PARLIAMENT.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 5665, 12 August 1905, Page 7

PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVESFRIDAY, ACG'I'ST 11. Tho House met at 2.30 p.m. ROTOKARK DOMAIN. IThi Hi mis Committee n-comracmlwl: !Hmt tho petition of -M. A. O'Shea ami 1 ftp Pth or, of JDnehitiroa, and John Walsh, of Kll.ha.ni. praying lor an amemlinent of the Rviukuro Domain Aot Repeal Act, 1303. ami coinpensa■lion for loss I lirongli the passing thereof. be referred to tile Government for i-onnideration. M.r DCGUANAN urged (hat no pro vision had been made for comix-iLsating the [Kipph- iv ho so leases hud been cunwllnd. Tho only way to .settle this matter was to refer it to a proper tribunal nntnolv, a ('empon.at:on Court. Mr’sVMKS pointed out that tins report left these iiulor nuato people in exactly the .same position ns they were iKtfore. Kroni the report of the oominirtoe, it was ovuient that nothing would bo done by Die Government in tho matter. Tlio report of the coniin it tee was a sham, ami in making its report tlie committee must have known (hat nothing would have como of it. The MIMSTIdI of HANDS justified tho action taken by tho Government m this matter.

Mr DANG considered that the petitioners had established a good case against Die Government. Air AIASSKV said the • position wa.s (Jus: A block of land in the Taranaki district was leased for a long term, (settlers taking it. up principally for the purpose of dairy farming. After the sol tiers had made certain improvements, it was suddenly discovered that the land was rerpnrrd for public purposes. There was a distinct breach of contract, not only with the lessees, but with those to whom hiishfelling contracts had been lot. Tho whole tpiesfion should he referred to an Assessment Conn. Ho movnsl as an amendment that Die House was of opinion that .is the leases were cancelled by act of Parliament, Die tenants should be

’fully compensated for loss incurred in connection therewith. ALr ALISON seconded the amendment.

Mr liAURKNSON pointed out that the Government, on resuming the land, had agreed to pay double tho value of tie improvements that had been effected. Th 0 evidence of tho witnesses before tho Parliamentary Committee inquiring into the matter of resumption (vas of such a contradictory nature that a cat could nor bo Inncmd upon it. In 0, Court of Justice they would have run considerable risk. 'Hie men were not worth consider?!tion. They had already been treated very liberally. Air HEP DM AN said tho debate showed that if tho Hon Mr Duncan remained in office for any length of time, or if Air Lnurcnson ever had charge of the hinds of the colony, and some unfortunate lease-in-perpetuity holder had his lease taken away by compulsion, Ml the compensation given would bo double th© value of the improvements. Air MAJOR dc-crihrd tho action of l he Government os confiscation pure and simple unless proper compensation iVere given. Mr JENNINGS -said the cancellation cf tho leases had probably deprived these people of the chance of making a home and a good living. He would like to- see faimessi extended in the matter.

Mr FL ATMAN was satisfied that the men would {ret fair and honourable 'ireatment from the Government. The Hon Mr McGOWAX argued that the leases had very foolishly been jCramted by the Hawera Borough Connoil, which had no authority to do so. Ho did not think there was. anyone that objected to these people getting fair compensation, hnt the question was: What is fair compensation ? Ho did not believe that the question of what compensation should be made should be determined by a Compensation Court. Mr HOGG said all that the Borough Council of Hawera did was to enter into an agreement for leasing the land, and ho believed the leases had never been signed and properly executed. The petitioners came with claims of a most outrageous character, and endeavoured to make a nice little haul out of the country, Mr McLachlan supported the amendment. The question was “talked out” by Iho dinner adjournment. EVENING SITTINGThe House resumed at 7.30 p.m. 'THE ESTIMATES. Further consideration wae given to the "Estimates. Legislative Departments, £23,559. Mr TAYLOR- complained of Ministers’ action in instructing departmental beads to refuse to furnish information on public matters to members of Parliament, who, he considered, should have access to all public documents and rouchers.

