AUCKLAND PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 13481, 4 July 1907, Page 3

A UCKLAND PARLIAMENTAR Y ASSEMBLY.

The first session this season of the Auck-1 land Parliamentary Assembly was held in tho Y.M.C.A. lecture hall last evening, and was attended by a large number of members, as well as representatives of tho various literary societies. The position of Governor was occupied by the Hon. J. A. Tole. and the Ministry formed comprised tho following:—Mr. F. M. Hay, Premier, Colonial Treasurer, and Postmaster-Gene-ral ; Mr. J. Stanton, Attorney-General and Minister for Justice; Mr. A. Rosscr, Minister for Labour, Agriculture, and Marine; Mr. H. P. Taylor, Colonial Secretary, Native, and Defence Minister; Mr. C. H. Sexton, Minister for Lands and Agriculture; Mr. J. J. Furlong, Minister for Railways and Public AVorks. Mr. A. T. C. Thome was appointed to the office of Clerk, Mr. W. J. Speight. Speaker of the House, and Mr. F. J. Hutchison Sergeant-at-Arms. A House Committee .was elected, with Mr. G. Gregory," sen., as chairman. The Governor attended to deliver his speech, in the course of which he reported a surplus of over £600,000, and said it was the intention of the Ministers to devote a considerable portion of it to county councils and road boards to place them in a better financial position. Reference was made to land law reform, State ownership of public utilities, prevention of trusts and monopolies, removal of anomalies in the Customs tariff, preferential trade, alcoholic liquors control,: military training, and native lands, on all of which it was proposed to bring forward measures during the session. Other matters to be dealt with would include reafforestation of wastelands, enlargement of self-government in connection with road boards and county councils, foods adulteration, banking and insurance as State, monopolies, prohibiting secret commissions in- trade, abolition of the totalisator. It was stated public works would be pushed forward, anil tho administration of various departments attended to. The, Minister for Lands introduced a Land Bill, which was read a first time, and the second reading was fixed for July 17, to be the first item on the order paper. A motion was carried congratulating Mr. Button on his recent, appointment to a judgeship. Appreciation was expressed at the courteous treatment, received last session from the Leys Institute, and a resolution was carried thanking Mr. T. W. Leys for the interest he had taken in the assembly since its inception. The Premier, who moved the Address-in-Reply, traversed the subjects touched upon in the Governor's speech, outlining in detail the intentions of the Government and tho measures to bo introduced. The motion, was seconded by Mr. W. Holdsworth. After various members on both sides of the House had -spoken on the motion it was eventually carried and an adjournment agreed to.