THE COUNCIL.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 312, 26 September 1908, Page 8

THE COUNCIL.

STATE BUILDINGS. . ; - ; QUESTION OF COMPETITiyE DESICNS/ i -• The Legislative Council sat from. 2.30 p.m. .j to 5 p.m. yesterday, anil als'p in the evening. - , The Hon. T. . KENNEDY MACDONALD 1 \ moved:— • " ■ - -.' , . ' | ; ."That'it is advisable in.the test interests of ,the people of the Dominion ~ i that'competitive designs, should be'in- : ! vitcdi'from architects for >11. buildings , required to be erected by the State of the value of £3000 and over, as not only; . would the opportunity,of employing such ;' ; , ' designs be a great incentive to the - ' younger nieu-„ of the profession but' , greatly add to':the beauty and economy . connected with tho buildings required for carrying on . the work, of the, State." To illustrate the need for such a step on ;the part of the Government,-Mr. Macdonald exhibited the sketch plan for a new' .• vice-regal residence as recently submitted, to the Parliamentary Buildings Committee, and said that if His Excellency had seen the plan, that would quite sufficiently ac- " count for his recent outburst against New" Zealand architecture. Proceeding, he de-, ' nounced the buildings erected by the Government throughout the Dominion v as "machine-like in fashion, lacking design, lacking originality, and all the. qualities which they oughti to have."- The country should'at. once fief itself to the task of getting something more beautiful in theiway of public' buildings. *• ■ V The ' Hon. CAPTAIN BAILLIE (Marl- , borough) seconded tho motion, and adversely criticised the sketch plans for a Governor's . residence and Parliamentary Buildings on - the score of the accommodation, provided. . The Hon. J. B. CALLAN (Otago) supported the principle' of competitive designs. \ Tlie Hon., J. main; tained that not only should competitive dc-: signs be invited. for all important;: public buildings, but the architects'should'be-asked to .improve' the plans accepted. Ho considered that the plans for a Parliamentary Building were unsuitable "and paltry. Government Architect Defended. The Hon. "Ji'BARR (Canterbury) defended the Government architect, many of whose plans wijuld, he said, result in buildings creditable to the Dominion, whereas some of the . buildings designed _by other architects and erected in various cities were a disgrace. He eulogized Mr. Campbell's plans for additions to tho' old Parliamentary Buildings, and for the Dunedin railway station, and spoke with . approval of recent buildings erected by the Government in' Wellington. He moved to adjourn the discussion for-six months.. ' • The Hon. J.' T. PAUL (Otago)' seconded the amendment. ■ . The' ATTORNEY-GENERAL (Hon. Dr., Findlay) said ! " lie rbgretted very much that .the mover of the motion-had thought-fit to cast' such undeserved reflections- upon the work of the Government architect, who had served;, the Country faithfully and remarb- . ably well. (Hear, hear.) Dr. Findlay then read ail extract from the, evidence given by Mr. Campbell before the committee in- which ' he stated ' that' the rough plan of a Gov-ernor's-residence was intended to do no moro . than show what accommodation could bo pro- '*> .Tided for a certain sum. Dealing with the motion itself, ho spoke, highly of tho .work of the architectural branch of tho Public .Works Department, and said the Government ; would-xall for competitive designs when itwas advisable to do so: Ho opposed . the motion, and thanked Mr. Barr for his defence ; of the Government architect. Other Suggestions. • Tho Hon. R. H. J. REEVES (Nelson) sugfested ; that Mr. . Campbell, before preparing nal plans for the new Parliamentary Build- '/-, ings,' should be. sent to inspect buildings . erected for tho same 'purpose in Australia. ' The Hon. T. KELLY (Taranaki) suggested , : that Australian and New Zealand architects should bo asked to send in competitive plans for the new. Parliament House, but he I, thought the'architectural branch of tlie'Public Works Department was quite competent '• for-its ordinary work. 1 : The Hon. W. BEEHAN (Auckland) dcfended tho Government architect, but thought i' the designs for tho new Parliamentary Buildings should be the subject of competition. The ,Hon. Mr. MACDONALD, in reply, saidiho had made no personal reflection oil ' Mr. Campbell. Ho,had been careful to_ refer only to tne architectural branch of the' Public Works Department, and lie thought some clerk might have drawn the ' rough plans , when tho offico was busy. He regarded Mr. Campbell as an extremely, useful and valu- •* able officer, who had done good work, liiit who, "like the rest of us," was open'.to some: «. criticism.As. the question had been vonti-. lated, he was.willing to withdraw his motion. Mr. BARR.having refused to'withdraiv his { amendment, it was defeated, and the motion '. was withdrawn. ' -

STANDING ORDERS SUSPENDED. On tho motion of the Hon. Dr. Findlay. the Standing Orders were so far suspended ; for the remainder of the session as to enablo ' all Government Bills to be put through all i their stagea at one sitting. : FIRST;READINCS. The-following .Government Bills were read a first time:—Auckland University College Land Bill, land Draiuago Amendment Bill, palmerston North Dairy School Rescrve.Bill,Harbours Amendment Bill, Gore Public <. Library Vesting Bill, Defenoe Amendment