Mr SKDDOX said there was a very good reason why members' should not be allowed to see vouchers. On one occasion a voucher was lost, and taken out of the buildings. It was not a safe policy that either the public or members should have access at any time to public vouchersMr FISHER- moved that the item “mailman during session, £50,” bo reduced by £l, as a protest against an fixtra £SO a year being given to a man who was pensioned by the Post and Telegraph Department *at the rate of £l4l annually. There wore plenty of men in the town who would receive the £SO aa a God-send. Air TAYLOR urged that whatever money the State had to spend should bo distributed over as many people as possible. Mr SEDDOX said the mailman was an experienced man, and was doing his work capably. If it was to bo laid down as a principle that men who had been retired on a small pension wore to h© prevented from taking up other employment for the State, there would bo a lot of people retired from the public lorvice. That was the position to be faced. If a pension was not sufficient for the needs of the receiver, why should the pensioner be prevented earning n little more? I

Mr LATTRKNSOX wished that the member for Wellington had flown at higher game. He know of one public officer receiving more than five times the amount in question, and did not : jo n tenth port of the work, and who had a fine cst.it© up country. Tho amendment was lost on the voices. The whole of the vote for the Legis- 1 lative Departments was parsed un-; altered. | Colonial Treasurer’s Department,! DU.St’S. . i Mr TAYLOR, referring to the sum of £IOOO for law costs in tho Land and Income Tax Department, thought the ! colonv must bo throwing away a little j fortune in legal expenses. The pruning- j

knife nhonld bo implied. Depression was assuredly corning, and they should 1,.. rneni-d 1,.-foro it did como. ' Tlr SKDDON, dealing with cr ticism regarding Die larg- r.uinUr of casual clerks employed in the Civil Sei vice, said not. a jumny more wa>i being spout than was needed. As to 10s a day not being sufficient for these dork:* bn pointed out that tho Government was paying ic- casual clerks more Han did the bankftarirj insurance companies. ()hpotion was taken by Mr Taylor to thn payment of “£3OO to W • l\niinaway, C.M.G.. for mtvio-s rendered to Diestock ami loan agents,’ on Urn ground that it wa.s a payment to him.-e-i <Mr keiimiway), who was otic of tho loan agents. in discussion, tho Premier said the colony had got £970,000 for itt> host million loan.

Mr MASSEY said tho loan cost £25,00 Cl. wit I) £4OOO as prepaid interest, which meant that tho loan was floated at £97. and tho colony was paying 4 per cent, for it. On (ho item ‘*£336, expenses attending 1 lie annual ‘drawing’ of debentures issued under the CoM.soi’dated Loan Act, 1807,” Mr Seddon explained that (he loan agents wore Sir Kdward Blake. .Major Cameron, and Mr Mercer. Their pavtneur of half per cent was fixed by the act of 1807. Their annual payment was £271, which would go on for another eight or nine years. Mr MASSEY said the position appeared to be that they were paying £271 a year to three oh] gentlemen in London for half an hour’s work a week. Some better arrangement should he made, seeing that the colony now had a High ('ornm'ssioner quite capable of doing the work. Mr SKDDON said the loan agents had been appointed for years, and he was not responsible for their aprointmnnt, except, one. He presumed the Government would not care to cancel an engagement made all these years. A half per cent, might seem much, but they should take a broader vie\v of these large financial questions. Their services might be more valnah’e than the half per cent, paid them, ff the High ( omrniss’oner did this work he would donle want to be paid for it. He would, however, write to Mr Reeves, ami see whether a change could be made with prudence to the colony’s interests. Air Konuaway, whoso salary was C 750 per annum, was a valued officer, and not over-paid for the services ho rendered to the colony.

Mr OUT HIE pointed out that Air Konuaway, who was receiving this honorarium, was an officer of the colony, and they did not receive that information which wuis duo in regard to the colony’s loans. He did not blame Air Kennaway, a man of high character and ability, but the information was Intentionally withheld by the Colonial Treasurer. Tho particulars about the Inst loan were in tho hands of Alinisters iu February hist.

Mr S ED DON said this £3OO had nothing whatever to do with the last loan, but was a payment covering a jx*riod of three years—long before the last loan was raised. In regard to that loan, ho .would give full particulars about It on tho next Imprest Supply Bill. It was not true to say that the particulars regarding the loan were in possession of the Government long ago. Ho had cabled Homo for tho details m orde' to include them in his Financial Statement. He received a reply that all tho expenses were not in, hut that details would be sent out as soon as possible.

Air Taylor moved to strike out tho honorarium of £3OO to Mr Kennaway.— Lost by 33 votes to 6. The total vote for the Colonial Treasurer’s Department was passed unalter-

ed. Old Ago Tensing Te. art” ent, TT33 The vote was passed without alteration. progress was reported, and the House | rose at 12.55 a.m.