CLOSE OF PARLIAMENT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 14824, 30 October 1911, Page 8

CLOSE OF PARLIAMENT.

NEW LEGISLATION.

HOUSE RISES AT MIDNIGHT

RUSH OF WORK AT THE FINISH

A LEGISLATIVE FARCE.

GOVERNMENT BILL THROWN OUT. RETIRING MEMBERS FAREWELLED.

[BY TELEGRAPH.SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.] Wellington, Sunday. The last session of the present Parliament closed on Saturday night. For some considerable time during the afternoon the . whole work of Parliament was blocked by the Hon. Wi Pore, the Maori member in the Upper House, because he could not get a, clause in one of the Bills framed to his satisfaction. The two Houses disagreed, and it took three conferences and a good deal of persuasion with the representative of the native race to effect a compromise. Just about 6 p.m. it really seemed »as if the persistent Maori might keep Parliament going into next week.

While the House was waiting for the printing office to catch up with its great press of work the Prime Minister and the Leader of tho -Opposition made l valedictory speeches in regard to those members who are voluntarily severing their connection with the House of Representatives. Sir Win. Steward, Messrs. Lawry, T. Para to, C. Hall, A. Dillon, and L. R. Phillips spoke in reply, and the House adjourned till 10 p.m. On re suming, the usual friendly speeches by the leaders on each side of the House were made, and the usual compliments paid to Mr. Speaker, the Chairman ot Committees, and" officers of the House. There was then a long delay owing to the printing office having difficulty in getting the Bills printed in time for the Governor's signature. It was midnight before the session ended. The last division was taken, and Auld Lang Syne and | the National Anthem sung. The Southern steamer was delayed to enable Southern members to reach their homes expeditiously, and for the Northern members a special train was in waiting at the North - Island Main Trunk terminus, were all very "tired and extremely glad to get away. The delay in bringing important Bills down to the Legislative Council during .the concluding hours of the session has been commented on by various speakers during the past week", and the matter was revived on Saturday, when the Hon. J. R. Sinclair {Otago} entered an emphatic protest, against the Coal Mines Amendment- Bill being introduced in the dying hours of the session. He regarded it as a travesty on legislation that Bills r such as this should be sent down on last day of the session. To,-e ire the respect of those represented 'the Bill should be conducted in decency and •* order, and opportunity should, he urged, be given to make fill inquiry into conditions surrounding arjy measure that came before the This was a reasonable and moderate proposition. As far as hd had bee^ a y e to see there was nothing to object jo i n the Bill, but at the same time he,' had not had time to go thoroughly into jy . _ - "*- /The Hon. W: Carncross (Taranaki) also objected to measures such as this being brought down on the last ds.v of the session, and he. said a better system would be if the members of Cabinet should bring down' their Bills at an earlier stage. Bringing Bills down as was done was a deliberate attempt to force measures through after a number of members had gone away. -• While ho entered his protest he was not against the improvement of the miners' conditions.

The Hon. J. Barr (Canterbury) also pro-, tested« against measures being brought down at the eleventh! hour, whatever the object might be. The Hon. J. £. Jenkinson (Wellington) said he had not had time to consider the Bill, and if it came to a vote on the second reading, he would vole against it, not as to the Bill itself so much as a protest against a measure of the kind being brought down at so late a stage. He thought the time had arrived when the Council should protest, and should put its foot down and indicate that it would not receive Bills under these conditions. He would vote against the Bill as a protest against, its being brought in at this stage of the session.

The Hon. O. 'Samuel (Taranaki) also objected to hlindlv passing into law a measure which he had not had time to consider, and unless they were going to carefully ► consider the measures put before them it was not much use their being there.

On a division the second reading was defeated by 11 votes to 6, the voting being:—Ayes: . Hons. Sir John Findlay, Captain Baillie, J. Rigg. J. T. Paul, W. Beehan. and A. Baldey. Noes : Hons. J. Barr, J. E. Jenkinson, H. Gilmer, W. C. F. Carncross, Dr. Collins, R.. A. Loughnan, J. Anstey, T. . Thompson, J. McGowan, O. Samuel, and J. R. Sinclair.

