House of Representatives.

King Country Chronicle, Volume V, Issue 312, 16 November 1910, Page 5

House of Representatives.

The House met at 2.30 p.m. The Premier, in response to the interrogations of several members, promised to inquire into the matter of an old age pensioner being induced to supply liquor to police probationers in Wellington and accepting money from them.

Referring to the £5,000,000 loan, Sir J. G. Ward said that the allocation of the amounts had been incorrectly given by him in his statement on Saturday morning. The correct figures are as follows: —Advances to Settlers, £1,500,000; Advances to Workers, £500,000; Naval Defence, £1,250.000; Aid to Public Works and Land, £1,750,000; total, £5,000,000. He went on to refer to the cable published in the press on Friday evening last, concerning which he had cabled to the High Commissioner pointing out that a leakage or information had occurred. The High Commisisoner had replied that the leakage was unavoidable with underwriting, and it was fortunate that the loan was underwritten before, as there was a run on the Birkbeck Bank. The Premier, continuing, said that he had desired to defer any statement on the loan untill Tuesday, but the cable news had made that impossible. He referred to an article on the subject appearing in the "Dominion" of Saturday, which had either been written or dictated by Mr Herdman, and which was of an extremely vicious character, and quite in lint; with what frequently happened. He had fixed the amount of the ioan himself, which was the largest ever raised by the Dominion at one time. It was of the utmost consequence that he should not have made a premature statement about the loan, in fairness to the underwriters who ran the risk of its being successful or otherwise.

Mr Herdman said the Premier was absolutely misinformed as to who was the writer of the "Dominion" article, tie had read the article, which he considered a fair report of what had occurred in the House. The statement made by the Premier was absolutely incorrect. The Premier read the article in question, and said he had to accept Mr Heraman's disclaimer. Referring to the remark of the latter re the "Times," Sir J. G. Ward said he had never written an article for the 'Times,'or asked for one to be written The "Dominion" article referred to an important loan, concerning which he was at the time tongue-tied, Mr Massey asked if the Prime Minister would place the prospectus of the loan on the table of the House this session.

j Sir J. G. Ward replied that this was i impossible as the mail would not j reach Wellington in time, but he would !do so next session. The rate for the ! underwriters was one per cent., the | usoal one. i The Public Petitions Committee ! reported on the petition of Joshua ! Jones, who asked for permission to i appear before the bar of the House in i regard to the matter of his claims on i the Mokau estate. As petitioner did ! not appear to have any interest in the I Mokau estate it could not recommend ! that he be heard before the bar of the ! House. The committee also recommend that, in order to settle the i long-standing dispute, and with a view ! to settling the land, and taking into : consideration the treatment meted out : to Mr Jones by the solicitors engaged, whereby he lost his legal interest in I the estate the petitioner's claims to , equitable consideration should be clearj ly defined. j The report was adopted, i The second reading of the Legislaj ture Amendment Bill was moved by | Sir J. G. Ward, who explained the i principal provisions of the Bill. | Mr Massey regretted that the Bill had been introduced at such a late period of the session under the circumstances. It was impossible to give the Bill the consideration it deserved. The debate was adjourned at 5.30 p.m., and the House rose.