THE HOUSE.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 951, 19 October 1910, Page 9

THE HOUSE.

y'/^^TH^CAMINO^BILLiH; , ■s/-Wheri..the/;House'/of> Representatives resumed : its sittipgs yesterday... .; ,":.' ~' It; ?vas agreed,, on : .the" motion' of the Premier,; that, the number, on the\Solect Committee which has beien. appointed to' consider-the Gaming Bill be increased to.twelv«,by the addition of .the names : 6f, Mr., .Witty /and ;Mr. Wright.;. "': \,..-'. IMM IC R ATION R ESTRI Cno M b! I,L. ~The House-agreed":to the amendments made"-.by, the -Legislative; Council in .the. ■Immigratioa'Restriction Bill. "■ . JNDECENT.PUBLICATIONS BILL; '. : ,:it. was'.decided,.-to -disagree-with-, the" amendments made by the 'Legislative Council in the. Indecent ","■ PublicationsBill,- and :Sir.-Wra., Steward, :ries, -and. the Ho.n. J. A.^Miliar , were appbmte^\;.tq"Vrepresent. ; the House -at the conference>wrth managers from the ;Council,.- i."V'-'"':■•'■'■■ : < • '■'''' ' ■"'■■■ ■ : ; ;;;;i , -;-/;':.: :'ln.'moying.;the second-.reading of .the' Harbours- Amendment Bill-.-'(Ko. 2), ;.."■' : ',The:.Hon.. J;) A.; MILLAR' the;necessity 'for a; second .'Billi' owng .to ;the : fact; that; the Harbours" Conference, had not submitted its remits ■wheii the initial Bill was bVoughtfdo^n. r -; Mr.. HERRIES (Tauranga) held that the production of the' later' Bill; showed the > necessity; for., going., slower .j n ,thq. matter : of'.putting - legislation --.on : the' Statute Boot.; He went; on to say that he'thought'that voting by proxy : should be dorie : away'.with.:. , .->There was trouble in this Auckland on one occasion. : ,'■: He ■. congratulated;; the J Govern- : inent on ;■ recognisin'g,■ that /the;;country, districts ■ were /entitled to. eqiial ■;repre-, ;'■ Li!Jhe past, the;-Unynspeople. had .had most- of- their, own'.way." , • -■■•■.-■••';■■' :.■';/,:./';; ;w ~- ■;•.■;;

• : Mr.,l/PEE-(Wel]irigton Suburbs) held '.that'. the" harbbur boards:'; should'. have. 1 larger.-powers; in. regard 'to..reclamation: woHcsi'-V'Lorig;before:'a dock was'built in Wellington an additional slip'would, be required..;', "Hβ felt, that Government! representation should be ■ eliminated in .oonnection:vwith;;/ the. ; harbour'-Vboards. As, regards the disqualification ;clauses, _he' believed they. : were ; an improvement; 'ori : similar. 5 clauses in the..Hospital andCharitable Aid. Aot.v. r: :.:,;. ■-.-,'■;:■..■.> ■/:■•■■'.

//Mr.,,HOGG.; : (Masterton) -said that.he would, like to,see country residents take-a-greater interest in the harbours:, Re-, presentation should on athor-.-oughly .broad, -basis, 'fie/was satisfied that if the whole, of-the people had a, voice; the: Wellington • Btfafd- could -be improved. : -...-•; ',-. : . '■'■■■■ : ~'.' Mr.. POOLE (Ajuckland. .West) favoured; the. election', to the boards on the Parliamentary -r011...'■ The. people.should ■have? a .:say ; ..in regard to the filling ; of r all ..seats .on'-a board: There-should be<provision, that..the Minister'for Maririe should' v confer;'.; with - harbour, boards before ■■ any. leasing; -operations took ;place. He approved': that boards should have the right,to charge-for the use; of. their fire .extinguishing applianpes. ... The Bill .was 'a :great improve- : ment on-the present .law. ; v ..;;■; ... Mr. 'ELL (Christchurch South) traced the 'widening of; the: franchise in connection with harbour .boards.. • : . ;; --.;

■Mr.vM'LAEBN- (Wellington, East) , * •thought. all boards, should ■■ be: elected on a common basis....lf there -was tip! Lβ ...class i representation,- the '■: water-side.'-workers and. seamen.i should ■ have special .representation' on boards : 7 Mr., GREENSLADB. (Waikato) complained that Hamilton and Cambridge and other places in his district had beeii , overlooked, in the matter of representation.'.;: There had been'a colossal waste of public money on various undertakings .at Auckland. ■ He would single out.Admiralty House in this : regard. -He was pleased that the Bill had been introduced. \ ' '■•■■■•'..■ '.■•.■■■■ _■ •-,*--.-. ■: Mr.; BUCHANAN' (Wairarapa) was surprised at. a statement by Mr. Poole' with reference, "to the inability of country: members v to. deal with harbour ■■ ..-':■■. - ;:■•■■■■: '.-'•• : -.-'.' v-" '•■ ..Mr...Poole: • Those' are your' 1 own : •.■■-, '■ ■.•:■'■ ■•'!■■ ■ .■'' .;.■■.■.•, .. '■.-;; ■ -.-. .'Continuing, Mr. Buclianan. said that .■in, the:past .the;, country 'districts h'ad : not been adequately : represented. ■ He believed that Government representation on harbour: boards,should be done awav ■With.' :• ■"■-. ;;• ■■ ..■-' ■'.".• ,;. ; . .'■'■>■ ;'' ■■-■ ■■' The Bill was .then read; a second time. . BY-LAWS ?ILL. v In Committee on tlie By-laws Bill , ~Mr.: BUSSELL (Avon) -moved an amendment to Clause 3 to'the effect that .the Crown should not have-the power .to collect a fee in respect of tho confirmation of a by-law. I The-amendment was, however necatived. ■ . . ' .-..