FINAL DAY'S WORK,

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

SIR JOHN FINDLAT'S WORK. fur TELECEAPH. —PRESS ASSOCIATION.). Wellington, Sunday, The Legislative Council sat till 12.45 this morning. The Military Pensions Bill was reported without amendment. ,

On the industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Bill it was resolved to add a sub-clause -stipulating that where a notification that no settlement has been arrived at has been delivered to the clerk of awards, and the Conciliation Council makes no recommendation for a settlement of the dispute, the clerk shall forthwith refer the dispute to the Court. The Bill was reported without further amendment. ■

The Council resumed at 10 a.m. to-day. Lite Council decided to insist on its amendments to the Workers' Compensation and Native Lands Adjustment mi' w which the House disagreed. 1 lie Lower House's amendments to the Post and Telegraph Amendment Bill were agreed to. The Christchurch Domains Bill was put through all its stages. In the afternoon an amendment made an the House by Governor's message to the Post and Telegraph Bill was agreed to. The Attorney-General gave reasons why the Council's amendment in the Workers' Compensation Bill should bo insisted on.

The Coal Mines Amendment Bill and the Taieri Land Drainage Bill were received from the House and read a first time. - The Hon. J. R. Sinclair protested against Bills being introduced in the dying hours of' the session. In _ the Council in the evening, while waiting for the Appropriation Bill to be sent to the Council, the Hon. J. E. Jenkinson moved that the Council place on record its appreciation of the services rendered to the Council by the AttorneyGeneral (Sir Jcihn Find Jay) in his position of Leader of the Council. . The mover expressed appreciation of the good work done by the Attorney-General, and his belief that he would continue, to forward humanitarian measures for the good of the Dominion. The Hon. - R. A. Loughnan seconded the motion, and spoke in eulogistic , terms of Sir John Findlav. The -Hons. W. Beehan, Samuel, J. 11. • Sinclair, J. Anste.y, J. • Bigg, and others -endorsed and added to what had been said, - The -' motion • was carried with ajj:

plause. Sir John Findlay in feeling terms acknowledged the great _ compliment paid him. ' He said that night he approached a very important stage of his life, and he left, his friends in the Council with a sens© of deep regret on his part. Ho spoke in highly complimentary terms of the good 'work which the Council had done, and lie pointed to the fact that 36 measures had within five years Been radically altered by tho Council with advantage, and which "'alterations tho House had accepted. The censure which had been levelled against tho Council had been the result of ignorance. While admitting the value of the Council as a revising chamber,, it was impossible to overlook the spirit of tho times and that the democracy would insist upon having some direct contact between tho Upper House and the people. He thought there would come to be a chamber having some elective element in it. He, however, objected to a purely elective revising chamber.

An amendment, made in the Native Lands Claims Adjustment Bill was agreed to. The Appropriation Bill was put through in all its stages, and the Council finally adjourned.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

THE SUPPLEMENTARY ESTIMATES.

tßr TELEGEArn.— ASSOCIATION.]

Wellington, Saturday.

In the House of Representatives, after two a.m., on a vote of £155 in the Supplementary Estimates for the North Auckland Railway Commission, Sir Joseph Ward, continuing in reply to Mr. Massey, said the tendency in this" country ran too much in the direction of members running down other members and endeavouring to lower the status of members. "Why should the fact of a man with _ local knowledge, being a member of Parliament , prevent the country from using his services?" Ho said Mr. Massey held that any extra payment to a member of Parliament was interference* with his independence. A motion to strike out the item was defeated by 36 votes to 15. The remainder of the Estimates went through without discussion.

The Christchurch Domain Bill was passed. The Native Land Claims Adjustment Bill was brought down from the Legislative Council with amendments. The House disagreed with tho amendments, and appointed as managers Sir J. Carroll and Messrs. W. H. Ilerries and W. T. Jennings, to confer. The House also disagreed with tho Council's amendments to the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Amendment Act, and appointed as managers the Hon. J. A. Millar and Messrs. J. P. Luke and.D. McLaren, to confer. The Railway Committee reported on petitions from railway servants. The House rose at 2.5 a.m. The Last Bills.

The House resumed at two o'clock today, and agreed to the report of the conferences between the Council and t-fce House on the subject of the Council's amendments in the Workers' Compensation for Accidents Amendment Hill and tho Native Land Claims Adju«fi' lien t Bill. A Governor's message jsag' received striking out the clause jity-Vhe Mining Amendment Bill refer.r m g to contracts. This was.done on account. of the clause being in conflict •Ht'ith the Lien Act. The amendment was carried.

