PARLIAMENT

Evening Post, Volume XLVI, Issue 19, 22 July 1893, Page 4

PARLIAMENT

HOUSE Or REPRESENTATIVES. ! Yesterday's Afternoon Sitting. j new bills. ] The following Bills were read a fir-t j time : — Tairua Land Bill and Wilson Land B U (Hon. Mr. M'Kenzie), North of Auck- j land Counties Vehicle Licensing Bill (Hou | Mr. Seddon), Customs and Excise Duties ! Ao^ Amendment Bill (Hon. Mr. Ward). MANUFACTURES AND INDUSTRIES. On tho MINISTEE for EDUCATION moving to set up the Manufactures and Industries Committee, Mr. MEEEDITH urged the claims of tl-o flax industry in tho Manawatu, and suggested that Mr. Wilson be placed on the Committee to represent it. Captain RUSSELL quoted figures to show that the imposition of protective duties in the colony had not resulted in proportionate increase in the protected industries. The forcing of industries before the country was ripe for them simply led to sweating and all the abuses of cheap labour. After further discussion, Mr. EARNSiIAW said we were fostering many industries that, simply resulted in tho employment of boy and inrl labour, and the unfitting of them for other purposes. Mr. BEUCE said if an industry was a payable industry, labour and capital would now towards it without protection. After debate the committ-e was set up, to consist of Messrs. Duncan, Wilson, Lawry, Mitchelson, O'Conor, Pinkorton, E. M. Smith, Tanner, and the mover. FINANCIAL DIBIT*. Mr. CARNCBOSS resumed the debate at 4.15 p.m. He congratulated the Colonial Treasurer on placing a plain straightforward Statement before the House, especially in its admission as to the increase in the public debt. He dealt with the various aßpects of the Statement, and hoped the House would see to it that the snrplnß was not too greatly reduced in the Supplementary Estimates. He stronsrly urged that steps be taken to establish* intercolonial reciprocity. He could not support '* another turu of the screw" in the matter of the increase of the Graduated Tax. He considered that instead the exemptions should be rednced. Bay, to £150. Mr. T. MACKENZIE congratulated Mr. Carncross on the tone and excellence of bis speech. He urged on the Minister for Agriculture, who he believed honestly did his bejt for the agriculturists of the colony, to bring in legislation to secure the purity of gra»s-*eed. Annual rye-grass was being sold instead of perennial, aud this was particularly serious in bush districts, where, the grass having failed to come up in the second year, the land could not be ploughed and re-sown. He approved of a Minister having a Beit on the Board of Railway Commissioners, but not with the power of veto, and he considered that though the Commissioners had done a great deal in the reduction of tariffs and fares and the improvement of the service, there w.is still room for great improvement, and he particularly urged the heating of carriages in cold weather on the Southern lines, and the establishment of dining-cars. Evening Sitting. Mr. MACKENZIE continued his address. He contended that before disoussing the Statement they shonld have the Publio Works Statement before them. So far as the Colonial 1 reusurer had been able to break through the thralls of officialdom, he had told the truth in his Statement. After doaling with the constitution ot the surplus and the figures of the Statement, Mr. Mackenzie strongly condemned the Income Tax, which, he said, oonld novcr be definitely ascertained. On the West Coast the Premier said that the Atkinson Administration had placed .£623,000 of taxation i n the land, while at Kaitangata he said the sum was £395.000. Which was correct? Tho average taxation for 1888-90 was only £36,000 more than in 1886. The present Ministry was taking considerably more from the pockots of the people. The speaker recounted various recess statements of the Premier and Minister for Labour respecting the holding of land which he characterised as recklessly inaccurate. The legislation of the Minister for Labour was all in the direction of pulling down, and he cared for nothing so long as he remaine 1 in office. The Minister for Lands wns to he congratulated on the businesslike manner iv which he was dealing with the Cheviot estate. The chief drawback was the lemoteness from the railways. The proposed exemption of improvements would benefit the oities and towns rather than the country. After dealing with the effect of the taxation, he claimed that though the Premier denied having said that all the taxation should be put on the land, the Minister for Labour had said that this would be justifiable. Had the Property Tax been continued with a a graduated scale the duty might have now been removed from the neoessaries of life. The workers were now paying the bulk of the taxation. He defended Sir Harry Atkinson's Administration from the charges brought against it at Cbristchuroh by the Minister for Labour. Mr. PINKEBTON claimed that the most of the speakers during the Debate had said little about the Financial Statement and its policy, and contented themselves with raking up old Hansards and old newspapers to attaak the ministry. This was a compliment to tho Colonial Treasurer, as evidently many numbers could find little fault with his Budget. He had an intimate knowledge of the co-operative workers. Ho knew first-class men who could not earn more than 7s a- day. They were, therefore, not likely to leave regular employ, as suggested, to go on these work?. He considered tho amalgamation of the Bailway and Publio Works Departments advisable — at least so far as railway construction was concerned. At To Aro railway, the Commissioners were now altering what, the Publio Works Department had constructed. That was evidence of the need for the Department which worked the railways having their construction in hand. The Government of the day should oontrol the railways. He strongly deprecated the continual dragging before the Honse of the private affairs of a newspaper. That sort of thing was neither edifying to the HouXb, nor satisfactory to the country. After dealing with various points in the Statement, be conoluded by congratulating the Colonial Treasurer on his efforts to Ijring about intercolonial reciprocity. Mr. M'GUIRE urged the purchase of the native lands. Ho also spoke highly of the working of the West Coast Settlement Act. Mr. Bolleston was to be congratulated on the assistance he gave the Board. The need for roads in the newly-settled districts of Taranaki was next urged. I.'ef ei ring to the co-operative works, he Baid ho would rather see people settled on the land than engaged on these wcrks. He had Been the co-opera-tive unemployed spending their earnings in country hotels while their wives were receiving charitable aid in the cities. He approved of the exemptions of improvements, and hoped the system would be extended to local rating. Ho would never vote for returning the railways to political control. Mr. BUICIC, referring to the recrimination of Messrs. Fisher and M'Lean, said the electors sent them to the House not to discuss each other, but to disonss the affairs of the country, and he hoped the next time the Wellington members desired to wash their dirty linen they would go down to the end of the wharf to do it. Tho Statement was an excellent one. The Government, while showing a disposition to relieve taxation, had not starved public works, and notwithstanding this they had a surplus. Tho co-operative system was excellent in theory, but in practice its success depended on the administration of tho engineers. He approved the remission of improvements, but did not support tho principle of an increase in the Graduated Tax, and thought the exemptions should have been abolished. However, as largo hind-owners would still pay lesß than under the Property Tax, he would support the proposed increase. He congratulated the Minister for Lands on his administration, especially instancing tho impetns givento settlement in the Marlborough disdrict. He also commended the pnrchasc of the Cheviot eßtate, and though he disapproved of the principlo of disposing of the freehold of a portion of the land, he was satisfied that the Minister for Lands would not proposo it if it were not nccousary. His views as to railway matters were unchanged, though his mind was open to receive modifitions and fresh impressions when the railway Bill came on for discussion. The debate was adjourned, on the motion of Mr. C. H. MILLS, and tho House rose at 12.25 p m.