PARLIAMENTARY NOTES.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LIII, Issue 9417, 16 August 1907, Page 5

PARLIAMENTARY NOTES.

THE TARIFF. '. (By Telegraph— SDecial to Stab.) ! WELLINGTON, August 16. i Matters relating to the pr&pcscd altera- , tion of the tariff on electrical machinery : and appliances wt-re put bttforo ithiO Cbn>missioneir of Customs by the Wellington i electrical manufacturers. ' Th© Minister re. pJied that a firm at Christchjurch was now engaged in manufacturing ekctricaj machinery, and he intended to give the industry some .e-noouragememt. He wanted to clearly define what is an electricaj machine and what an electrical appliance, so that the Department would know exactly what to charge. If they never put on a duty they would never have an industry in the ccfony, and he was not going on for all time finding work for people, in Eng land, while our town men here were looking * for wtork. and having to send our boys j Horn© for training when they ought to be > able to get training here: He intimated r that the duty on electrical machinery s would be from 10s to 20 per cent., and t generally speaking accessories would be- 20 f \}cs cent., though siome of them wnuid be on the free last. » THE WATTARA BILL. . Waitara Harbor Bill was set down for ■ second reading this afternoon, but discussion on tho reports from tho Petitions doinmitteo respecting applications for * grants of -money for various public works " occupied the sitting until the- House rose j in order to give a rccepticn to Webb, the ' cliampion sculler. THE GOVERNMENT AND PUBLTC ' WORKS. 1 The report on petitions stated that the ' committee, has no recommendation to r . make. This occasioned the prolonged dis. cuss-ion. A few days ago the Premier stated that the Government could not^be ' bound by any recommendatSon of a committee when public works were concerned. * but would take the responsibility of its ' own actions, and that raised a controversy at the time which was renewed to-day. j Mr R. McKenzie wished to refer the i report back to the committee, ' But this wns negatived, and the matter ! was eventually inferred tk> thio Gov&rn- | nient. Mr Mander suggested that the- Govern ' ment should advertise in every paper in the colony undea: the circumstances that no petition relative to works would be ' received, thereby saving thousands of \ people unnecessary trouble- and expense, as the reports brought down meant that petitions brought down were absolutely killed ' and requirements never came before the Government. » ANTT-TOTALISATOR PETITION. 3 Signatures to petitions against the totalisator presented to-day number 36,000. GOVERNMENT BUSINESS. j The Premier gave notice to take Wednesdays for Government business.