PARLIAMENT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 13523, 22 August 1907, Page 6

PARLIAMENT.

[BY TELEGRAPH. —PRESS ASSOCIATION.] LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. Wednesday. The Council met at 2.30 p.m. The Hastings Recreation Reserve Rill was further considered in committee, and reported with amendments. The ATTORNEY-GENERAL moved the second reading of the Co.-tlcy Training Institution Act Amendment Bill, to amend the machinery of the law under which the trust is carried out, and tc give power to increase the number of trustees from thrco to five. The second reading was agreed to, and the Council rose at 4.35 p.m. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. Wednesday. After the telegraph office closed last night, the PREMIER proposed to proceed with tho Justice Department's total vote, £143,432. Mr.. W. F. MASSE objected to starting a new Department at that hour. He moved to report . progress. After discussion', it was decided to put through a certain amount of business. FORESTRY DEPARTMENT. Regarding tho State forests vote, £30.608, In reply to .questions, the Hon. R. McNAB said ; t would be necessary in a year or two to make special provision for dealing with the question of planting State ■forests all over the colony. lie declared that one-half of the State nurseries ought to-be closed down. It had been thought advisable to constitute a nursery in the Wellington district. The vote was passed unaltered. INSURANCE DEPARTMENT. The Insurance Department vote, £64,617, was passed unaltered. PUBLIC TRUST OFFICE. With reference to the Public Trust vote, £38,477, . . ; '■ ■ i Mr. F. M. B. FISHER said though there were agents .at... Auckland, Christchurch, Dunedin, Greymouth, Nelson, Napier, and Wanganui, there was none at Masterton, where there was surely as much business as at Nelson, for instance. He was assured that -the person transacting business for the Department at Masterton was drawing in a commission of £500 annually, wnilst the officers of the Department at Nelson and Napier were only paid £200. He further complained that the whole business of the Department in. Wellington was worked through only one auctioneering firm. He contended that all reputable auctioneers should be utilised in rotation.

The PREMIER said, in regard to Mr. Fisher's reference to auctioneers, it was understood that so long as the work was well done there was no interference. He would look into the matter of the Mas-ter-ton agent. Several members interjected that auctioneers ; n Dunedin and Christchurch were utilised in turn by the Department. The/vote {was passed unaltered, and the House, rose at 3.20 a.m. The House met at 2.30 p.m. 1 ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS. In reply to questions, .Ministers stated : - That the question of how best to deal with trusts, where they were proved to exist, is under consideration by the Government. That was hoped to introduce the Civil Service Superannuation Bill at an early -date. ,■ • '■' ; That the Minister for • Justice was unaware that any of the racing clubs infringe the Gaming and Lotteries Act' by using more than, three" totulisators, but inquiry was being made into the matter. - That provision will ,be made in the Factories Act Amendment Bill, shortly to be submitted, to remove the difficulty which has occurred in reference to the Saturday half-holiday. That facilities will be granted to both employers and employees to give evidence before the Labour Bills Committee on the Industrial, Conciliation, and Arbitration Act Amendment Bill: ;• ' • ■ " , .Tha't the introduction of an amending Bill to"; the Noxious Weeds Act this session is under consideration. . ,v , That the question of establishing -a uniform \ standard of.'books' for the . State schools, to be sold for the use of school children at cost price, is being inquired into. .-':■';'. -';'-■; ! .That the '• whole ■'.' question of infant ' life protection is at present receiving, the attention of the Government. That no allowance' has ever been made for the use of horses or bicycles used by children travelling more than three mile's to schools, and the Government regret that it is unable to amend the regulations to include horses or bicycles within the means of conveyance for which payment is made. BANK OF NEW ZEALAND. The PREMIER, replying to Mr. Ell, said he had been inundated with resolutions urging the ■Government to take over the Bank of New Zealand, but he pointed out that this was absolutely impossible. The balance-sheet, of the Bank of New Zealand disclosed liabilities exceeding 18 millions. Theoretically a State bank might be all right," but it was an entirely different ; thing in practice. The people who passed resolutions asking the Government to take over the bank might just as well pass resolutions asking the Government to transfer New Zealand to Central America. Regarding Mr. Ell's complaint that the bank was charging local bodies a high rate of interest for overdrafts, he said the Government could not settle such matters, and.the lion, nrember knew it. If they interfered in this direction they would be doing little else but settling private peopled overdrafts. Even if the* Government'',, took' over the bank, it would be controlled "by directors, and ..to. allow the - House and members to. interfere would result in-financial chaos.

