PARLIAMENT.

Evening Post, Volume XLI, Issue 138, 13 June 1891, Page 4

PARLIAMENT.

A_ gg 7TOT7SF, OV TiKPRRfiRNTATIVES. YIVIUIUjAVh AITERNOON SITTINO. NEW niLLH. "Bills wore intioduccd as follows, and rend tho first timo:--By Mr. Fisher— Eight Hours Bill, Agent-Genoral Limitation of Office Hill, Companies Amendment Act Bill, Hill to prevent the Sale of Intoxicating Liquors to Children, Manual and Technical Elementary Instruction Bill, and Public Schools Bill. Mr. Taylor— Coroners' In-fpio-sts Kill, and Itorough of S3 r dcnham Fa • diwmout Uill. Mr. G. Hntohfaon -Games and Lotteries Jiili. Hon. Mr. Riclmrdfon — Now 'Zealand li>ntituto ol Surveyors Bill. Hon Mr. Hallanoo-- Electoral Bill, Civil Service Bill, and Wanganui Heads Signal-station Reservo Exchange Bill. Hon. Mr. Soddon — Coal Mines Bill, Promoters' and Directors' Liability Bill, and Mining Bill. Mr. Palmor — Dentiato' Act Amendment Bill, and Juries Act Amondmont Bill. SESSIONAL COMMITTEES. Several HCH.sional committees woro set up without debate AN OPPOSITION GRIEVANCE. On tho motion to appoint a Public Petitions (M to J) Committee, consisting of Messrs. Earnshaw, Fish, Houston, J. Kolly, C. H. Mills, Maguiro, Mooro, Swan, J. W. Thomson, and tho Minister for Education, Tho Hon. G. F. RICHARDSON pointed out that it consisted of eight Government supporters: and only two Oppositionists, and that tho list had not boon submitted to the lending membors of tho Opposition, as had boon tho custom. Tho PREMIER was not awaro that there was any recognised rulo to consult tho Opposition, though he knew it had boon done in Homo instances. Ho considered tho committoo was quite fairly constituted, but if fcho lion, gcntloman would indicate nny unfairness ho would ontortain tho objection. Mr. RICHARDSON reminded tho Government that most of tho mombors of tho comraittoo woronowly-oloctod, and inoxporienced in committee work. Thu motion viiih carried on tho voices. WASTK LANDS COMMITTEE. Tho nomincOH of tho Government for mjmborsbip of tho Wasto Lands Committee woro tho Minister for Lands, tho Hon. Mr. .Richardson, Mossrs Dnnean, W. C. Smith, Rhodos, Hogg, Meredith, C. H. Mills, 14. Thoiniisnn, and Mackintosh. Tho Hon. Mr. BRYCE culled attention to tho omission from the Committeo of Messrs. llollcaton and Macarthur, who were preuminontly qnalifiod for seats upon it, and >ukod tho Minister for Lands to givo his reasons, if thoro woro uny, for tlioir oxclu* Dion. Tho MINISTER for LANDS challongcd tho Opposition to namo any ono of tho propped members of tho Committoo Who was uot qualified for momborship. Ho admittod tho capabilities of MoanM. Rolloston and Maoarthur, but said thoro was no dosiro to oxolado them, and ho had picked out what ho considorod to bo a fair Committeo. The motion was agreed to. THE STOCK DEPARTMENT. fjpoaking to tho motion to sot up tho Stock and Rabbits Committoo, Sir JOHN HALL oallod attention to tho omission of tho namo of tho Hon. G. F. Richardson, who was until lately tho Minister in chargo of the Stock Department, and whoao cxperionco would havo boon valnablo to tho country on tho Committeo. Tho Hon. Mr. RICHARDSON thought thut porhaps tho rounon for leaving him off tho Committee was that tho Govornmcnt preferred to havo tho charges of maladministrn- • ' tion made against him (tho speakor) by tho i prcsont Minister of Lands brought out on tho lloor of tho Houao rathor than in tho Committoo. (Hon. Mr. M'KENZIE— Hoar, hear.) Ho flatly contradictod^ tho charges of oxtravaganco in having six sheep inspectors in different parts of tho oalony spending money without control from tho head office. If the lion, gontleman know anything of tho Troasury systems ho would know that such a state of _ things was übsolutoly impossible Again tho Minister had said therg was not ono of tho I'ito hoads of tho department worthy of confidonce. Without any disparagement of tho 1 tho present Chief Inspector, who was said to havo boon vory successful in clearing ono particular run of rabbits, ho maintained that thoro woro men in tho departmont who had boon equally suocossfnl, not raoroly on ono rnu, but ovor tho wholo sido of tho country. Under tho six-head system tho colony had boon cleared of scab, whilo Otago and Southland, formerly districts worst infostcd with r.ibbits, showed last yenr an improvement of 355,000 sheop. What bettor proof could thoro bo of success attending hi« administration. It was discreditable that a Ministor should go about tho country making such charges against public oflioials and holding up his hands in holy horror. It was upon tho recommendation of tho Joint Stock Committoo, adopted by tho House, that tho offico of Chiof Inspector was abolished and tho colony was divided into six districts with an Inspector ovor oach, in direct communication with tho Ministor. And, furthonnoro, it was tho presont Ministor who moved that tho Govornmont should givo effect to that recommendation. Was it not unconstitutional for ' tho Ministor to act now in dofinnco of tho decision of both Houses, and to ohargo his Erodeeessor with maladministration for aving obeyed tho command P Tho MINISTER for LANDS said itwaß well known that tho roport just cjuotod was only adoptod because tho thon Chiof Inspector was unsuitable for tho office, and tho Committeo wished to lot him down lightly because Mr. Richardson had not the moral courage to dismiss him. (Oh !) When he oimo into offico he found that tho Inspectors wore not proporly carrying out tho Act, and thoroforo ho had a porfoct