PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XII, Issue 4219, 22 May 1875, Page 3

PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

SESSION -XXX. Friday, IM.-T MAV, 1575. The Speaker took tho chair at 3 o'clock. Prayer. The Clerk read the minutes of the previous sitting, which were continued. PETITIONS. Mr. Cadjlav presented a petition from Thomas Wilson, of llaglau, relating to aland claim. Mr. Sheeiian' l>resented a petition from James Burns, of Wellington, relating to a claim for laud. A petition was presented from tho Chairmen of East and West Pukckohc, ".vith respect to the alteration of a road. EXPLANATION". Mr. Buckland asked permission of tho Council to correct an error into which ho had fallen at the previous sittii.g in the statement he made with respect to the Constitution Act. Sir George tii ey was in favor o£ the election of Superintendent:; and not in favor of their nomination. Sir George Grey was anxious that the Provincial Council should elect the Legislative Council. His (Mr. Buckland's) informant was Mr. Fox. But he might inform the Provincial Council that Sir George Grey brought into operation the Provincial system lirst in order, bccauso -in the then existing circumstances there was no other alternative.

I'Rovini iAt. S]:C'I:ETAI:Y

Mr. Goli>ie asked, "What amount had been paid to the Provincial Secretary during the past financial y.-ar, and what time the Provincial .Secretary has devoted to tho public business in his capacity as such?" The Pkovi.si iai. Si:o:ktai:v said that for the 10 months up to April he received £375. The amount otherwise paid to him was £50, mainly for travelling and other expenses. Of that sum £'22 was for expenses in connection with a pilgrimage with Mr. llolloway. He at lirst felt tli.it this question was put on for the purpose of personal annoyance. Hut from enquiry he had reason to believe otherwise. He might now add that he had received the whole of the salary. He considered he wa3 fully entitled to it. lie might state to tho Council that lie had fairly kept his contract with it. lie had fully kwpt the understanding which he had given to the < lovernment. lie might say further, that wheu his Honor the new Miper'ntendeiit took otfice he tendered his resignation. He li.nl considerable work to jierfonn of various kinds, which occupied him until late hours of the night, at the same time that he was frequently engaged in important enquiries, before the lion, gentleman could have Ilia breakfast, ilis Honor the Superintendent requested him to retain ollice. While in ail adjoining province' he .-ent two telegrams to His Honor, again tendering his resignation, but His Honor denied that he should as soon as possible attend his place in tho Council, and retain the ollice during the session, whatever course he might decide afterwards. In obedience to that wish lie was in his place in the Council. He contended that he had the same right as every other individual to terminate his employment according to the term of his understanding with the province. He believed that tho salary he had received was not even an adequate equivalent for the services ho had rendered to the province. RESIDENT KSi;ISEEI!3.

Mr. Moat asked the Provincial Treasurer, " Whether the Government have appointed or intend to appoint Resident Engineers for the northern and southern j>arts of the province, as promised by the l'rovincial Secretary last session ?" The Provincial Skckitauv said it waa the intention of the Government to appoint Resident Engineers for the northern and southern parts of the province. He had always been in favour of this method of giving engineering advice aud skill to Highway Boards. JAMES MCKKP.HAS. Mr. Ilt/r.sT asked, ''If the Government intend to take any steps to carry out the recommendation of the Petitions and Private Grievance Committee (in reference to the petition of James Me Ken-as) contained in Interim Report No. 17 of session xxviii. ?" Mr. Wood said the answer to this question would Well illustrate the advantages of what was called "dual" Government. Mr. McKerras owned a piece o! land by the railway, near the Domain. There was a slip o£ that land, and Mr. MeKerras made a claim for compensation. The Provincial Government commenced the railway ami ultimately handed it over to the General Government. The G jiien-.l Government denied their liability, as the slip took place before they took it over. Mr. Cillies, however, said the Provincial Government was not liable, because -when the General Government took the railway they took it with all its liabilities. RAILWAYS. Mr. lleed asked the Government, " Whether it is the intention of his Honor the Superintendent to take steps towards cibtaining control of the completed railways of the province Mr. Woou said that it was the intention of the Superintendent to request that the railways be placed under Provincial control as soon a3 they were completed. Mr. Reed said the intention, of his question was, whether " portions of lines, as they were convicted,'' should be handed over. Mr. Wood said he would make a further inquiry upon the subject. WANO Af:KI. Sir Robert Doioi.a- a.-ked, "When the lands handed over to the Provincial Government by the General Government (situated between the YVaiigarei Heads and the Hay of Islands) are to be opined for sale, lease, and selection." . Mr. Wood said there had been a considerable acreage handed over. The Provincial Government had the land classified, and would have to approve of regulations for their sale. It was his desire that there should be regular periodical sales of sucli lauds. His llimor the Superintendent would commence selling the lauds as soon aa possible. ESTIMATES. Upcn the order for going into committee upon this subject,—Mr. llamlin in thecluir, \ (tor continua'.itm o/ iieics nee i'uffjriement,J

