PARLIAMENTARY NEWS.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1172, 17 August 1894, Page 28

PARLIAMENTARY NEWS.

THURSDAY, AUGUST 16.

The statement published in a contemporary that tho Hon Walter Johnston has been appointed President of the Bank of New Zealand is declared by the Colonial Treasurer to be absolutely without foundation.

The coal monopoly was the subject of attack yesterday. Mr W. Hutchison wanted a return regarding coal mines, stating, amongst other information, the price at which coal is delivered at the pit’s mouth or at the port of shipment. The Minister of Mines, Mr Cadinan, hoped the return would not be asked for, because owners of private mines might refuse to give this information. Mr Cl. W. Russell, Mr Guinness, and others urged the return, protesting against the excessive prices charged for coal. Several speakers, including the Premier and Minister for Labour, declared the prices in Wellington to be most exorbitant. The Premier suggested that the return should show the retail prices for West Coast and Newcastle coal at various parts of the Colony. This was agreed to. A resolution has been passed by the Midland Railway Committee to the effect that being satisfied that the company cannot raise the capital necessary to complete tbe several railway works enumerated in the original contract, the committee resolves that it is necessary to confine further negotiations to the railway between Springfield and Jackson’s, the Belgi’ove section being arranged to be completed to a point at the junction of Norris Gully and Motueka Valley. A subcommittee was appointed to consider what modifications the Colony would be justified in making in the contract for the line from Springfield to Jackson’s, with a view of having an entirely new contract drawn up between the Government and the company. A motion binding the company to last year’s resolution of the House was lost by 5 votes to 4.

Regarding tho Rolleston banquet, it is not, we have been requested to state, an Opposition affair at all; simply a dinner given to Mr Rolleston by his personal and political friends in both Houses. Mr G. W. Russell was not at all pleased at not having received notice of the caucus held on Tuesday, and we understand spoke his mind very freely about the practice of issuing a notice at 12 for a meeting at half-past. Sir Robert Stout did not attend because he, too, did not get any notice, but made no complaint. During the coal discussion yesterday the Premier, speaking of the rate of 393 a ton for coal in Wellington and <£2 a ton in Wanganui, pointed out that the hewing rate at Westport was 4s a ton, and held that it was high time for them to know where the extra money went to. The price paid in Wellington for coal, said the Premier, is simply outrageous. “ One of the most cultured gentlemen in the British Empire,” is how Mr G. Hutchison spolco of Sir George Grey last night. There are 600 recorded applications from young women for employment in the telephone exchanges, whereas the total number of places is only about seventy-five. Hundreds of applications are not put on record at all, because there is not the slightest chance of granting them. The Colonial Treasurer says that in his opinion the rates for agricultural produce carried long distances by rail should be reduced, alike with the rates for fruit, and he is going to confer with the Railway Commissioners on the subject. “There is no such wild monopoly in coal in Wellington, nor are there such famine prices as have been made out by various speakers,” asserted Dr Newman yesterday. Mr Crowther, the only speaker on the Municipal Franchise Enlargement Bill, other than the mover (Mr W. Hutchison), roundly abused the measure, to the evident amusement of the House. It was a Bill without theory, practice, or common sense. It was unworkable and incomplete. He was ashamed of it and its author, and the miserable speech he had made. “ Does the mover wish to reply ?” demanded the Speaker. “ No, sir,” replied Mr Hutchison, suavely, “ I have nothing to reply to!” This ready retort was received with great laughter. Mr Fraser has been asking for a road from Lake Te Anau to Lake Wakatipu, but the Minister of Lands cannot give any money for it because it will cost a very large sum, and there are far more urgent works demanding attention. Mr R. Thompson : “ The price the people of Wellington pay for coal is a disgrace, and if the House can break up such a disgraceful monopoly it will achieve a great good.” Replying to Mr Jenkinson, Sir P A. Buckley said that the present conditions under which public works are tendered for provided that the workmen shall be paid the current rate of wages. Several petitions from hotelkeepers at the Thames deprived of their lk-ca km are to hand.

Mr Reeves says he has been assured that a poor man in Wellington has to pay most exorbitant prices for his coal.

The Petitions Committee makes no recommendation regarding the application of the Napier Land, Building, and Investment Society for a remission of taxation.

