THE ESTIMATES

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3191, 15 September 1917, Page 8

THE ESTIMATES

PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS

The House went into Committee on Che Estimates. . Tho Public Buildings vote, out of which limntenauco of public buildings is provided, whs tho first submitted. Mr. Ell raised a discussion on the delay on the construction of %rliument Buildings. Two or three members raged on tho subject for an hour or so. Tho Minister of Public Works said that le would do his best to have tho Chamber and other rooms necessary ready, for occupation next session. He would not promise that they would be ready—merely that he would do his best, to have them ready. Nor would lie allow !hr rooms to tie occupied before they wore finished, because this would give the contractor a' claim on account of interruption of his work. Hβ assured members that he was very anxious to get the building rc-i.dy for occupation. The vote was passed nt 7.H0 without amendments. Land at Tokaanu. On the Native Department vote, Mr. A. H. Hiudinarsh asked whether anything had been done to individualise the titles to the land round about

hokaanii. Home of Ihe land there was good, but it, was rapidly being overgrown with blackberry. No Native could cultivate. One had tried lo do it, and had been interfered with by another Maori. It. would cost a great deal io dear the blackberry, and while it was getting worse nil (he time. the. Native Land Court did not press Iho matter. This was Hie firth year in which ho had mentioned this matter. "The Native Land Court goes there and a witness docs not turn up, and the Court is adjourned, and the Judge, has ii. good day's fishing," said Mr. Hindmarsh. "This lias beeu soing on not from "vvcok to week or month to month, but from year to year." He urged that the Court should exercise more compulsion. Tho present situation was demoralising to the Natives.

Dr. Newman spoke of the hot springs on the slopes of Tongariro, and urged that the Government make them easier of access notv that tho road through to Tokaanu was finished.

The Minister (the Hon. W. H. Herries) said that lie had made several attempt* to buy the springs, but tho Natives would not ?ell, and lie. could not compel them to sell. He would, however, rcako another attempt to buy them. Referring to the land at Tokaafm, he said that the Court hud recently been sitting there, and now certain of tho biggest block had beeu clothed with titles. Appeals were now being heard. Hn hud proclaimed some of .the land, and he was trying to purchiKi , it for the Crown. Hβ thought this would get over the difficulty about deterioration of the land because of its lying unoccupied. The Scales of Justice. On the Justice vote, Mr. A. H. Hindmarsh said he thought the Minister should bjs're a report from the head of the Department on tho working of the Justices of tho Peace Act and the Magistrate's Court Act. Hβ declared that justice was dispensed most unequally. Sometimes ii man was fined £1 for a. savage assault, and sometimes for a trivial offence a mini was filled J!5, even though he might lie a first offender. He detailed a number of cases in which, he said, Magistrates had given unjust decisions. A number of , members urged the Minister to appoint more Justices of the Peace, for the reason that the lack of Justices was a cause of grave inconvenience in country districts. Mr. T. M. "Wilford said* that he thought Magistrates in the large_centres should receive higher salaries, "wore important work was yearly being , put upen Magistrates, and the best men available should bo secured. He thought, also, that at least two new Judges should be apnolnted to the Supreme Court Bench. TII9 Minister of Justice said that the recently-issued list of justices had contained three hundred or four hundred new names. Other names hud been withheld for inquiry. It was essential that inquiry should be made before men were made Justices of the Peace, and the Department would not be justified in. making appointments merely mt (fie recommendation of members of Parliament. The revision of the list had been done carefully, hut some mistakes had occurred. He intended to bring before Cabinet the question of Magistrates' salaries. 1C was very difficult to get suitable men to accept appointment to the Magisterial Bench at the present salaries. The lack of uniformity In the decisions of Magistrates seemed to he unavoidable. Men could not bo made uniform, and there were substantial, reasons why the Government should not interfere with the Magistrates in individual cases. Mr) K A. Wright (Wellington Suburbs) urged the Minister to consider tho advisaWeness of appointing some women as Justices of the Peace. Suitable women could bp found, and experience in other countries, had shown Hint woirpn were fitted for the work that fell to the lot. of a justice. Chances of Venue. Mr. A. H. , Hindniarsh (\Vcllinglon South) protested against the trial of prisoners in centres where their witnessed did not reside. He mentjjried that Mr. P. C. Webb, M.P.. had been tried in Christchurch in spite of his request to bo taken to Cireyniouth, where he would be able to secure witnesses.' Very, great injustice was often done in this way. The Attorney-General (the Hon. A. L. Hcrdnian) said the only object tho Crown had in view in changing venue whs to securo ii fair trial for tho accused person, '['hero were occasions when it appeared that $n individual would not secure a fair trial in a particular district. In the case mentioned by tho member for 'Wellington South, the accused person could have made upplicalion for witnesses, njd Iho Crown would have, procured them. It was the custom to bring witnesses in such cases. If a prisoner was embarrassed in gclti.nsr his witnesses the Crown would help him. He was convinced that no injustice was done. Prison Warders. Mr. G. Witty (Riccarton). moved that Ihe vote for prisons should be reduced by £1 as an indication that the wages oi' prison warders should bo increased. After discussion the amendment was rejected on the voices. Mr. W. A. Wright (Wellington Suburbs) referred to tho facilities offered to bookmakers in Wellington by the public Departments. Ho said that bookmaker* had tho full use of the. telephones and tho telegraph service, and it appeared that no attempt was made to check them in their operations. Tho Attorney-General (the Hon. A...T* Herdman) said Iho real position was that the law was defective. It was not illegal at tho present time for a person to bet. unless he, did his betting in a public place or in an hotel or en. a race, course. The only wa.v to stop bookmakers from operating would bo to make imprisonment the penalty. Tho Polico Department had been doing Hβ beet. It was a matter of very great difficulty to detect bookmakers, but during tho last twelvo months the police, ha/1 secured 65 convictions. The fines inflicted hod aggregated over ,22000. After passing 'the estimates of tho Department of Mines the Committee reported progress, and the House rose at 0.13 a.m.