right to take his own course, irrespective of what happened throo years before. The Babbit Department had boon entirely neglected, and Otago was \ never iixsach a doplorablo stato as at presont, for aftor oight years' oxporionoe of the Rabbit Act tho posts were more numerous than ever. Troasury returns would show that last year J68448 was spent in contracts for the do- > stmotion of rabbits, apart from salaries, and tho Ministor had no direct control over them. Mr. RICHARDSON dqnied that any contract was ovor lot without boing first submitted to Wellington and approved. Tho MINISTER for LANDS claimed thore was no proof that tho contracts woro carried out, and said he had fonnd it absolutely nocossary to appoint an officor to havo j propor control of these contracts. Sinco ho into office ho had hod to opprovo of tho pnjrmonts of money spont by inßpootors, of wliich Mr. Richardson lmd had no knowledge. Inspectors had charged for tho uso of thoir own housos— [This Mr. Richardson doniod] — and thoy doolarod thoir own housos to be offices, and charged rent for thorn. They had drawn .£560 in tho year as travelling nllowancos over and abovo their railway passes, and it seemed somo of them had bean away from home almost every day of the I year. But whonover he (tho Ministor) wont about tho country ho gonorally found thorn at homo, or wherever a lawn tennis court, a bowling green, or a cricket field was to be found. Mr. RICHARDSON, as a point of order, protested against such wholesale charges being made against mon who wore not able . to dofend themselves. Tbo SPEAKER said that was no point of order, but merely a question of taste. Tho MINISTER of LANDS said ho had , been provoked by demands for tho reasons , why he had spoken as he did at Palmerston South, and that was why ho was speaking. Ho was propared to meet Mr. Richardson in regard to any action he had taken in tho management of his department. If Mr. Richardson ohoso to drag the affairs of those officers bofore the Houso and the country, ho (Mr. M'Konzio) would have to speak out. , Mr. RICHARDSON thought such charges 'as had just boon made ought to bo put properly upon tho tablo of tho House. , The MINISTER of LANDS challenged Mr. Riohordson, if he were still dissatisfied, to take the proper oourso of moving a motion of no-confidence in the Ministor for Lands. __JThe motion to appoint the committee woe agreed to. THE UNEMPLOYED. Mr. FISHER moved his resolutions in favour of granting an adoquate area of land, on the solo condition of beneficial occupation, to every man who is able and willing to work ; by placing tho entire cost of and responsibility for tho poor upon looal 'bodies, and placing blocks of land at their disposal, to bo assigned iv small allotments to tho ablo-bodied poor ; also affirming tho necossity of a readjustment of portfolios, so that ono Ministor can givo his time oxolusivoly to land administration. ;Thoso, ho explained, worcanoxaot roproduotoon of motions tabled by tho late Mr. Maoandrow several years ago. While he acknowledged tho friendly attitudo of tho iQovornmont towards tho cause of labour he earnestly pressed his motion upon thoir notice * Tho PREMIER said tho Government were in sympathy with tho torms of the motion, and thoy intended to mako proposals in regard to tho unemployed which thoy believed would be satisfactory. But they could not approve of tho principle of throwing tho ontiro cost of the maintenance of the'poor upon the local bodies, especially p the presont condition of local finances. As to tho portfolio of Lands, it was already in tho hands of r. responsible Ministor, who, he believed, was qnito capable of discharging the duties of all his offices. As tho House igrecd with the spirit of the resolution, he irged Mr. Fisher to withdraw it. * Several members spoke to the question. 11 Mr. O'CONOR ridiouled the idea of putring the unemployed upon land without the nouns of utilising it. Mr. FISHER withdrew the motion. A FREE BREAKFAST-TABLE. t Mr. FISHER moved his resolution in avour of the 'romission of Customs duties ipon tea, sngar, and coffee, and artiolos of fenoral consumption, and tho raising of •ovonuo by- the taxation of musical nstrnments, vehicles, and luxuries. This, io thought, ought to bo in accord with tho .liberal policy, because iho Premier had laid town in ISB7 a Liberal platform in which >ne of tho chief planks was to be tho removal •fibo duties upon tea and sugar. .Tho PREMIER satirically thanked Mr. Wisher for -his readiness to assist tho Goornmont, but said the amount of revenue* rhioh ho asked tho Government to part with ros Tho total value of the mportations of tho "'luxuries" specified was 355,000, and in order to raiso tho reuircd sum through them it would bo necesary to impose upon them duties of 100 per ent., whflo the causoof local industry 'ould not bo advancod. Ho twittod Mr. Hsher with haying boon a member of tbo tovernmont which raised tho tea duty from dto 6d per lb, and seourcd the support of ac •Protectionists in that regard by holding rer their heads a threat that unless thov ipportod tho proposal they would lose the lodioum of protection they had. He agreed iat' it was desirable to take tho duties off le necessaries of life, but not in tho way fdposod by the resolution. The Governont had to mako up a certain amount of ivenuo, and ho need scarcely say tbo Gojrnment could not agreo to tho motion. Messrs. TAYLOR and E. M. SMITH led up tho time till 5.30; when tho dobato ft? ftdjoutned till Tuesday nozt.