PARLIAMENT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 14235, 4 December 1909, Page 8

PARLIAMENT.

A GOVERNMENT DEFEAT.

ANOTHER ADVERSE VOTE.

MR. REEVES' SALARY.

STRUCK OUT OF ESTIMATES. [BY TELEGRAPH. —SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.] Wellington, Friday. An* unexpected reverse befel the Government this evening during the discussion on the Estimates. The item in question was the sum of £400 which was down for payment to the Hon. W. P. Reeves, late High Commissioner,' as financial adviser to the Government in London. Incidentally several unfavourable references were made to the increasing cost of the London office of the Dominion, and special exception was taken to the particular item under discussion as being an apparently unnecessary expense. This feeling was so strong that a motion by the Leader of the Opposition to strike out the vote was earned by a'majority of 10 votes. Such a reverse has not befallen a Government in New Zealand for many years.

When the item came up Mr. Massey asked for information concerning the position and wished to know whether it was a new office.

The Prime Minister said the office had been rendered Necessary by the retirement of Sir Walter Kennaway. It had previously been held, he ?aid, by "the late Sir Penrose Julian and also '!>/ the late Sir Julius Vogel. Mr. Massey said the office had not been filled for some years. He was strongly of opinion that this office had been created for Mr. Reeves, and he would test the feeling of the House by moving to strike out the item. He did not think they needed a financial adviser in addition to their banking advisers.

The Prime Minister said the services rendered by Mr. Reeves were very important, and the payment of £400 was a merit! bagatelle.

Mr. Allen suggested that the services in question could be done by the Crown agents. The Prime Minister said this would not be wise.

Mr. Poole said there was a widespread feeling that they were spending a great ueal too much money on the Home office. The Prime Minister said that the expenditure was quite necessary. The Government would not pay £400 to Mr. Reeves for nothing to oblige the late High Commissioner, and he did ■ not think Mr. Reeves would take money that he had not earned. Mr. Massey's amendment was carried by 35 votes to 25, the following being the division list:—

Ayes (35): Messrs. Allen, Anderson, Arnold, Buchanan, Buick. Clark, Davey, Dive, J. Duncan, Fisher, Glover, Hanan, Hardy, Herdmon, Herries, Hine, Hogg, Jennings, Lang, Luke, McLaren, Manttcr, Massey, Newman, Nosworthy, Okey, Pearce, Phillipps, Poole, Russell, Scott, G. M. 'lnomson, J. 0. Thomson, Witty, and Wright. Noes (25): Messrs. Brown, Buddo, Carroll, ColvLa, Ell, Field, Forbes, Fowlds, Hall, Hogan, Laurenson, Lawry, Macdonald, R. McKenzie, T. Mackenzie, Millar, Poland, Reed, Ross, Seddon, Sidey, Smith, Stallworthy, Te Rangihiroa, and Sir J. Ward.

THE LAND BILL.

SUGGESTED COMPROMISE.

It is stated that there is a probability of a compromise being arrived at in regard to the Land Bill so far as the present session, is concerned, and that it will not be brought on till next year. _

FRIENDLY SOCIETIES BILL.

FINANCIAL SAFEGUARDS.

The Friendly Societies Bill, which was introduced to-day, is similar 1 to that circulated last yeah It is in substitution for the Friendly Societies Act, 1908, which is * re-enactment of the Friendly Societiej

Act, 1882, as amended in 1886 and 1892. The Bill incorporates such provisions of the Imperial Acts of 1896 and 1908, as seem applicable to New Zealand, as well as several new provisions for improving the financial soundness of the societies. The classes of societies to be registered are slightly altered. "Cattle insurance societies" * re omitted, as no such societies have ever made use of the friendly societies statutes in New Zealand. The provisions of the Act of 1882 as to " specially authorised" societies have been restored. Friendly societies may include among their objects the guarantee of the fidelity of tneir officers and servants. In ! future no society or branch is to be registered unless the rates of contributions shown in the rules are certified by an actuary. Any existing society or branch having an adequate scale of contributions may obtain, on application to the registrar, an actuarial certificate to that effect. No amendment of the rules of a society or branch is to be registered until an actuary has reported • that the amendment does nob adversely affect the financial soundness of the society or branch. Additional provisions as to powers of investment are proposed. Trustees when investing money on mortgage of land or buildings must not advance more than a fixed proportion of the value of the security, and if any benefit funds are in future invested in the purchase of land or the erection or alteration of buildings, wholly or partly occupied by the society or branch, a specified rate of interest on the sum so invested must be guaranteed by the society or branch. Money payable by a friendly society to a member, or on the death of a member, is protected against creditors in the same manner as life insurance policies. The provisions as .to inspection and the settlement of disputes by arbitration have been extended in accordance with the English and New South Wales Acts. The provisions in the Friendly Societies Act, 1908, as to " collecting societies," have been omitted as no longer necessary or operative. LAND TAX DEPARTMENT. RUMOURS ABOUT LEGISLATORS. [BY TELEGRAPH. ASSOCIATION.] Wellington, Friday. During the • discussion on the Estimates in the House of Representatives to-night Mr. Wright (Wellington South) moved to I reduce the item, £400 Commissioner of, Taxes and Valuer-General, by £1 as an indication that the Government should inform the House as to the position in regard to the Commissioner of Taxes, against whom charges bad been made. Mr. Buchanan also supported the amendment. I

Sir Joseph Ward said he could not disclose the private business of individuals with a secret Department, which would have to be done in order to meet the demands of members of the Opposition. He was quite decided in his attitude on the matter, am? had no intention of changing it. The attitude of members in pressing for information was positively indecent. Mr. Massey denied any intention on the Opposition's part to pry I .o the prir business of anyone, but tun position was serious, and showed that there vat something very wrong in connection v»ti» the working of the Depart mi t.. It win* • amoured that jerw.ns in high pln.es were implicated in irregularities. Sir Joseph Ward: Dees the lion, gentleman mean anyo'i" connected with the Government? ...

