PARLIAMENT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13845, 3 September 1908, Page 6

PARLIAMENT.

_.— m £BT TEKEGB.4PH-—PSKSS ASSOCIATION*.] LEGISLATIVE COtJNCIL. Wetctesdat. The Council met at 2.30 p.m. ' JUSTICES OF THE PEACE ACT. ■'':■' The Hon. 0. SAMUELS gave notice to. introduce a Bill to amend the Justices of ..the Peace Act. BILLS AND COMMITTEES. Amendments were mad© in the Standing Orders making it optional to refer certain Bills to committees, instead of this course being compulsory. ..- A WESTPORT>BILL. The Hon. JR. SINCLAIR moved the second reading oi the West port Harbour Board Loan Bill. : •-.:",:';'■-' The Hon. J. E. JEXKINSOX, in sapporting the measure, said the Government should establish a good port on the west coast nearest Australia, for the purpose of exporting produce. It would be better to do this than to keep tipping money into the sea at small ports on the east coast. He suggested that Greymouth or West port would he most suit Ale for the purpose, preferable the latter. -. lite Hon. W. W. McCARDLE urged the claims of -Kawhia. as being » deep sea port with no fear. .The harbour was land-locked and afforded.shelter for a vast number of ■ships,, and was 'the nearest 'port'' to Sydney. .[ The .reading was agreed to on the voices. ' ; QUACKERY PREVENTION' BILL. The Quackery Prevention Bill, which was set down for the second reading, was referret! to the Statutes Revision Committee. LOCAL ELECTIONS BILL. The Local Elections and Polls Amendment Bill was put throuebr it* committee stages," and reported with, slight amendments. . — . , ; TOWN BOARDS AMENDMENT. The Town Boards Act i Amendment Bill was taken in committee. / The Hon. J. G. FINDLAY pointed out that while the Bill proposed to apply the Municipal Franchise Act of 1900 to "town, board elections, there was another Bill on the Order Paper to alter the qualifications for municipal elections. He asked how this wpuld affect the present B2L . ;'.; The Hon. G. J..SMITH said that if both' Bills were passed he understood the frani; chise for town districts and boroughs would be identical. The Bill was reported unamended. .;,'■-] AN OAMARU BILL. .; The Oamara Reserves Bill passed its i committee stages, and was reported with slight amendments. : ' CORONERS BILL. The Coroners Amendment Bill was read a thirtl time, and passed.,. A CHRISTCHURGH BILL. The Christchurch City Sanitation Empowering Bill was taken in committee. :;-: A The Hon. C. LOUISSON moved an . amendment to enable owners and ''.lessees'^ whose teases.had : not less than one year to run to take advantage of the provisions facilitating the making. of connections '..-with sewers. Monthly and weekly tenants would be excluded. The Hon. J. G. FINDLAY said it was unreasonable to i make/a'}'; lessee with only on© year to run responsible ; for all liabili-.-ties -incurred, -ylf such 'a man was scheduled to pay a" percentage* for every year the lease had,ran, that would be fair.' -' : - Progress was re-ported, and the Council adjourned at, 4.50 p.m. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. ' : v ' - '';'/ ' WJEnsEspar.. : The House met at 2.30 p.m. REPLIES TO QUESTIONS. Jo reply to questions Ministers stated as follows:— ..-/: -: " ' - ■' That it seemed quitenniH-cessaiy to set up special appeal boards fur : such "Depart.meats.'bf the public service as do sot possess them, a? the, Classification Board fulfilled the functions such boards. ■ That 1 the ' question :-. of altering the law so that water supply boards should share : in 1 subsidies on rates'collected on the same basis as county councils' would be considered by the Government during the- recess. That arrangements would be made. for automatic voting machines to ;be tested at some local election. .',"/' That the final selection of a design for a coat of arms for the "Dominion would be made -within the'-.next two months. .'. That annual privilege tickets could not be granted to railway men retired on superannuation. ' ; : That .■• the . present " concession - tickets "granted- by the Railway Department met all the legitirnate requirements of the oommrmity, and further:. concessions could not be made. .V. That < return D 3 (railway classification) would be ready in. a few days-t|-.^That".the:-'officers -of the Labour Depart- .- ment-were paying : attention -to:the-'ques-i,ii«p'.'of the, sale of tobacco after 8 p.m. by; Chinese shopkeepers. . That owing to the Consolidated Shipping and Seamen Bill of this session, which has been ' ;: passed by Parliament, having been reserved for the Royal assent, it had, been found that 1 the Government ■ could not bring tin any amending Bill until, that assent hid " Xbeeo given or ' withheld. r Tltet an amendment- of the Noxious ..'Weeds'Act" would'be brought' down if rime 'permitted. , The PRIME MINISTER, replying to rei'carks made', by. members in. the course of discussion on questions;;- said the great and important work of irrigation in Central Otajro was occupying the Oo'<erameot"s seri- ; bus attention. The present method of computing '. the census ;j of■;.too- four 3 ; centres was a most reasonable one, and the Department made every effort to make returns as awnrate ' as;.. possible. ■■~- Referring; to' the"' railway' {classification, list (Return Do), he said the task o' 1 ' preparing it had been enormonsiy complwatetL'' It. was untrue and ts'tfaiir to assert ; that the (Government had been irruV ejected to pressure in the preparation thereof. Regarding rsiilwav concessions, he declared that what the Govermnent had done already should have excited applause from the whole community. It was a bad sign for fine future; government o£ this country that on the eve of general elections members were <yking for all sorts of further 'concessions, and it was a bad sign that the constituents of members, whoever they might be, should encourage that sort of thing. - ' • The Hon. G. FOWLDS/ replying to criticisms on questions referring to educational matters, also complained of the scramble for concessions. "• ■ . INCORPORATED SOCITTES BILL, i The Incorporated Societies Bill, with amendments made by the Council and objected to. by the House, was received ■ bacfc from tie Council with: a statement of reasons. The New Zealand Council insists upon the amendments. ; On the motion of the Prime Minister- it was resolved to consider the statement on next sitting day. . The House adjourned at 5.30 p.m. The House resumed at 7.30 p.m. SECOND BALLOT BILL. The PROLE MINISTER moved the second reading of the Second Ballot Bill, explaining its provisions at length and giving his.reasons-.. in favour of passing the .measure..Mr. MASSEY opposed the Bill, and was supported by Mr. J, Allen and and other members at length. " Eventually the second reading was carried by 43 votes to 15. The House rose at 1.40 a.m. ' ■ . - , '.T .':• ."".:.-''.. "' !