HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Northern Advocate, 19 October 1911, Page 5

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

DIRTY ROLLS.

The House met at 2.30 p.m. Mr Massey read a telegram which he had received from the Rev. R. S. Gray, Christchiirch, as follow:';:— "Protest strongly against the Government's attempt to retain over one thousand names on each electoral roll of persons not found in the district as the result of the electoral census, and subsequently not found by registered lettei\ Dirty rolls are a positive danger, and the door is wide open for imr personation." Mr Massey asked what steps were being 'taken to remedy the difficulty stated in the telegram: Sir J. G. Ward replied that he had given definite instructions to registrars that names of persons who were not entitled to vote should be removed from the rolls. Mr Gray's statement was contrary to fact. Mr Isitt said that he was aware of an instance where the name of a dead man had been restored to the rolls Mr Gray's telegram suggested that the registrars were still dubious as to what they should do. The Premier promised to repeat his irstructions, making them clear. RACING AMENDMENT. Mr Jennings asked the Premier v-'hat was intended to be done with his Gaming Amendment Bill. In his opinlicn the House would get no reply

from the Racing Commission during session. Sir J. G. Ward repiled that he had already promised that if the Commission did not report this session he would provide an opportunity for the Gaming Bill to be discussed further. QUESTION TIME. In reply to questions Ministers made the following statements:— That Sir John Findlay's opinions* expressed in Auckland in connection with native representation in the House, their duties of citizenship, and the use of their lands, were his own private views, expressed in his capacity as a candidate. The Government's attention had been drawn to one case of evasion of the law under the Commercial Trusts Act, and the case was being inquired into. / The question of the substitution of Commercial Geography for French m the syllabus under the Civil Service examination regulations had been carefully considered, and no reason Uad been seen for a change. ' .•

The statement that the Government had "squandered money in hiring a whole ship to come from England in" was an impertinent fabrication and absolutely untrue.

It was proposed to go into the whole question of the constitution of the Court of Arbitration during nexV recess.

The Government was always ready

tu assist local bodies in'giving every facility to consider the question of electrical or any other method of traction. The question of subsidising the construction of tram lines to be electrically operated was "worthy of consideration, tut until the Government developed some large force of hydro-olectrical power for transmission to suitable localities it was doubtful whether it would be profitable for local bodies to undertake the construction of small schemes with a -view to electrical traction on light tramways. FAITHFUL SERVICES; When the House reassembled in the evening Sir J. G. Ward moved that the House place on record its high sense of the faithful services rendered to New Zealand 'by the late Mr J. S. Shanks and also by the late Mr A. S. Collins. Mr Massey seconded the motion, which was carried. VOTING. AMENDMENT. \ • '! Hon. D. ' B'ltido moved the second i reading of the Local Elections and ! Foils Amendment Bill, which provides that every elector who, on the close lof the poll, is present in a polling place for the purpose of voting, sh-all bo entitled to receive a voting' .paper and to exercise a vote. The Bill was read a second time. COMPENSATION FOR WORKERS. On the motion Jo commit the Workers' Compensation Amendment Bill, Hon. J. A. Millar explained that the raw clauses provided for the wives aud children of deceased workers receiving reasonable and proportionate compensation. There was also a provision' to make .the proceedings taken cutside New Zealand available as defence to an action in New Zealand for

recovery of compensation.

Sir J. G. Ward stated that a clause would be introduced in the Bill bringing domestic servants under the term of workers, so that they coußd get the full benefit of the Act. The motion to commit the Bill was carried. MILLION AND A HALF LOAN.. Sir J. G. Ward moved the Loan; Bill (£1,500,00) to give effect to the; proposals of the Budget for public works expenditure. Mr Allen criticised the expenditure cv railways, and said that money was wasted in this and other directions. Mr Masesy objected to the way in which money for roads and bridges was dealt witn. Land for settlement operations were not carried out as they should Oe. The Kawhia lands v-'ould supply the needs of the Dominion for the nexc two years. "A POLITICAL BULLY." Mr Laurenson, referring to Mr Massey's speech, said that the latter had delivered the same old speeches year after year. He was a political bully,, and Mr Allen a political nagger. Mr Massey, he said, had no sense of proportion. Mr Herries said that the country should be opened up by borrowed money, but the way in which it was done at the present time did not ap- : peal to him. The present system of railway construction was distinctly wasteful. He complained of the failure of the Minister to spend the monies voted for mining districts. Hon . R. McKenzie said that the charge that there had been extravain public buildings had not been

supported. There had been no borrowing in this country save for public works urgently required. The development of the hydro-electrical energy scheme would necessitate borrowing some five or six million pounds.

Sir J. G. Ward, in reply, said that Mr Allen had said that he was opposed to wasteful expenditure, yet he was one of the principal supporters cf a most wasteful expenditure—the Otago Central Railway. The contention that the North Island had been unfairly treated was incorrect. As a matter of fact there had been a greater expenditure in the North Island than in the South. The railways of the

Dominion we;e being carried on as fast as possible, and yet the Opposition continually raised objections to the policy. The suggetsion of the population leaving the country was really too paltry to answer as within the next few months the arrivals would probably reach two thousand. , The Bill was then read r. second time. In committee, Mr Pearce moved to strike out the item "£200,000, for other public works" as an indication that I the borrowing was excessive. • Mr Laurenson twitted the Opposition tvith inconsistency and said that they should not accept items in the Estimates for their districts from borroweil money. Other members supported this view, and suggested that the vote for railways in Mr Pearce's district should be struck out. • I Mr Pearce said that his amount was an indictation that the brake should be put on. , Mr, Fisher contended that the question was not ore of borrowing, but of., the way the money was expended. . Sir Joseph "VardJ declared that an immense amount of nonsense was being talked about borrowing. He asked where a reduction, was to be made in the Public Works or Railways grants., ■ The amendment was lost by 48, to 8 those voting for it being Messrs Al-lc-n, Anderson, Guthrie, Hine, Nosworthy, Pearce, Scott and Wright. On the motion, for the third reading the Premier said that members of the Opposition who voted for the Bill had affirmed the Government podicy* The Bill was read a third time. The House rose at 4.5 a.nu