Bill, Hamilton Domains Bill, and Heavy Traffic Bill. •PUBLIC BODIES' LEASES. The Public Bodies' Leases Bill was committed. The Hon, J. ANSTEY said tho worst sinners among, local bodies leasing lands were omitted, from the Bill. He moved to includo city councils, borough councils, and administrators of any education trust in tho definition of "leasing authority." Tho ATTORNEY-GENERAL opposed tho clause, and said that municipal councils already had tho powers proposed to be conferred by the Bill, and administrators of educational trusts could bo brought in by Order-in-Couucil, as provided in Clause 4. . The Hon.- Mr. A 2s T STEY quoted a case in which a city council had, refused to grant a tenant-right on the ground; that it had not the power. He contended that Clause 4 was inadequate. ■ ' ' Tho amendment was lost. •'./ -. ■ At .Clause 5,. which describes eight,kinds of leases which a local :body "may" grant, Mr. Aristoy.moved to substitute "shall" for "may." He suggested that during the recess the Government should obtain full information in regard to alleged maladministration of lands', leased, by local, bodies. • The ATTORNEY-GENERAL said the suggestion would be considered with a view to introducing fresh legislation next. year, if necessary. Tho amendment was withdrawn. At Clause 8 (leases to bo sold by public auction or public tender), discussion arose as to the merits of auctionand tender respec-. tively, the former being most favoured. The Hon. W. PERE pleaded with the Council, especially mentioning the Hon. Mr. .Ormond, • see that the Maoris wero not deprived of the little land that was still left to them.' Their land should not be sold by auction. The Hon. W. W. M'CARDLE advocated auction of public bodies' leases, but said the auction should be confined to who had previously applied for thn leases. Tho ATTORNEY-GENERAL pointed out that there would be no tendering on renewal of leases under the Bill.' ' •, The clause was passed on the understanding that the Attorney-General would introduce amendments later on. ■ The Bill was reported without, amendment. , FARRIERS BILL. The Farriers Bill, with the wore! "farriers" struck out of tho title, was again taken in committee. The word " shoeing-sjniths " was ■put in and progress was reported.' QUACKERY PREVENTION BILL.

On the motion for committal of.the Quackery Prevention Bill, The ATTORNEY-GENERAL . (Hon. Dr. Findlay) explained the • reconstruction of the whole Bill as'set out lately in The Dominion., He said -that as the Bill left tho House, it was so defectively drafted as to bo quite useless. It' had been redrafted, and did riot now prohibit the supplying of quack medicines. , That would require, a long Bill in itself, but the present Bill, restricted as it now was to the advertising of such preparations, would check certain great evils. To illustrate liis meaning, ho referred to tho rocont Australian case, Grimston v. Freeman, and Wallace, , and the strictures passed by Mr. Justice Cohen on "almost diabolical' cruelty and falsehood," practised by the,defendants. Much the same thing was going on in New Zealand to-day. Not. very long ago there was on Wellington Terrace an institution'just as diabolical and fraudulent aa tho '.one ho had mentioned, and it was responsible for the sufferings of a young lad, whoso case' he .knew of, and who was! almost butchered to death. It was carried on by a man who bore the naino of a doctor, and who had since found it necessary to leave this city. That mail's power for evil'would , have boon reduced almost to a nullity ,if ho had not been ablo to' advertise, in the newspapers. The Bill provided that ; proceedings could not be taken against a newspaper unioss warning had been given by the Chief Health Officer concerning the preparation advertised. The nowspapers would recognise' that thero would be no check put upon them that tbpy would not cheerfully put upon themselves. Tile Bill would check the worst class of roguery that now went unpunished in New Zealand.

Interesting Discussion. The Hon. J. B. CALLAN (Otago), who introduced tho Bill in tho Council, expressed approval of it in its present form. . Tho Hon. W. C. F. CARNCROSS (Taranaki) regretted that the Bill no longer touched the supplying of quack medicines, and thought its effect in regard to advertising could be obtained by prohibiting the delivery ,of postal matter to ccrtain addresces. The ATTORNEY-GENERAL: No. That can only be applied to a ccrtain . class of preparations. , , The Hon. G. JONES, during the Committee proceedings,' said that many newspapers already submitted patent medicine advertisements' to' the Chief Health Officer before accepting them. Ho approved, of the Bill, but would have preferred the nioro heroic remedy of prohibiting the sale of all preparations not passed by tho Health Officer. . In reply to a question as.to advertisements in imported periodicals, the Attorney-General said that, these could only be • dealt with by prohibiting the saie of two-tliirds of tho best oversea publications; it Several members urged that hawkers .selling medical preparations required to be dealt 'with. The Bill was-reported. without amendment, read a third time,-and passed. THROUGH ALL'STACES. '■ The Iriiprest Supply/Bill (No. 4) was're--ceived from the' Lower-. House and passed through "all its stages without amendment': ■', Tho Auckland University VCollego Land Bill, to validate the' sale of certaiii-land,. was read a second time on the motion of the Attorney-General. The second reading of the-Land"Drainage Amendment Bill, which provides that new land drainage boards may borrow by way,of bank overdraft in anticipation of revenue, and contains special clauses to facilitate borrowing by tho Taieri Drainage Board, was also carried on tho motion of the Hon. Dr. Findlay. The above two Bills were also put through Committee and final stages. The Council rose at 9.30 p.m.