“ When I came to Wellington and found that Mokau coal, got out of the ground at 4s a ton, was soiling here for 30s a ton, it nearly made my hair stand on end,” exclaimed Mr E. M. Smith, with much violence yesterday. The Petitions M to Z Committee report that Mr R. C. Shearman has no further claim against the Colony. With regard to the caucus concerning the Lands for Settlement Bill, the vote to be taken regarding the tenure shall be upon the question whether or not the perpetual lease with periodic valuations shall be substituted for the eternal lease. If the vote is in favour of a change from the

lease in perpetuity, and is carried by a substantial majority of the party, the Government will be bound |to respect the resolution.

Mr Hogg wanted to amend the Shearers’ Accommodation Bill last night to provide for the inspection of the food of shearers. This was opposed by Captain Russell, who gave a sketch of the shearers’ daily bill of fair. Before the men start work, it appears, they get tea and a cake called “ brownie they then have breakfast —“a better breakfast than I eat sometimes,” interpolated Captain Russell—then they have tea and. cake at 10 o’clock, then they dine, then there is tea and cake again in the afternoon, and a hot meal in the evening. Excellent cooks, added Captain Russell, are employed at the shearing stations. Eventually Mr Hogg’s amendment was lost.

The Native Affairs Committee again recommend legislation which will finally settle all disputes in connection with the Horowhenua block.

One of the greatest troubles of the Postmaster - General’s life, says that Minister, is the continued worry to which he is subjected for appointments to the telephone exchanges. The petition of W. H. Churton, Wanganui, for an enquiry into the circumstances of the litigation under the will of his uncle, who bequeathed him .£IOOO, and left the remainder of his money to Aramoho Maori College, has been referred to the Government for consideration.

The Employers’ Private Benefit Society Bill has been modified by the Labour Bills Committee. It now provides that the persons eligible for such a society shall be the employees of those establishing or assisting an organisation of the kind, and any others who may be admitted as honorary members; that the membership of every society shall be voluntary; that every society must bo registered ; and that the funds shall be raised by contribution from employers and members.

At a meeting of the Joint Agricultural and Pastoral Committee yesterday, the Secretary for Agriculture, Mr Ritchie, reported that the Government had received a large number of applications, with samples of marks, etc., for the bonus offered for the best system of ear-marking sheep, and that the Government wished to obtain tho opinion of the committee on their merits. The question was referred to a sub-com-mittee for a report.

The Petitions M to Z Committee has no recommendation to make concerning the application of John McCready, of Ohingaiti, to be paid £l2 17s, stayed by an order of the Court out of a co-operative works contract.

Dr Newman does not believe in the study of Latin. He read it hard when he was getting diplomas, and now he believes it was so much unmitigated rubbish. The man who has been upsetting the nerves of hare-brained people by predicting' the destruction of the city as the result of an earthquake was mentioned in the House this morning by Mr Willis, who suggested that the man’s sanity sliouldbe enquired into.

Mr W. Hutchison is to ask the Minister of Lands if ho will suggest to the AgentGeneral the advisability of making inquiry as to the possible opening of places of cool storage in Paris, Berlin, Vienna, &c., so as

to extend our shipments of meat, &c., beyond the British market ? Mr Pirani wants a new clause put in the Licensing Bill, providing that photographs of prohibited persons be furnished to hotelkeepers, the cost to be borne by the persons prohibited. Mr Earnshaw objected yesterday to the employment of daughters of members of Parliament in the Telephone Exchange. The Postmaster-General entirely dissented from this, and held that the fact of a man being a member of Parliament ought not to penalise his relatives who wished to enter the Civil Service.

In reply to tho statements yesterday regarding a monopoly of coal, Sir Robert Stout declared that the mines on the West Coast had not paid their shareholders ordinary bank interest on their money. Mr Buick is suggesting to the Colonial Treasurer that he should exempt from stamp duty the cheques drawn by friendly societies in faovur of their members. The defendant in the recent libel action at Auckland, Wrigley v. Fisher, which arose out of the Fairburn School dispute, is petitioning the House. Mr Houston has been calling attention to this subject, and to the fact that libel actions have now been entei’ed against all the members of the School Committee. This litigation will mean ruin to these men, he says, and he urges that tho law should be amended to further protect those who are members of school committees. Mr Houston blames the Auckland Education Board for the whole business.

Regarding the petition of Mrs Smith, Taratahi, that the Public Trustee may be empowered to pay her the residue of the estate of her late husband, the Petitions M to Z Committee recommends that all cases of persons dying before the Act of 1891 became law, and whose estates are in the hands of the Public Trustee, be brought under the operation of the Act.

The Petitions Committee cannot recommend the application of A. J. Symons and L. Symons, of Palmerston North, that tho legacy devised to the former by the late Mrs Wright, and now in the hands of the Public Trustee, be paid him.