A new clause was added to the Reserves and Other Lands Disposal and Public Bodies' Empowering Bill, providing that on the recommendation of the land board of a district that the Crown tenants of lands other than settlement lands which have not been opened for selection subject to the provisions of the Bush and Swamp Crown Lands Settlement Act, 1903, or of section 127 of the Land Act, 1908, should be afforded relief owing to exceptional circumstances over which they have no control preventing profitable occupation of such lands. The Governor in his discretion may by proclamation declare any such sections" referred to in the land board's recommendation to be subject to the pro visions of section 127 of the Land. Act, 1908, and may fix in the said proclamation the period for which the land so pro claimed shall be exempt from payment of rent and general rates, and exercise with regard ta those lands all the powers conferred on him by section 127 of the Lini Act, 1908. The proclamation would be submitted to Parliament, within 21 days cf the date of the issue if Parliament vus sitting, and 21 days after the opening cf Parliament if the' proclamation oic.ir.roJ during the recess. Oil and Iron Industries. . In moving the second reading of the Appropriation Bill Sir Joseph Ward congratulated members on the work that had been done. He regarded the work done by Parliament as of great value to the country, and in this connection he instanced the Widows' Pensions Bill, a measure which had been adopted in no other country. The State Note Issue Bill would also be of considerable value to the Dominion, and in his opinion would make for a material improvement in the condition of-the country in case of a crisis taking place. He went on to say that the proposed system of farmers' co-operative banks was going to help the small farmers by enabling them to get that help which not infrequently" they would not get from private lending institutions. The amendment to the Death Duties Act would be the means of producing taxation from estates which m the past had not contributed to the revenue. The assistance given to the oil industry will be of practicable value and assist in putting the industry on a commercially sound basis, separate from monopolies of other countries. Not only had exploration been carried out, but help had been given in the remission of Customs duty on imported machinery for oil boring purposes, and in this connection ho stated that a new and much quicker system of boring had been invented and would soon be at work here. The result, he believed, would be to develop the industry to an extent not hitherto contemplated. He was sorry they had not been able to carry out the legislation proposed for the development of the iron industry. The Government would go carefully into the matter during the recess. If it could be done on a proper basis it would be a good thing if the iron industry was established in the Dominion, and he believed that eventually it would be a good asset to the Dominion. The House adjourned at 5.30 p.m. and resumed at 7.30 p.m. Appropriation Bill. It was announced that an agreement had been come to with the Legislative Council on the subject of the Council's amendments in the Native Claims Adjustment Bill. An Appropriation Bill providing for the expenditure of £5,593,473, already authorised under the various headings of the Estimates/ was put through in 'all its .stages. Valedictory speeches followed and the session closed at midnight.

WHAT PARLIAMENT HAS DONE. LIST OF ACTS PASSED. [BY TELEGRAPH. —PRESS ASSOCIATION.] Wellington", Saturday. The following is a schedule of the business of the House of Representatives and of the Bills passed and lapsed during the session :— (1) Select Committees on public matters, 20; on private Bills, 3. Total, 23. (2) Public Bill,* received the Royal assent, 79; reserved for the signification of His .Majesty's pleasure, 1; dropped or otherwise disposed of. 43. Total, 123. (3) Private Bills which received the Royal assent. 3. (4) Sittings: Days of meeting, 56; hours of sitting before midnight, 378 hours two minutes; hours of sitting after midnight, 70 hours 14 minutes—44B hours 16 minutes. Daily average, eight hours. Following is a list of Acts passed by the General Assembly:— Public Acts. . The Shipping and Seamen Amendment Act (reserved for the assent of His Majesty),,

Administration Amendment. Aid to Public Works and Land Settlement. Appropriation. Auckland Grammar School Site. Chriatchurch Domains Amendment. Death Duties Amendment. Dentists Amendment Dunedin Technical School Site. Education Reserves Amendment. Elingamito Rehearing. Friendly Societies Amendment. Government Railways Amendment. Hauraki Plains' Amendment. Hutt Railway and Road Improvement Amendment. Imprest Supply, 1,2', and 3. Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Amendment. . Kaikoura Hospital Site. Land Tax and Income Tax. Legislature Amendment, No. 3. Local Elections and Polls Amendment. Mental Defectives. Military Pensions. Mining' Amendment. Native Land Claims Adjustment, New Zealand State-guaranteed Advances Amendment. Old Age Pensions Amendment. Patents Designs and Trade-marks. Post and Telegraph Amendment. Public Reserves and Domains Amendment.

