HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3157, 10 August 1881, Page 2

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Tuesday. The House met at 2.30. NOTICES OP MOTION. Mr Tole gave notice to ask if the Government would make provision for annual encampments of volunteers in the interest of population. Mr Moss gave notice that on the second reading of the Representation Bill being moved he would move as an amendment that the proportion of the representation between the two Islands should not be dis- j turbed, and that any redistribution of x should be internal as regarded each Island. REPORT COMMITTEES. The Petitions Committee recommended that Mr M'llhone, of the Thames, be paid £75 as inspector of miner's rights in addition to the salary already drawn. The report was referred to the Government,

THE £300 PAID TO MB BEES. > The" Public, Accounts. Committee reported frith regard to the £300 paid to Mr Rees that it devolved on the Government either to proceed against the Ministers who authorised the payment or to place the amount on the estimates as unauthorised expenditure. In answer to Mr Sheehan, who hoped the late Ministry would be tried by their peers, Mr Hall said he would consider the means to be adopted for affording the House an opportunity of discussing the report. ABOLITION OE GOLD DUTY. The Goldfields Committee reported with respect to the Gold Duty Abolition Bill tbat the duty should be wholly abolished, and recommended that ifc bo amended accordingly. Mr Brown asked if the Government would take up the bill. Mr Hall replied in the negatife. The bill was ordered to bo committed on Thursday. THE DETACHED SQUADRON. Mr Hall, in tabling some correspondence Relative to. the movements of the detached Squadron, denied a statement that had been circulated that the Government were in some way connected with the change of programme whereby the visit of the squadron to New Zealand had been abandoned. QUESTIONS. Replying to questions, it was stated that the accident last September on the Rimutaka line Was due to the force of the wind and not to any cause arising out of the making up of the train—that opinion was concurred in by all the experts connected with the New Zealand railway lines ; the landing of kerosene oil was provided for by the Dangerous Goods Act, the carrying 'out of the provisions of which rested with the municipalities ; the Government recognised the justice of the claim for the establishment of a high _.hooi on the West Coast of the Middle I&land, and the application would be kept in View, although there was no probability of a bill for the purpose passing this session ; the Government would enquire into the probable cost of a bridge to connect Greymoufch with Cobden, and if tho amount was reasonable provision would be made for its' construction ; the names, addresses, and other information relative to registration officers and their duties would be advertised in tho public Press; the claim of Jas. Thompson, of Arahura, Wesfcland, had been disallowed by various Ministries as being unfounded, and the Government would take no action regarding it. NEW BILLS. The following bills were introduced and read a first time:—Prisons Act, 1873, Amendment Bill (Dick) ; bill to provide for the better abatement of the rabbit nuisance (Rolleston) ; bill to shorten the duration of Parliaments, so that members may bo elected year by year (Wallis). HARBOR BOARD ENDOWMENTS. Mr Hall refused to give the consent of the Crown to a large number of Harbor Board Endowment Bills, which therefore could not be introduced. SUPPLY. On the motion for going into Committee of Supply, Mr Murray moved as an amendment that the estimates be reduced by £50,000. Mr Bolleston complained that the amendment did not indicate the direction in which the reduction was proposed to be made, The debate was interrupted by the 5.30 adjournment. The House resumed at 7.30. THE PUBLIC WORKS STATEMENT. Mr Hall delivered the Public Works Statement. He began by regretting the loss of Mr Oliver and the heavy task thereby imposed on him. After recapitulating the contents of the tables attached to the printed statement he proceeded to speak of the railways. He said the considerable expenditure of the year, amounting to £969,165, has been almost wholly upon works already begun before the period 1880-81. Including the expenditure during the first quarter of the current year, and the liabilities outstanding on the 30th June last, it has not exhausted the votes of last year. No single group of lines can be said to be absolutely finished and provided with suitable appliances, but he was glad to inform the House that the calls for additional accommodation and increased plant are diminishing in importance, the lines being for the most part equal to an extended traffic. Mr Hall then referred to the various lines. Beginning in the North, after alluding to the Kawakawa and Whangarei lines and the Kaipara line, he proceeded as follows:—

Auckland-Waikato.—Of considerable interest to the colony at large is the advance (since the date of the last statement) on the southern side of Auckland to Awamutu, a point within three miles of the southern boundary and the confiscated territory in the Waikato district. The line thus extended is now close on 100 miles in length, and with the Kaipara line will form a continuous railway of 140 miles.

_ Napier-Wellington.—The northern division of the trunk line between Hawke's Bay and Wellington has been lengthened by 4 miles 13 chains, ending at Makatoku, and opened last year. The gap in the trunk line is thus reduced to about 80 miles. The exact position of a portion of the Work remaining to be constructed within the Seventy-mile Bush has not been yet determined. Some work has been done on the southern division of this railway, but no extension has been effected, and the northern terminus remains at Masterton.

