PARLIAMENTARY.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XCVI, Issue 14432, 24 July 1907, Page 7

PARLIAMENTARY.

(Abridged from Press Association.) HOUSE OP REPRESENTATIVES. Tuesday, Jely 23. AFTERNOON SITTING. The House met at 2.30 p.m. BILL. Mr Arnold moved the second reading of the Dunedin Suburban Gas Company Empowering Bill, which seeks for the company powers to supply gas in the Caversham Ward of Dunedm and some surrounding boroughs. After a short discussion, tho second reading was agreed to, and the Bill was referred to the Local Bills Committee. LEAVE OF ABESNCE. Three davs' leave of absence was granted to Mr Ell owing to sickness in. his family. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS. Letters were read by the Speaker from Messrs Kirkbride and Wilfred Hall expressing thanks for the kind resolutions passed by tho House in connection with the deaths of the late Mr M. M. Kirkbride. and Sir John Hall. The Premier moved that the letters should be recorded in the journals of the House. Agreed to. ROTORUA TOWN BILL. When the report on. the Rotorua Town Bill came up for consideration, Mr Hemes expressed the hope that the Tourist Department, in taking over the township, would be placed in the same position as all other Borough Councils in the colony. Residents of Rotorua were not opposed to tho proposal, but were quite ready to try the experiment. Mr Herries complained that great delay had occurred in laying down the water supply and drainage systems, and at the present time a number of houses could not get the electric light supply. ' Ke contended that these matters would have been better managed by private enterprise it the Government had never had anything to do with Rotorua. Mr Ngata asked for an assurance from the Premier that the present Village Council of Ohinemutu should be consulted from time to time in regard to sanitation, liquor and other matters. The Premier, in replying, said that the Government was always ready to assist the Natives, and there was no objection to "the Tourist Department working with the Native authorities in the direction eugested. The amendments made in committee were agreed to, and the Bill was read a third time and passed.

PETITION. Petitions containing 699 signatures of tramway employees were presented to the House by Messrs Barber, ioole, Laurenson and Sidey, representing Wellington, Auckland, Chnstohurch and Dunedin, asking for certain concessions which would enable them to take advantage of cheap railway fares. The House adjourned at 5.30 p.m. EVENING SITTING. The House resumed at 7.30 p.m. FINANCIAL DEBATE. * The debate on the. Financial Statement was opened by Mr W. F. Massey, who was followed by tho won R. M'Nab, Mi- J. Allen and Mr T. Wilford. The House rose at 11.55 p.m.