PARLIAMENT.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLII, Issue 10105, 12 October 1917, Page 6

PARLIAMENT.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. (Teh Pres9 Aosociation.) WELLINGTON, Oet. 11. In IliO Legislative Council to-day various tributes were- passed to the memory of (no late Hon. J. 1). Ormond. and a vote of condolence was cccordoU'the relatives. The Council adjourned at 3.10. HOUSE 01? REPRESENTATIVES, The House met at; 2.30. WHEAT SUPPLY. 11..n R Htiddo asked the Minister for Agriculture what >vas tho position in regard to'ihe wheal suppiv. , , Hon. W. H. S. MacDonaid replied Uiat there were no immediate prospects*! gcttfn«- wheat, from Australia. New Zealand was facing" a sJiortage and the Government wan in constant communication with Australian suppliers. The troublo' was. with the seamen, and as soon as that, trouble was over two shipments would be sent—one to Auckland and one to Duncdin. Mr Noswortliy wanted to know wnat tvas the actual shortage. The Minister said (Lie shortage was about one million and a-quartet bushels. It was considered that the prospects. Were for an increased yield,. There was every indication that there would be plenty of wheat available from Australia when the shipping difficulty was removed. . LABOUR TROUBLES. Replying to Dr. Thaeker, Mr Massev said ho was in conference with the Wellington Harbour Poard in regard to unloading from overscan vessels supplies of anti-toxin and other drugs which were being hold up by labour troubles. He added that the action of the waterside workers could not. be allowed to go on much longer. 1) CFENCE EXP EN DIT UR E. Replying to Mr Parr, .Mr Massc-y said ■the Government, was considering the question of. appointing a Commission'-to go into the whole question of Defence expenditure. A Parliamentary Committee could nob deal with it before the end of the cession, aiid Minister:; had too much Cabinet work to give it tho necessary attention. PUBPIC WOP KS HTATEM ENT. The Minister for Public Work, laid t!;e Public Works Statement and Estimates on tho table. He stated the debate would be taken the following night, ELECTORAL BOUNDARI PS. Mr Ilornsby moved for leave to introduce the Electoral Boundaries Commission Bill. Ho-explained that the Bill was; mainly'designed ii) tfecuro greater regard to the community of interest: in determining:electoral boundaries. He. enumerated apparent absurdities in connection with the new boundaries, and asked the Government to take the. IHII up and put it. on the Statute Hook. Mr Ell contended that popish:iion was tincorrect basis for representation. To fix the boundaries permanently, as proposed in the Bill, was altogether a. retrograde step. Personally, ho favoured increasing the representation in the House by five additional members, as many districts were, much too unv.ieJdv for poo:: men to contest. Mr Ausley favoured preference being dveii to the community of interests rather than to population. The new Waitaki electorate was a. shocking example of what a 'district should not bo. He appealed to the Premier to intervene and prevent a grave injustice being done to two widely separated portions of the electorate. Mr Forbes said the I.kumdarics Commissioner*, had a. verv din-cult task. They had not only to look after community of interests, btit lo see that hotels were nor transferred from wet areas into dry districts. If was time a. better system was adopted. A member had only to look fit the maps ol the proposed new boundaries to see low ludicrous the ire -em svstcm was. I ncioubtedly a good <U-:d wa/to bo -aid in favour of. "proportional representation, but then was a good deal o'f opposition to it m Hie eountvy district. Country electors desiree ronrosuitarives who knew their requirement'.;, and wore iiH.erest.etl in their problem:;.' Thi.i migiw not be possible in the large districts. His own clccto'rato is now 260 miles i;i length. Other members conic walk over their districts ill a day, winch meant a great difference in cost to tlio re present si ive, piirticiila.r.ly to c-oiintry mem , bmv, who were nearly always put of pocket. If ever ho got the opportunity he would do his best io'ixfi the- remuneration of mom ! -i i increased lie also thougiit membei'. represeiiiing large eleetorak'o should have :i travelling allow'aijee. . Tlio Premier said he did not know what we.sin the Bill, but ho was afraid then- was not mi cli hope of am thing being done with in this session. He- believed the Cominis fioners bad done their best in the chlhcult rircenisranees. Ife.was imjwssible for thern to please overyone. Ho u-alued tnodnh lenity respecting the injustice to h0,.! Ueep crs by the alleration of boundaries. lb i had asked Parliament three- years ago to deal with that matter, and a elan so had been nut into a Bill providing that wlicrt it. v/as practicable to get a hotel into a "wet" district that should be done Ilia : was not possible in every ease, and ho c.ie not know what more could'bo done. l i local option was going out that would goI -id of the difficulty, but Parliament, was no, likely to make that alteration. In regard to Maori representation, no doubt somorei consideration wasVequired. h wtia not prepared to say Uiat he Maori ie ! presentation should be placed on the sarm footing as the European. An Electoral Bih I would bo nccesstry next session, as then were Quite' a number o> anomalies To b dealt with. He intimated that oDjectionf ■ would be received by tho Commissioners u r | ro the 6th of November, so there was plenty of time for the public to take tictton The debate was earned on along SimUal I bneji till 5.20, whei*Mr Ilornsby replied, anc ! the "Bill was introduced I The House rose at 5.30..