Any system of superior cultivation, such as deep ploughing, the use of improved implements, and tie application of lime, may increase and causo the crops to be greatly larger than they were before, therefore, the quantity of all the substances carried otf must be greater than usual, and a more speedy exhaustion must follow- than if only ordinary crops had been reaped. To keep the land in good condition - we must, as a general rule, add as«much of everything as we carry off. We cannot take out of the land constantly, and add nothing, without impoverishing it, but we can add enough to supply all we carry off. It is for the essayist to shew how this is to be done in New Z-aland, and leave a profit to the anner. 1 have heard of one farm near Otahuhn where cows are kept in at night for tile sake of the manure, as well as lor tile cows' benefit. The manure is earted on to land, and the system answers. If the Society could get a report of the practice carried on at this farm, it would lie of much more service than an essay. Tile following is a re|»ort of the smaii-i.inn system carried on in Belgium :—"The farms are from five to ten acres. The Belgian peasant farmer enjoys comparatively a great deal of comfort : his cottage is comfortable, and there arc all the necessary out-buildings, a roomy cow-shed, piggery." ite. The cows are supplied with straw to lie upon, the dung and its draiuings are ear, fully collected in" the tank, and a compost heap is accumulated from every possible soiircc. The premises are kept extremely neat, with a constant observance* e.f the most rigid cconomy. industry, and regularity.'' There is 110 reason " whatever that I know of why this style of farming should not be tried in New Zeal.aid, and be made to answer. If the Government were to import half-a dozen Bel gian peasant farmers with their families, and"place them 011 small farms near Auckland, I think they would shew us that feeding cattle in the shed and saving every particle of manure is a system that will do in New Zealand. At any rate, there can be no farming without farmyard or town manure. Kxliausting the soil is not farming. —I am, Ac., A. M.

AUCKLAND A>*l> MERCER RAILWAY.

To the Kilitor c■ I tho Hkuali). Si it, —"The King is dead ; long live tho King !" " The Waikato railway is open to Mercer iliirr.ih for the W.iikato railway!'' Will it J' iy V At tho present .scale of fares, I think not. " What's that to us said a young railway ollicial to 1110 to day. Nothing, perhaps ; but it is something to the juiblie, ami to the settlers within live miles on either side of it, who are to bo taxed to support it it it ilon't. " Why won't it pay 7" Because the fares are too liiirh. " They are lower than Quick's coach fares.'' Yes, but everybody doesn't travel by Quick's coaches. Many persons travel on loot, some by drays, some by lijht carts ; and a verv great number of settlers come into town on horseback, and the railway tares arc neither low enough to induce these persons to put aside their other means of conveyance, n'*r even to mil Mr. Quick oil' the road, if 110 be disposed to stick to it ; lor the oeach has this advantage over the railway: that it can diop very many settlers at their own doors. 1 consider it a great mistake 011 the part of the railway authorities to issue return tickets which are only available 011 the day of issue. Wry few persons can transact their business, either in town or country, within the few hours between one train in and the other out. Afternoon return tickets are, of course, a nullity, and won't, L suppose, be i<<ued ; while to compel a person, say coming on horseback half-a-dozen miles to D.'irv, to pay 1= into Auckland, and -Is out again next day, is to make it cheaper for him to ride right through, .-table his horse, and out again, as he can feed and lodl''' himself and horse for the night in Auckland for less than he pays the i ail way. Another person coming from Otahuhu can ride from the centre of the village to Penrose for (Id (three miles), and thence to Aucklamd for !>l, which is Is od, while if he goes out again by rail to Otahuhu he pays Is t»d, and is landed in an inconvenient ricld some halfmile or more from l-onio. Townspeople, Mr. Kditor. nr.y ttnnk more lightly of the expend'.tiip of a lew .-hillings than we poor country people. They hive more money pa-sing through their hands, and tim • to tle-m is of more value : but with country s--:t!crs an hour extra i'i the saddle

