PARLIAMENTARY.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXIV, Issue 16326, 23 August 1913, Page 14

PARLIAMENTARY.

Abridged from Press Association. LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. Fhidat, August 22. AFTERNOON SITTING. Tho Legislative Council met at 2.30 p.m. AN EXTENSION. An extension of twenty-one days was granted to the Defence Committee to report. COPYRIGHT. Tho Copyright Bill was read a third time. LOCAL BODIES LOANS, The Hon F. H. D. Bell moved the second reading of the Local Bodies Loans Act Amendment Bill, explaining that its most important feature was the provision that the State guarantee was given to certain Local Bodies loans. Tho Hon J. E. Jenkinson said that this feature had been enacted in 1908, and had l>ee.n repealed in 1909, and lie asked why it was now being re-enacted when _it had previously - proved unsatisfactory. Personally ho saw no difference between borrowing money and guaranteeing it. Ho thought tho Stato could borrow on better terms than the local bodies, therefore he thought it better for tho State'to do the borrowing straight out. He deprecated tho treatment of the sinking funds as provided in the Bill. The lion F. H. D. 8011, in reply, said tbs Government of the dominion had not unlimited borrowing powers on the London market, ; and- could not supply .all the money required for local and general purposes. The motion for tho second reading of tho Bill was carried. STATE ADVANCES. The lion F. H. D. Bell moved the Eecond reading of the State Advances Bill, explaining its principal features. The Hon J. E. Jenkinson. protested against the removal of the Minister from tlio Board. The need of a guiding hand was more apparent now than ever, and it was radically wrong to place this enormous Department under the solo control of a few Civil servants and clerics. The fear of political influence was a bogey, and the Minister had no right to evade his responsibilities in this way. . .. The Hon J'. Duthio drew attention to the enormous increase, in the work which had been piled upon Ministers of late years. Men would have to bo more than human to be able to do all that was expected of them,' and that was a good reason for divesting tho Minister of the burden of managing tho Advances Board. The position was that tho public service must be manned by competent servants, and: .servants who could bo trusted. Speaking ot the Bill generally he thought the granting or power to borrow £500,000 was treating the question of borrowing with a laxity that was dangerous. , . , Tho Hon YY. Earnsliav advocated a clearing house sv6tem in connection with tho State lending departments, and eo prevent overlapping. The Minister ought to be on the Board, and if the Ministers were overworked (and they were) more Ministers should be apP H. F. D. Bell, in reply, said it was highly undesirable that the Minister should be on tho Board._ All euggestion of political favouritism should he avoided. . Tho second reading was earned. METHODIST UNION. The Hon F. H. D. Bell moved the second reading of the Methodist Union Bill He said thero Was some doubt as to whether the moasuro was a private Bill or not, and he suggested that it should be referred to a committee to ascertain its true nature. The motion for tho second reading was carried, and the Bill was referred to the Local Bills control. The Council adjourned till Thursday next. )

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Friday, August 22.

AFTERNOON SITTING; Tho House met at 2.30 p.m. FINANCIAL DEBATE. Mr Atmoro resumed the debate on the Financial Statement. He wanted to know whether tho Hon Dr Pomare was really in charge of tho Cook Islands or whether he was just a figure-head. Ho considered that tho administration of the Islands at tho present time loft a lot to be desired. It ill became a Minister in charge of xho Islands to sneer at one who gave up the pleasures and luxuries of civilisation to indulge m missionary work in the Islands. Dealing with the Budget, Mr Atmore said that ho was pleased to see provision made to foster the fruit-growing industry. which meant a great deal to Nelson. That district had a magnificent future before it in the fruit industry. Already many orders had been received from South America and elsewhere. Tho workers of the country were getting restive. They felt that they were not netting government for tho people by the people. They had government by land monopolists and vested interests, who had not tho welfare of tho people ftb Mr Hindmarsh said ho hoped that tho Government would cause full and complete statistics to bo secured of all trades and industries. He considered that Now Zealand lagged behind otliei countries in that respect. Sufficient encouragement had not. been given to tho Arbitration Act. The Government s policy regarding land seemed to bo to sell the land, borrow money on tho security and lend it out. The Prime Minister liad said before the banners Conference that a man could make a living on five acres. If that were so what an immense future this country hnd before it. He implored the Prime Minister to think out some scheme by which the great rural problem would bo settled. It did not matter whether he sank or lived over the outcome. He should give a lead in the mattei. Mr Hindmarsli held that probate d ty should fall upon people who were blocking settlement. Ho would make it up to SO per cont. Ho criticised the method of opening lands, and instanced a ease near Waverley ' where a block, some of which was -000 ft b' h, was offered at £2 an aero, and settlers inking tho land up had to keep up certain dray trades. Yet the 1 rime Minister said they wanted peoplo to come out and take up land. There was not enough land for their own people, and the Prime Minister liad even admitted that lie considered that there was little work offering for farm labourers, most of the work now being done by machinery. People were enticed out hero and when they nrrived they found land dearer than in England. Tho Hon W. F. Massey replied The House went into committee on the Estimates, and at 6.15 p.m. adjourned till 7.30 p.m. EVENING SITTING. Tho Houso resumed at 7.30 in committee on the Estimates. THE ESTIMATES. On the first item, Legislative Council Mr Davey made an appeal for, technical colleges on tho lines of the Melbourne colleges. ... . , Mr Russell asked the Prime Minister why ho had spent in tho administration of the Bands Department £IOO,OOO less than had been granted to him by tho House. Mr Massey said the reason why tho vote was not all expended was because au abnormal sum in rents came into tho Department, and consequently it was not necessary to draw on tho vote to the full extent. Sir Joseph Ward asked the Minister