EVENING SESSION. DISCHARGED SOLDIERS' SETTLEMENT DILL. \V .ELLINGTON, Oct. 12. The House resumed at 7.30. Mr Maf.sev moved the second reading O' the Dischaiued Soldiers' Settlement, Amend merit Bill: -In doing so he said ho did-no think there would be and difference o. opinion as to ..the value of tho. measure <n it simply embodied an amendment whicl wa s thoiwalt of experiencein tho working of the main Act. Up to date-541 soldier had.bceir settled under, tho. Act. 47b ol whom hod applied for linuncial ass.stanee He did not expect every man going on in land would bo wfcc&W !mu ' ~ e PTS tion of failures was very small indeed. Ordinary wttlomont- was practically stop ped during avit was thought bet tor to Toservo the Grown lands lor- thj soldiers, and he was pleased to .say almos all the Crown lands, of which about 200,001 acres were available, which was qmlo faint ablb! Of private; hinds, 41 y'f purchased, 29 of winch were.subdivided nit--267 holdings, 131 of which-had b.ceir select ed. This land was all bought alMvasona >1« prices, but it would not be discreet to dis ~[,,.-• the price at the present, juiieture. Some despised gum lands in North Auek hind had been found to grow" ? 00< : fruit, and there-'was a clause m the LJill « facilitate this class- of settlement, iinan cial assistance had Iwrni given to setter, to the extent of £141.775. and tho result ro far, had been so .satisfactory that ho wai satisfied the Government was not, going. t< low-very much over tho-soldier settlers a It Mwssev then proceeded to.deal witl the various clauses of tho. Bill, on th linos used when ihtroduemg tho measure He evnla'inecl that the Laml Boards woul< havo complete control 0 f the admims tn. tion, and expressed appreciation ot th interest shown in tho working ot uie -ic bv members, and also of the generous hell [riven to soldier settlers by patriotic--, gen tiemen in various ..arts of the Dominion Mr Wittv it-rested the need for great- car in "electing localities where the soldier were to be settled. He suggested-purchasm estates near town and near closer setth mem, where settlers could bo induced to g in for intense cultivation. He criticise! .-onto of the. purchases made, and warne. the Premier against putting .soldiers int. isolated spots, where I hoy were apt to b( wme depressed because they were left to much alone. . ~ Mr Newman (Raii.dl.ikoi) pointed out tin; if tho soldiers yet to come back rook m land in tho sanie .proportion as those wh■ •. were already here, it- would take a- ver larg'e area'to 'acei-:usHodate-thfni: He, ther< fore, advised careful reservation of Crow :a.nd Niitivtvlanjrls. Returned soldiers shou! have the pick of'ui'-' land available, : ancbtl-. '■ land belonging to military shirkers shou! be taken over and settled by tho soldier The Hon. A. L. Hordman said-thoro':WS a general impression thai- there were i great many returned soldiers ivanderin; about looking for work. That was not so. I L'ij to the tad L'l Scptvajbfii* thoro-jveio

11:101. soldiers son the.. Returned Register. Of 'these 3525 bad . been , disposed of, and only 163 were looking for employment, and these were scattered througii-otit-the Dominion. A most, gra-tifymg Jeaturo regarding the returned soldiors was ttio fact that th'uv showed imlep.i'tidcnce.os spjvijr. Very few of'them ioc.k Btate jissislunee,■!.>.«fit themselves in arid •generally find then*, own place in society'; . Some people coin-, vated iho idea that returned spldiers were not much good- that they » vcre si ."j t:? "IV Uiaeliable; Hi* experience was quite to he contrary, and be was pleased to say tnat the reiKJjts in this connection wore naosi favourable. Tho discharged soldier, as > rule, did not want to oncharny or u> be .iependent on anyone* bur they shmvof* the greatest atiximy to go* lo suitable emolovtiient as . tno un csl ' possible uu.nmm. It ba»l been suggested ihni. not ' enough wus done in the direction oi teaching -the j. Furned men new trades. was bemtJ viono in Enldand, but the difficulty vwc, many did not want to learn trade-. Our life was Jwgelv nu out-doo,- life, and most men wanved som'o employment, by which tht-y could At I once augment tbeir pension. 'Jim position in England was (juit« ditterent. There tticv were dealing with t<> our bedrock But lor all that, tl.e I eparmoni was doing its best Po-the men whovi I " iin) a trwfci-and the methods by which his can begone were fully P'U be.ore cvery ,oldier iim.iediateiv he returns.. He wa.s considering by which men might 1» "out direct and work at a trade, rather than ro throltgh the Technical Schools but this depended entirely noon the altitude ot tno -nt.-lovers and the labour unions'. As yet o Ivo blind soUiers l.arf retun«c to New Zealand, two of whom had /(ono « to England. Others were being' HI. trained. The great difli eidty of tb», l - nartment would, however, arise wiien .'-< wa' was over, and 60.000 or 80,000 men way returning within twelve month-. In view 0 f .his'he had a scheme prepaid and Cabinet had agreed to set aside £1,000,000 to cive employment to men m developmenfc W brk under State , departments. phis scheme, lie was confident, would bo sulbcient to insure that no man would go siiort of work. ~ , c Mr Jennings .strewed the value of cooperation amoug,i the soldier settlers, resulting in an immense saving ot botii labour -.md capital After the y,>i;oer adjourmnent, the debate was carried on by Mr I*V dd °i.^. r ( " Ul '\"/' Mr Webb. Mr Pan;. Mr NVilknison, Mr Svkcs, and Mi- Ilitrris. - 'The second reading «™ agreed Jo on the voices. Shortlv (dfo> midnight the Premier announced ho "pronoscu 1 to .take the Bill in \h* Committee stage. A n ; , . ,n ? l ' amendment proposed by tho Pren/iei' ivas agreetl to, and the Bill was reported. Tlio House rose- at 12.15. . :;