.'••■Mγ. REED..(Bay of Islands) moved the deletion of tho sub-clause to Clause 3, which,; provided that no application for the confirmation of a by-law should be granted unless it was received at the office of the Department of Internal Affairs within 12 months after it was adopted. ■•',.■■ . ' . ■ ; . v Tho Minister agreed to accept tho amendment, which was carried;.

Mr. PEARCE (Patca) moved that tho maximum feo to bo charged by tho Crown in respect of the confirmation of a by-law should bo reduced from £5 to £] li,. . .

Mr. WILFORD (Hutt) claimed that there should be a sliding scale.

Tho amendment was rejected by 33 vote to 19. . ' ' ' The Bill was reported with amendments. ■ ■ OATHS BILL. The Oaths Bill _,\vas put through its Committee stage, and reported'without amendment. . ' . WATER POWER WORKS SCHEME. CONSIDERATION IN COMMITTEE. In Committee on'-the Aid to "Water Power Works, . ■ . Mr. PHASER (Wakatipu) remarked that tho. House was entitled to more information as to how the money-was to bo spent. The House should be told whether it was .intended to proceed with one scheme or with th'e wliolo scheme which had been outlined. . Mr. HERRIES (Tauranga) -reminded the House that further details-had been promised. ' Mr. WILFORD (Hutt) said that the wages and fuel in counectioii with the Wellington corporation's . undertaking totalled just under three farthings per unit. ,'. ; . . ... . / . i A member: Does that cover depreciation, etc.? '■■'■. , Mr..Wilford:No. . Continuing, .Mr.. Wilford said that, if j the corporation could the powerat less than one penny per, unit: it would be of no use. . Even if the charge were three, farthings the . standing, charges .would.still, have, to vfe paid. It was, his view that unless the Government had all the necessary, data with respect to all : the.sehemes it would be better perhaps, to devote attention first of all .to the .Lake Coleridge scheme, about which most appeared to be known.. .'.-■' ■•■' .•■-.'.,, : :■ Mr. T. E.- TAYLOR (Christchurch North). said ho thought the scheme for the .central part of the North. Island, -required .most careful consideration owing to'the: costi-of,transmission. -Thequestion, was, whether Wβ' were going to authorise-money- for carrying ..* out works the details of which were to be submitted-later...'He woiild supportthe: Bill, and, hoped-, that the- Lake Cole-, ridge scheme would be undertaken first. 'Mr. POOLE (Aiickland West) ;,consideredthattTiis was a. most ambitious undertaking, which was. going to commit the country-to a tremendous ; expenditure:'.. He did. .not-, think, the. schemes.-"should be started . simultaneously, ; but one part . of : the.: country, should-not get' the "whole benefit. * .. :-,Mr. .WRIGHT , (Wellington South) thought good-would- come of- ..the scheme; but ..he hoped, that tho Government would not: attempt- to'.complete; the whole of the, schemes in fonr years. •'■ vMr.; : BUCHANAN :(Wairarapa) saidhe ..believed, from what .ho • had heard that;.the Christchurch scheme/slfould have! preference, , but -lie thought, the House should have much fuller information /than it; had at present. :■ ■'.Hβ.-; would vote against the amount authorised in-this scheme.'' .-.'.." .■■•■ . :;-.'Mr.,. ANDERSON. (Mataura) considered that "tho. local - bodies. should . be' encouraged to develop the. water, powers in-their own districts. •-■'.' / ■The PREMIER;said jthat.the-figures which.- he gave on. a , ..previous occasion were absolutely .correct; He understood that the Opposition was oppoßedto the of ;the''BilL.;! \ ■'•;, /■ '';-/'- -"•Opposition.members: No. ; : ../..■ /Sir. .Joseph i'.'Ypii j intend; to try and strangle-iit. ;• V: , ■■■..•■/.■',' :'",.-.-..;■ '•.'■,' '■-•■■;■ ".:" Continuing, Sir- Joseph. said . further' that, a critiq had appeared on the scene who had been" used .by some members for, .-the:;'purpose ■-of--, carrying-', out..''the policy of the Opposition. It would have .been- noticed that this critic was in -favour of■>.private enterprise .carrying. out;the::tvorj£.A\ ! ■!■■■• ■;' ■ .- ■ , - ; '.'..-'■■ ■■ I' "■ ''Aimeniber.: Who, is, the , critic? ; - ; . ■Sir. Joseph: -I. am/delivering the. jSpeech'.':^.,Continuing!;. Sir Joseph' said. : ; that;he.■noticed ;;thai> a Mr. Black hadstated .'that the cost •of energy; transmitted, to 'Auckland from Kaituna , would ■be.'five~6r ; Bix;tinies- as great as energyproduced -in" Auckland by steam power plants. Another point attempted to be made by 'Mr. Black was that no one knew whether •: energy could bo i trans- , mitted_ 130 miles under our. climatic conditions.; He would like! to .'point out: that in Norway'energy was\trans-mitted.:l3B:-iniles: and '126;;niiles; .inAmerica: 147 and-142-rijiles.- Under the new Lake Victoria-Johannesburg scheme ,it >ould be/trarismitted over 300. miles.' It would thus bo seen'that; Mt. Black's fears were '.purely 'imaginary. ■■ :Asregards the question of'cost, Mr. Black accepted,-Mr. Hay's figures as to the cost of constructipn. 4 Why; then; did, he not accept his • calculations'-.as tio the commercial' results- 'of - the en- : terprise?.;'■ , Mr; ; ' Hay '; said, that the cost of energy.; delivered; in .'Aucklandwould be £5 ,10s; per h.p. per annum, whilst'energy could; not be , :..developed by steam: plant" in; Auckland at under £20 per h.p.'per'arimim. The';reports showed ; that '■ the '■ power could "be; delivered , at , the switchboards, as .cheaply as .in any other country—at £3 at : any rate. Every .aspect of tho whole scheme had been gone iiito very .fully. , - '. ;