of Financo wlmt rates were paid for raising tho last loan, and whether thoso rates wore lower than for any loan which tho Ward Government had raised. The Hon J. Allen said tlio underwriters received 1 per cent, the brokers i por cent, and tho Bank of England i per cent and a commission of i per oent. Thoso charges were tho sanio as tho Ward Government had paid. Sir Josoph Ward thon quoted “ Hansard ” of tho last February session to show that Mr Allen had then blamed his Government with paying excessive charges on its £0,000,000 loan. Tho admission made by Air Allen was an evidence that men were sobered by the responsibility of office, for with his wider knowledgo of financial negotiations ho had now admitted that ho had been unable to got a reduction in the charges paid by Non- Zealand, Canada and all the Australian States, and that the rates paid by tho Ward Government were net. excessive. This was a matter of considerable importance to him, as ho had been subjected to considerable criticism on the point. Air Bradney complained of tho smallness of the amount allocated to workers’ homes. He contended that as things stood tho building of workers’ homes got into the hands of jerry builders, and both liouso and worker suffered. The Hon A. T. Ngata pointed out that under the proposed legislation magistrates would receive a maximum of £BOO. bnt no provision had been made for tlie Native Land Court judges, who drew less than £SOO.

Air Veitch complained that conditions in connection with, tho erection of workers’ dwellings were most unsatisfactory. Tho timber being used was far below standard. Ha suggested that timber for workers’ homes should be procured from Government sawmills. In reply to Mr Davey, the Hon W. H. Herries said he was of opinion that the apprentices in the railway workshops could get as good training in the workshops as they could in any technical school in tho dominion. In reply to Mr Ngata, ho said ho recognised that if. the salaries of magistrates were to bo raised he would havo to provide for the Native Land Court judges on tho supplementary estimates. Ho claimed' that his Native policy was perfectly open, and his policy Bill wonld be on tho lines of Ins speeches throughout the couniry. Ho believed that tho measure dealing with the West Coast reserves would give satisfaction to all parties. Air Poland contended that in the multiciplicity of Air Allen’s portfolios ho was not ablo to give that attention to education which it deserved. Particularly was the question of teachers’ salaries being neglected, and he aalfed tho Alinister to say what further reforms lio was prepared to extend to tho teachers of the dominion.

Air Laurenson advocated the appointment of two new Ministers or several parliamentary under-secretaries to assist Ministers to cope with tho increa.se of departmental work. Ho strongly deprecated tho expenditure of half a million per year on defence. Air Russell stated that a report on tho Public Trust Office had been prepared by tho Public Trustee, and ho asked whether the Alinister intended to lay that report on tho table of tho House. Tho Hon A. L. Herdmau declined to admit that any such report existed. Ho complained of grave disloyalty on tho part of someone in the Public Trust Offico. Information had been leaking out evur since lie had been a Alinister, and ho asked Air Russell to give him the name of his informant as to the existence of the report, j Mr Russell said he had been given tho information by a gentleman in tho street, but ho refused to disclose his name.

All- Poland contended that tho Mining Department had been starved by Alinisters. The duties of tho Public Works Department were too arduous for a Alinister who also had charge of Alines.

Tho Hon W. Fraser, replying, said that there was no way in which tho Government could wasto more than in tho so-called assistance to mining- Jt was suggested that there should be a State prospecting party, or that lie should subsidise a private party: That policy he would not dream of adopting. Tlio history of mining showed that private enterprise was more satisfactory m prospecting. Ho denied that tho mining industry had been neglected. Tho first item was passed. The House rose at 12.45 a.m.