THE COUNCIL.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 321, 7 October 1908, Page 9

THE COUNCIL.

OLD ACE PENSIONS. The Council met at'2,3o p.m. yesterday, and immediately Went into Committee on the Old Age Pensions Bill. At Clause G, tho Attorney-General (Hon. Dr. Findlay) movdd to strike out the proviso which, allows a magistrate to take account of loss of employment, etc., in computing the annual income of a claimant*, for a pension, with a. view to inserting words', giving the magistrate power to estimate the income of the claimant for tho ensuing year, and determine the pension accordingly. The mover explained that, though this gave large discretion to the magistrate, it seemed necessary in order to avoid hardships, many cases of which had come under notice. The. alteration was effected. 'It restores tho:'clause to the form in which it stood before being amended by tho House of Representatives in Committee of the Whole. The Hon. J. MARSHALL suggested that old colonists, who had left -the country and returned after a short interval, should not be debarred from the pen'sion. The Bill was reported with no further amendment, and tho third reading was set down for to-day.

PARLIAMENTARY BUILDINGS. j THE SCHEME ACREED TO. A messago was received stating that the ■: House of Representatives had agreed to the Joint, Parliamentary Buildings Site Committee. The- ATTORNEY-GENERAL (Hon. Dr. Findlay) moved that tho Council agree to the report. The Hon. J; 1?. JENKINSON (Wellington) said lie hoped, that whon , the scheme was carried', out, Bowen Street should bo' made to enter Lambton (Juay further to tho south, so. as to give .the now Parliamentary site a wider frontage to the Quay, and allow tho trains to run up' the new Bo'weri Street towards -Karori. Sydney Street could then be ; closed. ' 1 Mount View for the Governor. The Hon. S. T., GEOItGE (Auckland) said the Parliamentary Buildings could wait a ; while, especially as money was tight, but the 'question of a Governor's residence must be decided at once, as the present Governor's term was only 18 months longer, and-the Homo Government would probably not appoint another if we had no residence for him, He had looked out for suitable sites, and thought tho best was Mount View, where, 'the- Mental Hospital stood. Competitive designs should, bo called for in connection, with v.the new Government House in New Zealand and Australia. The Hon. C. M. LUICE (Wellington) agreed that it would bo a mistako to cut irp the-Departmental Buildings site, and that the best spot for the vice-regal residence was Mount View. The Hon. W. W. M'CARDLE (Auckland) urged that a good landscape gardener should bo engaged to lay out the' grounds of tho new vice-regal residence. The Hon. Captain BAILLIE said the Prime. Minister had suggested £25,000 for a Government House, but tho sum was quito inadequate. The Hon. T. KELLY (Taranaki) said that not" a foot of Government-owned land in Wellington should be sold or leased. Plans Criticised. . _Tht Hon. T. K. MACDONALD said that since he raised tho question of competitive designs in the Council, he had received many letters from architects and others. He would read a letter received by another member of the Council. Mr.' Jenkinson: It shouldn't bo read. It contains an attack on. a Government officer. Mr. Macdonald: I will leave out everything about the officer. This is the letter of a competent architect, and ho criticises the plans that were drawn. The Attorney-General: They were merelyrough plans. Mr. Macdonald then began to read the letter, which described the rough plans for a vice-regal residence, saying, "it would make a good home for a soap-merchant." Mr. Jenkinson: I don't tliinu a letter from any- architect who uses language liko that should be put before tho Council. The reading of further sentences by Mr. Macdonald was accompanicd by protests from Mr. Jenkinson, who finally exclaimed: "I don't think you should have read it. It is-a direct attack on an officer. It is a disgraco to Hansard. Burn it." Government and City. Mr. Macdonald, continuing; urged that the' present Departmental Buildings site should be retained for a great ccntral rail- . way station. Before going further the Government should take counsel with tho city as to tho closing or widening of streets to improve the sites concerned. The Hon. J. BARR (Canterbury) sug- • gested that a short Bill should bo passed to give the Government the sole municipal and. general control of Wellington, just as it had of Rotorua. (Hear, hear, and laughter./ llio Hon. Wiremu PERE (Hawko's Bay) maintained that the Parliamentary Buildings should bo rebuilt on the old site, and tho Government House should be oil its present site, which had been given for tho purpose by his ancestors and tho pakeha pioneers. "Let us disagree with this committee." He would fight it to the last. They should appoint a new cominittec. A count-out seemed to bo imminent, when Mr.. Pere sr.t down. On the motion being put. he called for a division. The Hon. Mr. Reeves voted with him, the motion being carried by 20 to 2. The Council, at 4.40 p.m., adjourned until 2.30 p.m. to-day.