is f Tu.u'h if W-' ea:i s;iw bv it li-ir lodging. UV have been hiking forward to tin- railway a- a t>f eK-p'-h-e, an i ui' - ,mt to haw. • ■••me down to town s-'in - :wie.- or three tim«-s as often a" we h iv«- hitherto done ; hut it can't be dono at tin- rati-. I haw not yet heard the rat»- for g">od* traui;: hut it is whispei 'd amongst us that the rate hy rail will ex.- 1 thy co~t of cartas*, If so, good-by to the railway.—i am, «fcc., COI NTKY .SEiTI.KR.

TilK CuLLKCTIOX QI'KSTIOK.

To the Kditor of the Hkkau>. Sfk.— It appears from your issue of to. •lny that tin- 41 < 'hureh ('o!li- t ion fjut'stion'' is cropping tip again, and is, apparently, a 4 * not ♦m^iJy laid." I «juite with the tiiajoi ity of your c".rr. vj„.,»d"iit> on the S'loieet, ti,inking that from tiie vastly in-c-.-t of living in Auckland, ami exorbitant rents paid hy tie- p«-ople therein, that th»*y have.juito as mm-h they can do to make •* h »th ends meet," and, generally s;<eakii!_'. -n*e as much as they are able. If I were a 4 * -lolly Miller, ' abb* hy monopoly to son*l ih»;vn the price of tloe.r four or live pounds a ton while the farmers' wheat was coining in, ami then rai-in_; it immediately .Mtorward*. I think I could altnrd to he a little more liberal in such matt'T*, l»ut, unfortunately. 1 atanotnne. A »ain, were 1 a slttek f»a' -«..i, drawing a pout-d or two a da\, with a rent-free house, ami no bad debts/ 1 also thin/c 1 should he a /j lll■ * more charitably di>po*"d ; hut, tiiis I am not either. The prance of pushing a plate under people's ic>s.;n at places «•: worship, ami Jinyhng of uti>iif*y therein, i av. ry obnoxious one to nio-t persons; it olien keeps many from attending ('hutch, an I should be domaway wi*h, except Tor sperjal purposes—-as Orphan Uorne, Hospital. The sub. ject. h been welt vi-mi:..:, .1, ha>, however, done 400*1, as it ha> vn us s<»m«* of the (at ad events, pro|. ---d) charitanb: pcoph;amongst us and thervro.-,- r he m-xt turn* I am wait--lon for '*a e. -li.-.-tion '' by two angels trailing yards ot sih; b'hind them i«i the dirt, will) air-inlUlr-l " imp-'overV ami hig.'i he«-l'-t i«J will pr*-»h (h!y refer tin m t i tin; e 1.*,0r o: a welUknown ; -■nny evening paper, ami, in tlic nu-;iuwiiilc, remain V. urs, , Tl;orH<;iFLL. Aiiekl.ind, May 10, 1«S7".

Tim M,\I;KI:T.

i > tliu Ktlitol' 111 till- I | !.r:A|.l>. ->ir,— in ■ .11,' r ~ft;... 1" in-iant y...i in'lki.- Il f ;i< n aliciut tlw .•!. ~;.a.|| M;nk,.. an 1 -ay :n;lt She n'. ; |; t ., I-vilhc: li.-: iviit t.. in . If, kl'fj. ! ..-in ui i': 11. N,. . .. Ul | , v.11.,V',;l 'i -!i- ''1 V"lll' I M ''' I :r,,;u, f:r 1, rij-eil, having „ iY, tin: •minciicemriit tit tht' M i k. J In-' t , inform _vi>u tli:it ths i. immmh, rent, which made a dilii-p uf uwr £I'J ]. T year to me from what 1 ". as paying the ('"fp.yrat;o:i, and redueed tije ,ju a Saturday night one-half, and several of the other stall holders, rents were raised like •nise.—lam, &c., H. Lipsoomdk.