Mr. Massey: "I will say persons connected with " the Legislature. ' If tho Prime Minister would say that Court cases were pending he', (Mr. Massey) would take the responsibility of advising Mr. Wright to withdraw bis amendment. The one coureo open to Sir Joseph Ward was to let some members of the Opposition see the judges' report without names. Sir Joseph Ward said he tctld not agree to Mr. Massey's suggestion. To do eo

would tie to show that he was unfit to hold his office. If the House decided that the judges' report he laid on the table he, personally, would not do so. , Messrs. Fowlds, Allen, Laurenson, Glover and Dive spoke, the last-named making a charge against the department, saying ho would place particulars on tho table if the Prime Minister would alst} put his explanation before the House.

Messrs. Ell, Witty and Mac&onald continned the debate.

Mr. Wright replied, and the motion ■was put and lost by 40 to 21.

SATURDAY SITTINGS.

PUSHING BUSINESS THROUGH.

In the House this afternoon the Prime Minister moved, "That on and after Saturday next the House sit. on Saturdays, from 10 a.m. till one p.m., for consideration of orders of the day only, local Bills to take precedence, and thereafter Government Bills."

Mr. Massey said if any attempt was made to introduce all-night sittings he would oppose it. He would not have legislation rushed. These remarks applied to a suggestion by Mr. Wiiford that the House should sit all* night, as well as on Saturday morning.

THE LAND TENURE DEBATE.

FREEHOLD OR LEASEHOLD?

The interrupted debate on the question that the report of the Lands Committee lie on the table was resumed in the House of Representatives this afternoon by Mr. Thomson (Wallace), who entered a plea for granting the freehold to pioneer settlers, many of whom only earned a living wage to-day, though they had been on the land for years. Mr. Hogg said the fight for the leasehold would be carried on till Christmas and beyond it. The Leader of the Opposition was bleating like a shorn sheep. He had been robbed of his political garments by the Government. Once the land became freehold it ultimately fell into the bands of th« capitalist, and the man on the land became a serf. If the Government had any principles it ought to stick to them, and carry them out, or appeal to the country. The leaseholders were not afraid of a general election. Freehold lent facilities to land gambling and extravagance, while leasehold protected families of settlers from such evils.

Mr. Wright denounced the Government's vacillation on the land question, and was speaking at 5.30, when the House rose.

THE GENERAL ESTIMATES.

DISCUSSION IN THE HOUSE.

When the House went into Committee of Supply in the evening, Mr. Allen moved to reduce the item £1100 for extra clerks and reporters by £1, as an indication that the House desired the items of expenditure. The motion was defeated. On the item £2203 expenditure on General Assembly Library, Mr. Hanan moved to reduce the same by £1 in order to call attention to the high salaries paid the staff not fully occupied all the year round. .

The Prime Minister gave details of the library and of the work done by the staff, and several members bore testimony to the value of the library and the assistance they had received from the staff. > T"he motion was negatived.

POLITICAL NOTES.

A CHINESE PETITION. [BY TELEGRirn.SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.] Wfxlington, Friday. Chinese laundrymen resident in Wellington are petitioning Parliament against the Factories Act Amendment Bill, which, they state, is designed to prevent them from carrying on hand-washing, unless at such prices as will very much exceed the prices paid to steam laundries for the socalled washing of clothes. The limitation to work only 8J hours a day would press hardly on them, seeing that on certain days of the week there is a great rush of work. A petition, signed by a number of wage-earning men, has also been received, asking that the restrictions should not be put upon the Chinese laundries. COST OF HANSARD. A judicious " boiling down" policy in connection with Hansard was urged this evening by Mr. J. C. Thomson. The present cost of this publication, he said, was over £4000 a year; but, if the reports of speakers were curtailed, as could be done without impairing the efficiency of the value of Hansard, the sum of £1000 a year could be saved. He instanced the "excellent reports" published by the newspapers as an example of what might be done in regard to Hansard. "The newspaper reporters make better speeches than we do," was Mr. Baume's tribute to the press gallery. AUCKLAND LOANS BILL. The Auckland City Loans Consolidation and Empowering Bill was reported to the House to-day by the Loral Bills Committee. A provision has been added by the committee limiting the interest to be paid on loans raised under the Act to a maximum of 4£ per cent. A sub-clause has also been added, providing that the costs incidental to the raising of the consolidated loan shall be apportioned between the several purposes in such manner as the City Council may determine. The Imprest Supply Bill passed all its stages in the Legislative Council this afternoon.