GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXVI, Issue 3265, 23 October 1897, Page 3

GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

HOUSE OF EEPItSSENi TATIVES. Friday, October 22. The Haase m 4 t at 230 pm. DEBATE ON THE DODO T» Mr HI I KRIKS said the Budget wan cram full of advertisements about people they did not want to know anything about. He ridiculed the idea of trade with the Islands and India. The suggested eastern service should be struck out altogether. The Conference of Premiers, both at Hobart and England, had resulted in a lot of talk and nothing more. Mr FLATMAK said ho was iu a position to know that the Premier htd decided to Appoint Mr Tunbridge and another to the Royal Commiasion to enquire into the police administrati- n long before the Premier got a letter from Mr Taylor farcing the matter on his attention • , Mr FIELD said he looked to the settlement of the land as the solution of the unemployed and labour difficulties. The law wo bad was good, but in some respects the administration was faulty. A srfft iently liberal interpretation was not given to the law which we bad. The classification should bo done by competent judges of land and not by surveyors. Laud should not be taken up in too email areas, if the system was to be a success. Some of the people at present in charge of the department should bo removed. They did their boat, but wore not competent. Half the people who weie at present taking up land Were taking it ttpeitber aa it speculation or with a view to eventually acquiring it as a freehold. 11c v/ai iu favour of extending the eystem of placing men on the land on payment by them of interest ou the capita* expenditure. Mosers Millar, Brown end Moore ocmtiauod thb deh.ila.

MfWaSON complained that the Governmen 4- had given no indication of what it proposed to do in relation to the mad service. Hu trusted that the Premier would give the House a lead lu the mutter. His own opinion was lliftfc llloro should bb a regular lino between hero iV:d Sydney to .connect Weekly Avltll jjoudoil. What hrodgh't freights down iu Australia w.is the heavily sqbkMijjed fiijmiu services there. The assertion Ja Urn. Budget that the New Zealand p?pd'’oe.rs had paid hr If it n.mjCri more iii freights than they- should h. ivo donC was misleading and not in accordance with fact. Ho would give his earnest consideration to any system of o.'d ago p.nrions brought down. As to giving a pension to all the old people who applied for ,it the finances of no country would stand it. Uo advised the Minister of Lauds to pay on the Aasota Boat'd with inscribed stock and take Over the management bf the estates under its doatrbl hiniSolFi Tttarb onclit be some law to prevent companies ana oinks from . holding largo estates for their dWri benefit for . nloro than a cortim time.- Estates in', the hands of corporations of this kind had m the paib been a curse to the country. Sma'.l estates should never be allowed to go bick again into large holdings ; but every occupier, whether under perpetual lease or otherwise, should be given an opportunity of turning his holding into freehold. Ho asked the Government to (ao to speak) put a crown of glory on the head of the Minister of Lands by introducing rtmondiug. legislation.' enacting this. They had been four weeks In session and had done nothing. Ho urged the Premier to push on with the important proposals foreshadowed in the Budget. Mr MONK said the present prosperity of the co’ony was duo to the fact that we had been inflated with £0, 000,000 of borrowed money during the last few years. Ho advocated the funds for public works being taken oilfc of Custonls ditties, aud fclio total cessation of borrowing in the English market. Mr HUNTER moved the adjournment of the debate at 12.15 a rii —Agreed td;