GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 12414, 25 July 1902, Page 5

GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

THURSDAY, JULY 24. The House mot at 2.30 p.m. NOTICE. The Hon. W. J. STEWARD gave notioc to iniroduce. the Elective Executive and Referendum Bill (No. 2). THE CORONATION. Sir J. G. WARD announced that the Governor had received official intimation tlint tlio Corotiatioii would take place on August 9, and ho proposed to adjourn Parliament from the. previous Thursday night till the afternoon of the following Tuesday. It was intended to have ono public holiday throughout the colony—namely, on Saturday, August 9. A request had been mado to have tho holiday on Monday instead of Saturday. The Government, had fully considered the request, and had come to tho conclusion that it was not-desirable to change tho date. Tho wholo of tho demonstrations would take i»iace on the Saturday. PIRST READING. The Legitimation Act. 1E94, Amendment Bui (Mr Lnwry) and Representation Act Amendment liill (Mr Ell) were .introduced and read a first time.

THE STAGE SYSTEM.. The Railways Committee reported on the petition of Mr Samuel Vaile, of Auckland, praying that his stage system bs tried on the i\ew Zealand railways, and recommended that it bo referred to the Government, for consideration. Mr PIRANI moved to add that a trial of liie system bo mado. S '. l ' f- ?,- ARD said a « °ffer Had been made to Mr Vailo to try his system, but he had not taken it up. Mr E. M. SMITH said Mr Vaile had.been very foolish in attesting tho Government and its policy. Mr NAPIER submitted that Mr Vailo's system was not a theory or experiment, but a demonstrated system of railway managemeiit which had proved successful in other countries,, and which would promote tho prosperity of New Zealand. After further discussion, Sir J O. WARD said the trouble all Administrations had experienced with Mr \ ailo was that when a difference of opinion occurred Mr Vaile made it a personal matter and resorted to abuse. He recognised Mr vaies whole-souled inlorost in the fvstcm w had advocated for so manv j#ars", and he Sir J. G WardJ had repeated stated that he would like to see it given a trial on the t\ew Zealand railways. But tho difficulty was to face tho enormously .increased expenditure that would be necessitated to provide ires* railway stock to cope with the enormously increased traffic that must lake place under Mr Vaile a stage system. On the 3rd October, 1900, the. Government made a reasonable offer to give the system a trial on the Auckland section for 12 months, tho stipulation being that a, guarantee must be given against loss that was certain to occur sseitig; that there would be ail enormous reduction in rates under the svstem. The trovernment contended it was only fair and just to the rest of the colonv that the people who would obtain tho benefits of this reduction should be reouired to recoup part of tho loss at anyrate. The Government were still prepared to give effect to tho terms of that offor. If the House was prepared to authorise the Minister of Railways to make up the loss out of the consolidated revenue he would act on that authority, but members must take the responsibility for the reduction that would have to bo made in other votes. He repented that the Government wero still prepared to give Mr Vaile's system ,i thorough and effective trial on the reasonable understanding that the pcoule directly interested should show their faith in the scheme by guaranteeing a proportion of the loss. . .

After n lengthy discussion, Mr Pirani's amendment was lost hy 33 to 26; and the report of, the committee was adopted, "SECOND reading. n . The Dunedin Town Belt Road Closing and Legulation Rill (Mr J. A. Millar), Tukituki Bridge Loans Bill (Sir W. Russell), and Clniftchureh District Drainage Act, 1875, Amendment Bill (Mr Collins) were read a second time without discussion. The House rose at 5.30.

EVENING SITTING. The House resumed at 7.30. Mr WIT/FORD moved (W seem, 1 reeding of the Wellington Harbour Board Empowering .Bill to enable the Wellington Harbour Board to raise £250.000 for the construction of a dock, and £250,000 for general purposes.! After a three hours' dobato the second reading was agreed to on the voices. A BETTERMENT BILL. _The Hnw'era Borough Betterment Bill (Mr M'Guire) was read a second time. CHRIBTCHUHCH TRAMWAYS. Mr COLLINS moved tho second reading of the Christehuvch Tramway District Bill. In tho course of considerable discussion which took place on tho bill, Mr G. AY. Russell spoke in favour of the nationalisation of tramways in the largo centre? of tho colony. He knew the Minister of Railways had had tho idea in his mind for some timo past, and he hoped the matter would bo seriously considered. Sir J. G. WARD expressed the. opinion that the State ought to have control of tho tramways in tho largo cities ot the colony. The municipalisation of the, tramways was a groat step forward, but be believed the State ought to own tho tramways in the large cities. Thero wore two strong arguments in support of this proposal. The nationalisation of .tho tramways would entirely annihilate tho rating troubles, and Hie State would bo able to. obtain money at a lower rate of interest than municipalities. Municipal bodies were rightly deserving of consideration, and the State could set apart 20 per cent.'of the net earnings of tramways to reimburse municipalities (or tho use of tho streets through which ,iho trams would pass. It was .an anomaly that tho people who had incurred liabilities in order to construct railways should also have to incur expense to obtain tramways to run in competition with tho railways. The competition of tho Wellington tramways against the Wellington To Aro railway section was a case in point. Ho had no hesitation in saying that under State control tramway fares could be made much lower than' under municipal management. As time wore on he believed tho people would seo the desirability of taking stops in the direction of tramway nationalisation. It was one of those social reforms that no one coula take oxcention to, and lie believed it would be a good thing if a provision Wrero inserted in this bill giving the State power to step in on the linos ho had indicated.

Tho second reading of the bill was agreed to on the voices. STATUTES COMPILATION BILL,' Tho Hon. W. .7. STEWARD moved Ihe second reading of tho Statutes Compilation Bill to provide for the compilation of Act 3 of Parliament, with their amendments. Tho Hon. Mr HALL-JONES thought the proper thing was to appoint a commission for the purpose of drawing up a consolidation of all the acts. Tills work of consolidation wa3 now being carried out, and provision would be made on the Supplementary Estimates' for continuing it. If. tliat was compiled the whole of our statutes would be contained in six oi' eight volumes. Goncral approval was expressed of ihe bill, and tho second reading was agreed to on the voices. The Houee rose at 12.20.