of losses and outstanding claims '(cries , of oh! oh!). The Minister also read from a parliamentary return the record of the. paymont.

Further Discussion. Tho matter was further discussed. Mr. Mnssfey said Mr. Bell did not want further compensation but' a title to tho island. • i'llombers showed a disposition not to listen. , Tho repart of the cominitteo, with the recommendation, was laid upon tho table. 1 ( TRAVELLING ALLOWANCES. The Commerce Committee presented its report . on the agreement botween the Government and Mr. Shannon, customs expert. The report stated that evidence had been taken and the committee had found that Mr. Shannon had been engaged by the Atkinson Government on October 30,-1889. The terms were as follow:—"You will bo allowed to at the rato of £800 from November 1 next until June 30, 1889, togethor with travelling allowances at the rato of 30s. a day whilst travelling on - the. public sorvice, including your stay at Wellington, and you will reccivo one-fourth share of all net proceeds of seizures and. penalties recorded directly through your action." TJndor this agreement, continued tho report, Mr. Shannon claimed that he was entitled to 30s. per day "all the year round'-; that this was intended to augment his salary, and according to his evidence, ho hnd drawn £1340 a yoar. This amount represented £SOO a year salary, and 30s. a clay allowances for every day of tho year, including Sundays. In addition to that he had drawn £260 from fines.

Cenoral Inquiry Wanted. Mr. Laurcnson said it would pay the Government to have an onquiry into the emolumohts and travelling allowances throughout tho whole Civil Sorvice. He had received a lottor from a mnn in the Civil Service drawing attention to tho manner in which calaries of officials were set out. In ono Department nn official was shown to be drawing £350 and in another Department another £350. He also quoted other instances. "Vyhile they wore on the public service classification they should sot up a small committee to go through tho whole of the salaries from the highest to tho lowest. Ho believed the result would ho A saving to the country of from £5000 to £10,000. It would enable the Government to know exactly how things stood, and would give satisfaction to Parliament and to the country. Mr. . Massey regretted that the enquiry regarding Mr. Shannon's case had not been extended to other officials. Premier Replies. Sir Joseph Ward, replying to Mr. Lauren-' son, said the position as outlined by tlia letter's correspondent was misleading, Ho explained that twenty-two now Departments had been added of-recent years, and an officer Was sometimes given a small amount to also look after the work of one of thes.'i Departments when created instead of the cost of a separate official being undertaken. I'hore should bo no suspicion, becauao all the salaries, were sot out in black and whito in the public Estimates. Nothing was being withhold. It was unfair that there should bo this suspicion. Tho Government" wore saving expense by allowing an officor to hav3 dual positions. Replying to Mr. Massoy, ho said he did not know of a case of travelling allowances, except that of a District Court Judge, requiring investigation: . Mr. Massey:. There are cases'whoro men draw travelling allowances,who don't travel The Premier said he did not know of any cases.

Mr. Masscy: I could toll you ono or two. The Premier: I would be pleased to hear of them. Sir Joseph Ward proceeded that in the Public Service Classification Bill tho travelling allowances of all public officers wore specified. This was the first time anything sogoneral or binding had been done in the Dominion. . . Mr. Shannon's Case. A long discussion then ensued on tho oase of Mr. Shannon, the remarks being on very much the samo lines as in previous dobates. Mr. Davey said that from evidence taken by' the committee, ho believed it had not been intended that travelling allowances should have been drawn on Sundays when Mr. Shannon was at his homo in Feilding Yet on every Sunday, throughout the period the allowanco had been drawn. At the same time Mr. Davoy deprecated a lot of tße fabrications that were stated in connection with, this and similar cases. He felt pleased that the result of his having montioned this case in the House, in the first instance had been tho introduction of the classification of travelling allowances as incorporated in the Public Sorvico Classification Bill. Mr. J.'. Mackenzie, chairman of tho special committoe, supported tho remarks of Mr. Davoy as to the Sunday allowances of Mr. Shannon. The report was laid upon the table. CHINESE IMMIGRATION. Tho Premier moved tho third roading of the Chinoso Immigrants Amendment Bill. To test the feoling of tho House as to the advisability of imposing restrictions that would keep tho Chinese out of tho country altogether, Mr. Hornsby moved that tu'u third reading bo postponed. The. Premier said it would bo impossible to gain the Royal assent to a proposal to keep Asiatics out of the country. What was the uso of tho lion, membr trying to mislead the pooplo by suggesting that he would go ono better than tlio Govornmont proposals in tin's matter f He explained tho likely effectiveness of the proposed educational test. Mr. Hornsby s amendment was lost, and tho Bill was read a third time and passed.

DAIRY COMPANIES BILL. The Co-operative Dairy Companies Bill was put through its final stages. ' DIVORCE. Messrs. Barclay, Wilford, Banine, and Remington spoke adversely to the passing

of the Divorce and Matrimonial Caiises Act Amendment Bill. Mr. Romington declared tho Bill was largely tho'result of the remarks of Judge Donniston at New Plymouth. Ho said ho knew tho facts of that case—the parties had lived in his district — and they were not as reported. • Tho parties had been separated some years. Tho Premier, replying, said that Now Zealand had been held up to the criticism ofHhe world for its divorce laws.' Compared with the law in England, it was as easy to obtain divorce in this country as walking across the street. People, ho had been informed, had como ifrom England to obtain divorce. . Mr. Wilford: They have got to be hero two yonrs.

Tho Premier added that tho Bill was not the outcome of hysteria or clerical influence. It was tho result of an outcry all ovor the country. He asserted that the state. <if affairs as to the ease with which divorce could be obtained in this Dominion was as bad as in America. Tho Premier added that he.did not agree with the amendment moved in committee by the niomber for Lyttelton enabling divorce to ho obtained in the caee of one of the parties having been seven years in a lunatic asylum. Tho third reading was carried by 60 to 7. THE LAND DILL. The amendments made by the Legislative Council in the Land Laws Amendment were agreed to. The Hon. R. M'Nab promised to bring down by Governor's Messago further amendments in 'regard to tho. leasing of town, suburban, and village lands.. THE ESTIMATES. Tlio House went into Committee of Supply on tho Public Works Estimates. There was considerable discussion on the item, Railways, £1,125,000. _ The vote, together with £350,000 for additions to open lines, passed without alteration.' '>'.'* Utilisation of Water Power, £2000, passed, as also did Public Buildings, £251,800. .'.'. Tho House was still sitting when we went to press. ' ■