Public Service Classification and Superannuation Amendment. Public Works Amendment. Rating Amendment. Railways Authorisation. Representation Commission's report. Validation. Reserves and other Lands' Disposal and Public Bodies' Empowering. SI oii3 Quarries Amendment. Tramways Amendment. University gf Otago Council. Wanganui School Sites Amendment. Widows' Pensions. Workers' Compensation Amendment.

Local Acts. Auckland Electric Power Station Site. Auckland Harbour Board Empowering. Franklin and Manukau Counties. Hamilton Domains. Manukau Harbour Control. Onehunga Borough's Vesting. Private Acts. Guardian Trust and Executors Company Amendment. Methodist Charitable and Education Trusts. Methodist Church of New Zealand.

THE SESSION REVIEWED-

"LEGISLATION BY EXHAUSTION." ELECTION YEAR FINANCES. rby TKLWJ&AFH. —rP.FSS association- /"■ "" CHMSfTfcirtjft'<vs.y Saturday. Interviewed regarding the work of the session, Mr. Jas. Allen, M.P., referred to the hours during which the House sat between . October 16 and 27, and eaid that the sitting hours have averaged 10 hours six minutes daily, exclusive of time for adjournments and of time spent at committees. the last-mentioned meaning two or three hours daily. The figures showed, he said, that sensible men could only come to the conclusion that during the last days of the session it was a case of legislation by exhaustion, and against this state of things the people of the Dominion should protest at the coming elections. Referring to financial matters, Mr. Allen said that it muet be absolutely startling to people of the Dominion to recognise that the annual appropriations for Departmental expenditure out of the Consolidated Fund for the year 191112, including tlm appropriations made in the Supplementary Estimates, amounted to £6,593,474, or an increase on the annual appropriations made for the previous year or £793,306. He did not know of any previous increase in tho annual appropriations approximating to tho Increase given above. The next larger increase, was probably that of the election year 1908-9, when the annual appropriations showed an increase over those of the previous year of £532,131. It looked as if the increase in the appropriations could be taken as a kind of election barometer. The same applied to the appropriations made out of the Public Works Fund. Although the total Public Works appropriations for 1911-12 (including those on the Supplementary Estimates) totalled £3,040,653, an increase of £43.878 on those of the previous year, it must be recollected that in that year (1910-11) there was an increase of £660.039 on those of 1909-10. Ibis was an election barometer, for in everv year since the Ward Government took office there were decreases in the Public Works Fund appropriations, except in the two years juet mentioned, and in the election year 1903-9, when there was an increase of £396,296. Turning to the expenditure out of tho Consolidated Fund, Mr. Allen said that the figures told the same story. Of course, ho in U^i« not deal 'th the expenditure for 1911-12. but in tho election year 1908-9 the n X Jrv\ n ,i„ showed a very big increase of ii over that of tho previous year, fm ilo ™ prepared to guarantee that for iyil-12 the increased expenditure would be as great as in 1908-9, us compared with the expenditure for 1910-11. The figures relating to the Public Works expenditure told the same story. Tho first year of the Ward Government, 1906-7, showed an in--crease over the previous year of £396,153. Ihen the following year, 1907-8, showed a decreased expenditure, but the next year, Q 7 ectl s ll . y€ar ' showcd an increase of £293,839, and the next two years showed a decrease. Election year had come round again, and he hesitated to say what the increased expenditure would 'be as compared with that of 1910-11, but it would be pretty large. „ " A . U ii iese figures indicate, Mr. Allen added, how public money is used, as it seems to me, for electioneering purpose* Continuing, he r id that if there was added to the annual appropriations the permanent appropriations, those made to meet interest and sinking charges, and for expenditure under special Acts, then the iiicrease in the. appropriations over those of the previous year reached the enormous sum of £991,787, and there had never Ten sum of £991,787, and there had never been anything like this increase since lie was a member of Parliament. Of the increase mentioned above £190,768 was due to in creased provision for interest in sinking und. As Mr. Ballaiice had said of Sf Dominion's finances yearn ago, their me ZiifSS? ™ »»