PARLIAMENT.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1243, 27 September 1911, Page 6

PARLIAMENT.

THE HOUSE. SHIFTING THE CAPITAL. ' RAILWAY MATTERS DISCUSSED. The llousp met at 2.30 p.m. On" the motion to go into Committee of Supply, Mr. G. LAUIiENSON (Lyttelton) moved: "Thnt tho time has now arrived for Parliament, to tako into consideration the question, of shifting tho sito of tho political capital of this Dominion from Wellington, arid that tho .Government bo instructed to tako tho necessary stops to givo effect to this decision." Mr. Massoy: Wo have discussed all that before. Mr. Laursnson said ho was going to move' it again and again every clianco ho could got until tho big new Parliament House- was about to ho commenced. Ho considered that if ho succeeded in his endeavour to have a new capital built unborn generations would have cause to be .grateful. Tho cap/'tal shoiiid nut be at either extreme cud of tho Dominion. Ho snggojrod that 10,000 acres of land should bo ne.iiircd in a suitable district. J his could bo done for £200,000, and a town tor 10,000 inhabitants could belaid out. Public buildings for the purposes of Govern-e-rnment would havo to bo built at a cost which ho estimated at iCSO.OOO, but allowing for contingencies ho would say ,£900,000/i'our per cent, on tliis sum would bo •£30,000 per annum. The rents of tho city and suburban lands would more than pay that amount from the very first, and there •would also be rents to collect from the places vacated in Wellington. The proposed new capital would liavo 100,000 inhabitants by the time it was 70 years old. It could he made the most beautiful city ill Now Zealand. There could be a lake in the centre, and"the public buildings could be grouped near it. the plan of the city.'being- circular,- ! Tlio whole thing would not cost the country one brown penny. At present owing to tho difference in cost of living the Civil Servant in Wellington with £i a week was no better off than one in Christchnrch with .£2 15s. a week. Tho climate of Wellington was boisterous, and the site of tlie city laid it more open..to attack from the s?a than any other city in New Zealand. The circumscribed site of Wellington also prevented its natural expansion. Sooner or later his prop'oftf! was bound to bo carTied out. Tho Hon. T. T. Duncan (Oamara) sec- ■ onded tho /.motion. . " There was no debate. The House divided, and the motion was rejected by 33 to 22.