QUESTION OF NOXIOUS WEEDS. The Hon. R. MoNAB, replying to members, said the noxious weeds question was one of the most difficult problems that the Department had been called upon, to deal with. It was. his intention to introduce a Bill dealing with the subject this session. The Bill would be sent to the StocF Committee for report, and it was hoped to I thus obtain a workable measure.

APIARIES BILL. The Apiaries Bill was committed. Mr. W. F. MASSEY moved an amendment to provide for the Bill not to come into operation until January, 1909. The House adjourned at 5.30 p.m. The House resumed at 7.30 p.m. Mr. Masscy's amendment, after a long discussion, was negatived by 28 to 26. In reply to Mr. Hemes, the Hon. R. McNAB stated that the Bill did not apply to wild bees, and it was not intended to appoint any army of inspectors under the Act. When properly-constructed' frame hives were used, as provided for by the Bill, it would be only a matter of a few minutes to thoroughly examine quite a number of hives. . , An ' amendment, moved by Mr. Hemes, to provide that the Bill should only operate in regard to a beekeeper keeping bees for profit as against private use, was negatived. Clause 3 was amended, on the morion of Mr. Massey, to admit of - a beekeeper notifying a stock inspector, when he i 0 aware of the presence of disease in his apiary instead of, sending a written communication to the Secretary for Agriculture. When 'clause 6 was reached; which enables an inspector to order the removal of bees .to new. frame hives, Mr. MASSEY said this.was the cause of country members' objection to the Bill. Ho moved an amendment to strike out . the word "frame," and called for a division. The amendment.was negatived by 40 to seven. . / .--. >* ■'■ • •• ■' ' . Clause 7 was amended, on the motion of Mr. Hemes, to provide that all directions by the inspector shall be sent to beekeepers by registered letter.

At clause 7, empowering inspectors to destroy by fire infected bees' hives ,and appliances without'compensating the owners, Mr. A. S. MALCOLM moved an amendment authorising the Agricultural Department, to grant compensation. Mr. McXAB submitted that tins was an appropriation clause, which could therefore not be amended. In this he' was-sup-ported by the Chairman. Mr. MASSEY dissenting from the Chairman's decision, the Speaker's ruling was taken. FT'.; ruled that the amendment was in order.' On the division the amendment was negatived by 26 to 25. At clause 9, which provides that after the expiry of six months all bees shall be kept in properly-constructed frame hives, Mr. D. BUDDO moved .an amendment to extend the period from six to twelve montlis. The amendment was negatived by 24 to 15. ■ " - Mr. MASSE .said clause 9 created a new crime, for which .an offender was liable if he did not keep his bees in a pro-perly-constructed frame hive to a fine of £10. He was' opposed to the clause. On a division the clause was agreed to by 33 to 13. At, clause 10, which provides for a penalty of £10, Mr. McNAB moved an amendment to reduce the fine to £5. This was agreed to on the voices. Clause 10 then passed. Clause 11, providing that no person shall be entitled to compensation - for anything lawfully done under the Act, and clause 12, providing that the Governor by Order-iu-Council may declare any pest affecting bee.; or apiaries to bo a disease within the meaning of the Act, were agreed to. The Bill, with amendments, was their imported, and the House adjourned at 12.16 a.m. ' . ,