PARLIAMENT.

Dunstan Times, Issue 1842, 12 November 1897, Page 3

PARLIAMENT.

Waikato and Thames residents having petitioned the Council for an amendment of the Beetroot Sugar Bill, the petition has been recommended by the Public Petitions Committee to the favorable consideration of the Government. It is impossible to say when the report of the commissioner who is inquiring into claims under the Naval and Military Settlers’ Act will be ready. A number of necessary improvements in our railways are to be laid before the House shortly by the Minister of Railways. During the year ended March 31 last 158 totalisator permits were granted, covering 250 days’ racing. The State tax received from this source amounted to £12,079. The sum of £805,149 passed through the machine. The Government have no intention of introducing any amendment to the Babbit Act during the present session. During the past year sixty-two permits were granted by the Colonial Secretary to persona connected with religious denominations, of which thirty were claimed by the Church of England, twenty-nine by the Roman Catholics, and three by Presbyterians. The receipts for the last three years from the Land Tax are shown by a return presented yesterday as follows :—1894-95, £280,188 ; 1895-96, £271,394 ; 1896-97, £272,309. Income Tax at 6d—1894-95, £27,931; 1895-96, £28,807; 1896-97, £29,478. At 15—1894-95. £61,957 ; 1895-96, £61,020 ; 1896-97, £71,525. Special—--1895-96, £2,950 ; 1896-97, £4,500. Mr Rclleston is inquiring whether the attention of the Government has been called to the Etard or permanganate process, as lectured on by Dr Black in Dunedin ; if so, whether they intend to purchase the patent ? The Government are being asked by the Hon. G, F. Richardson what has been done with the £150,000 the proceeds of condols, which was deposited by them with the Colonial Bank some two years since ? It is officially estimated that there were lost in the Tasmania 5,157 letters, 1,922 books, 6,264 newspapers, 95 registered letters, and 36 parcels. The following is the return of the cost of the Terranora:—Paid by the Government for the purchase, £2,500 ; cost of all work and alterations, materials used to fit the steamer for cable, etc., £2,037; price obtained for the vessel when sold, £957 ; value of Services performed for the colony, £5,666 : approximate estimate of cost of work if performed by the Cable Company’s steamer, £25,000. The consolidating and amending Bill brought in by the Government under the title of the Land and Income Assessment Bill proposes to repeal the five measures passed under the same titles since 1891. It consists of ninety clauses, most of which are reproductions from existing Acts. _ Among the new provisions is one declaring that payments made by a husband to a wife or by a wife to a husband shall not be deducted from the amount of income. Power is given to the Governor-in-Council to make provision for the assessment and taxation of taxpayers absent from or not permanently resident in New Zealand, whether or not they are represented by agents here. The Premier, in answer to a question by Mr Taylor, told the House on Wednesday that the present system of charitable aid was most defective, and that some change must take place. Ho was also of opinion that if the management of charitable aid were left more in the hands of the people and not in the hands of a few and those who represent the few, as was the case now, they would have it managed more satisfactorily. In the Local Government measure he was enlarging the franchise, and if this measure did not get through this session he thought the House, before proroguing, ought to pass legislation enlarging the franchise. The intention of the Government regarding the reduction of interest on post office savings bank deposits was ascertained in the House on Wednesday by Mr Crowther, who asked if it were true that from the present month interest to be paid on sums ranging from £2OO to £SOO will be at the rate of only 2£ per cent. —The Premier, replying, said that there was a large sum of money in the post office for which they had no investment. The Australian banks doing business in New Zealand had some months ago brought the rate of interest down to the sum proposed. If he raised the rates of interest above that given by the banka it prevented moneys from being invested in industries and encouraging settlement, and would otherwise militate against the colony. The real reason for the reduction, however, was that such a large sum of money was on hand in the post office that they could only get for their investments fully 1 per cent. less than they received before. He was watching the matter very carefully, and if he found that there was any indication of money rising in price he would act accordingly! He would like to give the poor of the country the highest rates of interest Eossible.— Mr Buchanan: Could not the on. gentleman have used some other word than “poor”?—Mr Seddon : Very well; say the thrifty. The question of the renewal of the San Francisco mail service will be submitted to the House before the session closes.

A depqtation comprising the Hon. Mr Larnach and some Southland members watted on the Minister of Works on Thursday and asked his assistance in connection with the Renot-Roxhurgh eTtenwou, end &\ao for the Otago Central. The Hon. Mr HallJonea promised to visit Otago during the recess, and to inspect both lines. Meanwhile he would bring the matter before the Cabinet and do what he could to further the wishes of the deputation. Rating on unimproved values is, in the opinion of the Premier, likely to be unanimously adopted by the different local bodies.