. Mr.' Heme's : You have. riot given! it toius.-' ■ ■;•..,.: '... : ■-.:■.,'.,'. :<y"-' , -..;Sb . Joseph:', Details will" be" attached. in -tlie Public.'Works.'Statement. .\ ". ■■

: . •Res'uining, Sir 'Joseph' saii that the , money could not be expended until the. details were .provided. 'The .'details, had beenN qompared! .with those' iii cprinec-' , tion with electrical enterprises Jin... other. countries..'Every safeguard had -been taken in the matter... The figures given J by the Hon. R. M'Kenzie were those contained in-Mr.. Hancock's.report. As regards, the' .figures which ho (Sir Joseph) quoted, and which were slightly higher, they'were the Department's pre-sent-day estimates, and they were, made iJ in most cases' for 100,000. h.p.: schemes. TKe coniparison with _Mr. Hay's figures was unfair: because his first;, report was less reliable-than his latter.report. ■ : •Mr. Fisher:-Who'- is responsible ..for 'the .Department's'.present-day : estimates? ■'. ■' ■■ . ,' ';.- . . ~r

' -Sir-Joseph: -The -.engineers- attached to. the.Department >.. ; , : .

. Continuing, Sir Joseph said that he believed ;it would be incomparably, be.tter for.the State to• undertake ,-the' proposals. ;The Government was onlyproposing to, develop; the; .Eaituna,Hutt,. and Lake Coleridgo schemes at 'present.;' These wonld all prove payable as the report, showed. Mr;. Black :had admitted that there would be Markets -for. :,ther- "Hutt : - and " Lake' Coleridge ..but denied : that there." was' a market for tlie. Kaituua .'scheme'. ..Thisj' however, -was incorrect. The Kaituna scheme - would be availablefor the miiies at the Th'ames, for ,the Waikato,.:the. city of Auckland, and the Bay of Plenty. In elaborating ■his proposals,:, he - (Sir Joseph)' had inxreased the estimate of cost supplied by Mr. Hay in order to allow a margin of safety. The schemes it was proposed to proceed :witli in- the first ■ instanco were. .Kaituna;. • Lake Coleridge, and Hutt.. ,; .'.-. -V . ..■'■.'■ ■■:■ ... ;

' Mr.:FISHER said the Prime Minister had announced that the Government go dn with the Kaituna, : Lake Coleridge, and : Hutt schemes. .-. Hα .wanted-to--know-how the Government, on a £300,000 scheme at tho Upper Hiltt could hope to dispose of enough power in Wellington to nay interest'on the cost when tho municipality was not oiily. supplying: power, for. its tramways, but , was actually lighting the city and supplying private consumers with electric power at what was presumably a nominal rate. ...'.■'.'

SIR JOSEPH.WARD said the Gov-' ornmont's schemes would bo available for.the public as a business concern, and if tho locai bodies wcro able ".■■ to supply powor ns cheap]} , as the Govorn■ment no doubt tho • ratepayers. would patronise them. .16 .was quite possible, some arrangement/would require to bo made with local bodies that had incurred expenditure, but he could not give details at present.

Bcpljing. to Mr. Wright, Mr. Wilford said that tho net profit per unit ill regard to tho Wellington corporation's works , was about one' farthing. _When the; clause providing that £000,000 be raised was reached, Mr. Hemes moved an amendment having for its object the substitution of some ■JlSn sum, ' BRJ . not moro ' tllau Tiio amendment was rejected by 32 votes to 17, and the Bill was then reported. .■■'"■.•

The Houso adjourned at 2 a.m,