New Plymouth-Foxton. — The northern division of this trunk line, being the portion from New Plymouth to Hawera, a length of about 51 miles, is completed; 12 miles between Ngaere and Normanby were opened for traffic during the last financial year, and the remainder will be opened in a few days. The southern division of the New Ply-mouth-Foxton line, being the length between Hawera and Foxton, has now a total extension of 98 miles, of which 19 miles between Kai Iwi and Waverley have been opened during the year. The length remaining to unite Waverley and Hawera is 25 miles, of which the precise direction between Manutahiand Hawera is as yet undetermined. The present surveyed lino passes near the coast, but we consider that it would be preferable to adopt one further inland if it should turn out to be economically pradicHble. Tho Wanganui wharf has been finished and lias a total frontage available for vessels of about 950 feet. Steps are being taken to provide necessary station buildings on the reclamation, and to bring the new station into proper working order. Foxton-Wellington.—The earthworks on this part of the trunk line (the total length of which is about 70 miles) were begun in the neighborhood of Wellington by the labor of the " unemployed," but funds not being available for its continuation tho works have been discontinued. The House will be aware that with a view to carrying on the project a company lias been initiated in Wellington. The promoters have been in treaty with the Government for terms, including the grant of lands on the line, of the earthworks executed, and of material already provided. Tho Government propose also to undertake the definition and survey of the whole lino, and, in any arrangement which may be made, to reserve to the colony the right of purchase. The completion of this work would open unbroken railway communication between Wellington and the whole Wanganui and Taranaki country by a line of 240 miles. This matter will eomo before the Legislature in connection with a bill to be introduced empowering grants of land for purposes of this kind.

Summing up the additions made to the working lines in both islands during the year, we have a total of 106 miles. This gives a length of 1287 miles of trunk railways and branches now in work. To complete the mam trunk lines in both islands the following additions will be required. In the #ort_i Island from Wellington to Foxton,

70 miles ; from Waverlcy to Hawera, 25 milf\s; and from Waitara to Awamutu, 120 miles : being a total of 215 mile 3, besides a gap of 80 miles on the Wellington Napier line. I now come to the proposed railway works. It is proposed to finish the equipment and minor works still necessary on the Kaipara line, of which the last section has just been opened. The Waikato-Thames vote will cover the cost of the bridge over the Waikato at Hamilton, and continue the line for a great part of the distance towards the Thames at Aroba. It also provides for the construction of the Thames portion of the line as far as Kopu. Upon the branch Hamilton to Cambridge, about 13 miles in length, it is proposed to break ground. Tho country is easy, and the line will be much below the average in cost. It will demand little additional plant, and possesses considerable political as well as commercial importance. The works towards Tahoraite. on the northern division of tho Napier-Wel-lington line, will bo carried on, and for completing outstanding contracts and engagements on the southern division a considerable siim will be required. A small vote is required to wind up accounts on the works of the Wellington-Foxton line, including payment for land. The vote asked for the northern division of the Foxtan-New Plymouth line will complete the works now in hand-.

Roads.—There is a distinction between our other suggestions and those for roads to open Crown lands. Tho full amount required for roads of this class, viz., £150,000, will be shown in the estimates, but it is proposed to extend the construction over three years, and not to expend more than some £50,000 during the current year. It is of importance to .complete the drainage of the Te Ai'olia block, and to continue to improve the coastal main line of road from Tauranga to Opotiki and East Cape, also to follow up the construction of the important line from Cambridge to Rotorua, which, when available for wheeled traffic, will complete a coach road from Wellington to Auckland. Another important section between Cambridge and Taupo, which will form part of a future main line from Waikato to Hawke's Pay, should not be lost sight of. Sums varying in amount will be asked for these works, as also a moderate amount to improve a set of roads in the Bay of Plenty, branching inland from the coastal main road. The importance of opening the extensive East Coast district has received much consideration. The road line from Opotiki to Gisborne has been under construction during the past year. It is very desirable to complete it, and so establish communication between tho Bay of Plenty and Poverty Bay. Branching from this road an inland land line has been explored and surveyed to the valley of Waiapu. Another road is to connect Gisborne with the Waimata blocks. That from Gisborne to Wairoa, with branches to Crown lands, requires forming so as to afford the opportunity of settling a country which for the present may be said to be heremetically sealed from settlement. Coming to Hawke's Bay, it is proposed to open a road from Waii-da to some considerable areas of Crown lands on the Mohaka, and to assist in the opening of the Puketitiri bush by a road, the local bodies cooperating. The roads through Crown lands begun in the Seventy-mile Bush are to be extended from several points, according to the demands of settlement. The sheep quarantine reserve of 59,000 acres in the south-east corner of Hawke's Bay being no longer required for that purpose is to be laid out preparatory to disposal.

After the Public Works Statement the debate was resumed on the motion for going into Committes of Supply, and Mr Murray's amendment to reduce the estimates by £50,000. Sir George Grey supported the necessity and practicability of such a reduction, and urged that the estimates be not pushed till Messrs Seed and Batkin's report and certain returns he had asked for were before the

House

After some remarks from Mr Moss and Mr Thompson in favor of the amendment, the House divided on the motion for going into Committee of Supply : —Ayes, 40 ; noes, 36. The amendment was therefore negatived. In Committee of Supply the consideration of Class 11. was resumed in the Government Statist's Department, £7109. A motion to reduce the Registrar-General's salary from £550 to £400 was negatived, and the vote passed. Geological and Meteorological Department, £3403. Mr Levestam characterised this as the Humbug Department, and moved a reduction of £800, so as to get rid of all but the weather reporter, but tho motion was negatived by 30 to 17. A further amendment to strike out the Assistant Geologist's salary was negatived on the voices, and the vote passed. The Agent-General's Department, £3315, was passed after considerable discussion. The votes Charitable Aid £39,796, and Lunatic Asylums £35,289, were passed. Progress was reported, and the House rose at 1.15.