PARLIAMENTARY NOTES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVII, Issue 8359, 12 September 1890, Page 5

PARLIAMENTARY NOTES.

[BT TKUSORAFH—SPKOIAt. BKPORTKB.] Wellington, Thursday. WORK OF THK SK3SION. The list of Bill* introduced during the present session has now mounted up to 132. I To this list will have to be added the Property Tax Bill, the Primage Duty Bill, and j the Appropriation Bills. Up to to-day 308 petitions nave been presented, and 214 papers have been laid on the table. LAND AND INCOME TAX. In viow of the strenuous and persistent ! opposition offered by the Auckland members to the property tax and tlieir advo« j ' oticy of the substitution of a land and income i tax, an approximate computation has been ' made of the comparative amounts which the Auckland province would pay under the respective systems, and it is estimated that Auckland would pay more than double as much under a land and income tax as under the property tax if the former were levied on the basis of producing as much revenue as the property tax yields. j J THE BABBIT NUIBANCK. I I The report of the Live Stock Committee, I of which I sent you a full abstract last ' night, was presented to the House this afternoon, and gave rise to a long debate, lasting from half-past two till the dinner adjournment. Mr. Lance, who rose first, . spoke at some length on the subject, and - was applauded by both «ides of the House. ; ! When ne concluded, Mr. J. McKenzie fol- '• ' lowed with an amendment, requesting the j ' Government to take more energetic meaI sures to suppress the rabbit nuisance. Hβ ! ' declared that a day spent on tho rabi.it j ' nuisance would not be lost. The House ' proceeded to take his advice, and the sub- ! ject was threshed out at great length I by a large number of speakers. At half-past five Mr. McKonzie'e amendment was carried. The only Auckland members who had a say in the rabbit, scab, and tuberculosis! dej bate this afternoon were Messrs. Lawry I and Bryce. They put the northern view of the rabbit question before the House. Mr. Lawry thanked the chairman of the Committee for the great consideration which had always been shown*to him as the only Auckland member on the Committee, although he frequently disagreed with thorn. For instance, no had not agreed that -stoats and weasels were tho most effectual means of permanently grappling with the rabbit pent. Upon a division ( being taken, the committee agreed to alter the words, "one of the most effectual means." Mr. Lawry declared . his belief that tho most effectual means of checking the pest was to place people on the land. He again urged the department to realise the difference between the conditions of Auckland and the districts in the South, and expressed a hope that the Minister would take steps, by legislation if necessary, to frame regulations to suit both localities. At present the people in some parts of the North were agitated and annoyed with two great troubles, namely, the property tax and the rabbit agents, and he was not sure but that the i rabbit agents were the most vexatious. Hβ also spoke strongly against the indiscriminate liberation of vermin, and feared that unless great cure was exercised the vermin would become a greater pest than the rabbits. Mr. Bryce doubted the benefits anticipated by Mr. Lance and his friends from the introduction of the natural enemy, ami questioned tho wisdom of the Government becoming wholesale ironmongers for tho supplying of wire netting, ias suggested in the report of the committee. THE DISMISSAL OK RAILWAY SERVANTS. In the evening there was a full attendance in the House and galleries in anticipation of a heated debate on the action of the Railway Commissioners in dismissing four of their employe-:. Contrary to expectations, however, the debate was brief, and very moderate in tone. After Mr. Mitcholson bad Kid the explanatory memorandum of the Commissioners on the table, and it had been read by the clerk, Mr. Fishor rose and suggested that the Government should fix a time for the discussion of the memorandum. Mr. j Fish, who followed, also spoko very quietly and sensibly, deprecating any premature discussion on the subject He 'desired to read the memorandum in print before coming to a decision. Dr. Hodgkinson, and Messrs. Seddon, Taylor, and Mitchelson also spoke briefly, and the matter was dropped till to-morrow afternoon, when the Acting-Premier will state whether he will fix a time for the discussion of the subject. The rest of the evening to the supper adjournment was occupied with the Midland Railway Contract Bill and the Distillation Act Amendment Bill. LOCAL BODIES. The Local Government Committee reportod to day, recommending that the number of local bodies should be reduced, and that the remainder should have extended duties and powers conferred on them, to enable them to discharge such functions as are now performed by Hospital and Charitable Aid Boards, Education Boards, Lands Boards, Licensing Committees, tho Stock Department, etc. The committee also recommend that the financial position of local bodies should be established on an assured basis, avoiding fluctuation and uncertainty so far as possible.

THE INTERESTS OK LABOUR. Sir George's Interests of Labour Bill was circulated to-day. It is a brief measure, providing— (1) that where there is no written contract to the contrary, eight hours shall constitute a day's work, and 48 hours a week's work ; (2) thut in order to prevent sweating on Government contracts, the contractors shall not pay less than a minimum rato of wages, to be fixed by the Government or local authorities; (3) that no inoro leases of coat mines shall be granted by the Government; (4) that the Government shall have power to purchase and work coal mines on the public account; (5) that out of royalties paid by private owners of coal mines provision shall be made for injured miners or the families of killed or injured miners. As tho Labour Bills are before the House the Public Petitions Committee have no recommendation to make on the petitions of A. A. Bull and others, of Napier ; J. Graham and Co. and others, of Masterton; E. Blanche and others, of Wellington ; and David Darward and others, of Oamaru, in support of the Bills ; and Kirkcaldie and Stain's and others, of Wellington, opposing them.

MIRTHFUL MBMBKKS. During the debate this evening on the Distillation Bill Mr. Hobbs was facetiously ! accused of being a good judge of whisky. j Mr. Hobbs at once roee to make a personal ; explanation, and declared, amidst roars of merriment, that it was six years since he had given up the use of whisky, but that previous to that date he had been a good judge. He further tickled the risible faculties of members by gravely informing them that he had not given up whisky-drinking because he was a habitual drunkard. He : had done it for the good of the public. MISCELLANEOUS. Ministers still appear sanguine that prorogation may be practicable by next Wed nesday. At present this does not look exces- ( sively probable. 1 Mr. Fisher has given notice to ask the Postmaster-General:—(l) Whether, under the clerical division of post and telegraph classification, each officer will rise in salary until he reaches £250 without requiring to j undergo any additional qualification to pass I the intervening grades ? and (2) when will the classification prescribed under the Bill take effect ? It if) the intention of Mr. Arthur to ask the Government if they will, during the recess, make arrangements to have a consolidation in the native land laws, and an alteration in the direction of perfect free trade and absolute security in dealings ?