PARLIAMENTARY NEWS

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 4478, 4 October 1901, Page 7

PARLIAMENTARY NEWS

A' NATIVE BLOCK,

The Government and the Native Affairs Committee are at variance over the native block at Whakataki,' near Castle Point—a reserve containing about thousand acres. Last year Reta Paora and a number of other claimants petitioned Parliament to have a rehearing of their claims before the Native Land Court; and the Native Affairs’Commit, tee, after hearing evidence, recommended that legislation to give effect to the wishes of the. petitioners . should be introduced. Mr Hogg, M.H.R., who has been pressing the recommendation. upon the Government, is now informed by tho Native Minister (Hon. James Carroll) that it is not proposed to introduce legislation that might disturb the title to tho block. It seems that the land was granted under the Whakataki Grants Act, 1874; that the Native Land Court sat in 1896, to partition the block. Judge Butler presiding, and the petitioners, or those through whom they claim, were represented at the hearing; and tho partition was effected in accordance with an arrangement between the parties. If dissatisfied, the Appellate Court was open to the petitioners, but they did not avail themselves of _ it, and as they took no steps at the time to object to the partition, the Government does not feel called upon to now interfere.

TRAWLING OPERATIONS. There was some discussion the House yesterday in regard to a petition of some fishermen in HaWaki Gulf, Auckland, protesting that trawling operations were depleting the fisheries. Evidence has been taken by one of the Petitions Committeo, which reported yesterday strongly recommending |ho Government to take immediate stops to have the com. plaints of the fishermen thoroughly mvestigated by, some competent authority, with the view of having tho deepsea fisheries conserved. Mr Fowlds said it was complained that immature fish were caught in the not. Mr Hall-Joncs (Minister of Marine) said that there was a conflict of opinion as.to the effects of the trawling, some maintaining that it was doing great injury, and, therefore, the matter would be investigated. Mr McNab hoped that the Minister would not act rashly in this matter. If ;t meant that the line fishermen stood in tho way of an effort to provide cheap food fo* the people of this colony, the linesmen must go down. Mr McGowan said that it was not so much a question of tliQ linesmen going down; but it was complained that at present a large number of small fish were destroyed. The report of the committee, was referred to the Government. * ,• THE LICENSING BILL.

Mombors of the House are calmly ignoring Mr Seddon’s appeal that there should ho no amendments proposed to his Licensing Bill. Further new clauses were given notice of yesterday. Mr Tanner intends to propose amendments restricting the employment of barmaids and preventing the extinguishing of licenses at one point in a district and the reviving of them at another. Mr G. J. Smith wants the Parliamentary vote in regard to the sale of liquor in Bellamy’s to be recorded in “Hansard,” in the same manner as any division of the House, and has a clause on hand to this effect. He also has one . dealing with packet licenses, and another by which it shall be provided that bars shall be shops within the meaning of the Shops and Shop Assistants Act. Mr Meredith proposes to incorporate in the Now Zealand law an extract from the English Intoxicating Liquor Act, 1872 (clause 25), so as to provide‘that any person not an inmate, servant, or lodger, who is found on licensed premises during closing hours, or who falsely represents himself as a traveller in ordet to obtain liquor during closing hours, shall bo liable to a penalty. Mr Collins bag given notice of certain amendments, but ho is not sure that he will proceed with them. CROWN LAND LEASES. A petition presented to the House by Mr Houston, member for’ tho Bay of Islands, signed by eight members of the Farmers’ "Union, states that the system

upon which Crown lands are thrown open to selection is eminently unsatisfactory, and in many cases the values placed upon tho various sections are far too high, and heavily handicap selectors taking up sections. Much of the land thrown open, says the petition, is sec-ond-class, while tho price is that of firt class land. Tho valuations arc uneven. In many case s sections of tho same quality, in the same block, and with equal facilities of access, are offered at different prices per acre. Many sections are of insufficient area to afford a livelihood to settlers, and in consequence of these matters the settlement of the country is greatly retarded. The petitioners, therefore, prayed that the House would cause a Royal Commission to bo set up to inquire into the present system of fixing prices of sections of Crown lands open for selection.

JOTTINGS. A petition presented to the House yesterday by Air Symes is from a largo number of female teachers in Taranaki, praying for equal pay for equal work. The Hon. Mr Duncan gave notice yes_ terday of the Land Act Amendment Bill and the Produce Exports Bill. The Land Act Amendment Bill will include clauses dealing with the question of the burning of fallen bush and rubbish. It is also likely that it will deal with the question of relieving bush tenants from payment of rent during the period before they can obtain any yield from their land. A return brought down in the Legislative Council yesterday shows that fees paid in the colony in respect to miners’ rights in 1898 amounted to £slOl 15s, in 1899 to £4572 11s, and in 1900 to £3783. On the motion of Mr Soddon, a return has been ordered to bo furnished to the House, giving the burgess rolls and valuations of each borough and county in the colony, showing respectively the names and valuation of each ratepayer, the amount payable under the capital and annual value, and the amount payable presuming the rating was on the unimproved value. A return was ordered yesterday by the House, on the motion of Mr Ell, showing what proportion of the £3,006,. 151 in bullion, bars and coined money as shown to be in the five private banks ofc the colony on the 30th Juno last is i n _(l) g old, () silver and (3) copper. Mr Seddon informed Mr Ell that this return could only be given by the courtesy of the banks. Another return was authorised,' on Mr Ell’s motion, showing (1) the amount of stamp duty paid upon bank-note issue of the five private banks trading in the colony and (2) the amount of stamp duty paid on cheques for the year ended 31st March, 1901. The Reserves Disposal and Exchange Bill of last session is to -be fe-intro-duced shortly by the Minister of Lands. Mr Meredith is anxious to discover why the Government will not grant the House a return showing copies of all correspondence which has passed between che Government and the Colonial Office during the past twelve months in reference to the question of precedence. Ho stated that there were reports current that strained relations existed over this question of precedence, and that if these documents were placed on tlio table — Here' the Premier objected that a debate on this subject was out of order at this stage. The Deputy-Speaker agreed with this view. - “Just send the children of New Zealand parents to truant schools which will brand them for years and see what the parents will do to’you! clause would be a piece of fanciful legislation for even the crowded parts of London. It will be a dead letter, and no Education Board will squander money on it.” —Hon. J. M. Twbmey on the clause relating to truant schools in the School Attendance Bill.

“The average increase of the debt during our term of office has been only £296,000 a year, if you deduct from the total indebtedness the amount.that ; s not revenue-producing. All tho other indebtedness has, been revenue-produc-,-ing. In addition to this, there has been a direct profit of £68,000 as tbe result of the way in which the seven millions of revenue-producing money were expended.”—Mr Seddbn. The Hon. Colonel Pitt gave notice in the Legislative Council yesterday that he would ask the Minister for Education if it is the intention of the Defence Department to sunplv school cadets with tho Martini-Enfield carbines now in possession of the Department, and, if so, will steps bo taken to carry out the proposal as speedily as-possible?