GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 12445, 30 August 1902, Page 8

GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

LEGISLATIVE COUiNCIL.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 29. The Council met at 2.30 p.in, FIRST READING.

The Lands and Deeds Registration Districts Bill was introduced and read a first time on' the motion of tho Hon. Mr PINKERTON. THE COLONIAL BANK. The report of the Public Petitions Committee on the petition of Salter and others with respect to the liquidation of the Colonial Bank was agreed to. LOCAL BILLS. Several local bills were read a first time. Tho Factories Act Amendment Bill was read a third time and passed. The Habeas Corpus Extension Bill was committed,-and reported with amendments. Tho Local Authorities Indemnity Bill was read a second time. On the motion for the second reading of the Second-hand Dealers Bill, the Hon. Mr LEE SMITH thought tho bill would prove an interference with trade and would prevent a number of poor people from gaining a livelihood. Tho Hon. Mr FELDWICK thought the bill was necessary, and pointed to the number of stolen bicycles that had found their way into second-hand dealers' shops. After some discussion, The Hon. W. C. WALKER replied, contending that the reports to the Justice Department showed that the bill was necessary, not only for the protection of tho public, but for dealers themselves, while it removed temptation to children to purloin articles and dispose of them to dealers. Tho second reading was agreed to. Tho Hon. Mr PITT moved the committal of the Statutes Compilation Bill. Ah amendment by the Hen. Mr BOWEN that tho bill be referred to the Statutes Revision Committee was carried on tho voices. The Destitute P.orsons Act Amendment Bill was committed, reported without amendment, read a third time, and passed. The Council rose at 3.45 p.m. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. FRIDAY, AUGUST 29. The House met at 2.30 p.m. i NOTICES. Mr BARCLAY gave notice to ask the : Government whether they would make inquiries regarding the hours of work and rates of pay in the banks of the colony. Mr NAPIER gavo notice to movo that no further sums of money be. spent in making additions to tho Terrace and Mount Eden Gaols: that steps be taken to acquire land for prisons in tho vicinity of Auckland and Wellington; and that the regulations be amended so as to ameliorate the condition of accused persons awaiting trial. On the motion of tho Hon. T. DUNCAN a committee was set up to consider tho question of the export of frozen meat, also the prices obtained for stock in both islands ; of tho colony. i SYMPATHY. ] Mr WITHEFORD moved that this House expresses its heartfelt sympathy and regret at the death of New ZeaJandere who fell during the South African war and at the' subsequent death of the men of tho South African contingents who have died since their return to New Zealand; and that a copy of this resolution be transmitted to tho ncarest_ relatives. of each of the deceased. The motion was agreed to on tho voices without debate. ' ■ . • FIRST BEADING. The Oxford and Cust Road Districts Alteration of Boundaries Bill (Mr Buddo) and tho West Coast Settlement Reserves Act Amendment Bill (Sir J.„G. Ward) were ; read a first time. THE MIXING BILL. | The Hon, Mr M'GOWAN moved tho committal of tho Mining Act Amendment Bill, which had been reported upon by tho Goldfields and Mines Committee. Mr JAMES ALLEN objected that tho bill proposed to reduce the time for which . a miner should bo underground to eight hours, which meant that, approximately, the miner would only have seven hours of actual work. He contended that the Arbitration Court was the proper body to say whether the hours of miners should be reduced below the maximum, as it could fix the hours according to varying conditions of the mines. He added that when the men who were examined by the Mines Committee learned that a reduction of hours would of necessity lead to a dccreaso in wages they were not in favour of the proposal, If the hours were reduced coal mine owners would cither have to reduce the output or pay the increased cost of the output. which would fall on tho public. Mr HURRIES, referring to clause 2, which providos that a mineral lease may be granted in the Nelson land district in one continuous block of'looo acres, said ho was glad, to seo the Government coming round to the opinion that capital must be encouraged. The bill might sal'cly be pas?ed. Mr ELIi approved of the eight hours' principle as included in this measure. Mr It. M'KEXZTE contended that Parliament had a perfect right to fix the hours of labour. If fixing of the hours in coal mines was _ left to the Arbitration Court it would lead to litigation, expense, and dissatisfaction. . After coMicler"!' 1 ? ' v bsf? tl>.? Hon. Mr '■ 'WAN replied. Regarding the Nelson (or Parapara) lease, he said it had been open for some years, and about a year ago the Government had offered conditions in order to encourage the starting of ironworks. A large area, was required before a company would spend a quarter of a ■ million, and he pointed out that- the in- ! terests of gold mining and other kinds of mining had been preserved in the arrangements proposed to he made. As to the hours of work underground, lie did not think that any hardships would he imposed on either mine-owners" or the men themselves. '•The committal of tho bill was agreed to on the voices. FIRST READING. The Factories Act Amendment Bill and Destitute Persons Bill were reooived from t]io Legislative Council and read a first The Houso rose at 5.30. EVENING SITTING. The House resumed at 7.30 STATE COAL MINE. , Tho Hon. Mr M'GOWAN moved the committal of the State Coal Mines Act Amendment Bill, which rectifies an onu:sion in the act of last session aud enables the Minister to expend money out of the State coal mines account in the development of the nu'no without further appropriation than this act. ■ ;

Mr HERRIES objected that the bill took away from Parliament the control of money to be expended. Tho Hon. Mr M'GOWAN replied that Ministers had much greater responsibilities as to the control of money than were placed uiioii. them by this bill. Tho motion for committal was agreed THE MIXING BILL. In committee on the Mining Act Amendment Bill considerable discussion took pltico oa clause 2, which provides that the warden may grant a mineral lease in tbo Nelson district. Object ion was raised that the clause was in tho interest of the proposed ironsand syndicate, but in Teply to this view it was urged that inducements should be held out to the syndicate to work these deposits, as it would mean the introduction oi forei°n tho colony.—Messrs ELL and JAMES ALLEN remarked that if those iron ores were of such great value tho Government might have considered tho adyisameness of working tho deposit?, the f r £ m arking that he would have preferred the State entering upon the development of iron ores if there was a genuine prospect ahead rather than entering upon a State coal mine.-Tho Hon. Mr M'GOWAN denied that only one company or syndicate I ™ s bo given an opportunity of leasing the Parapara lands. The conditions of lease provided for the employment of a certain amount of labour year by year, and it was not likely the Government was going to allow a company to ooino hero and work cheap foreign labour.—Mr E. M. o.Mlull said the colony had everything to gam and nothing to lore by the development of its mineral resources.—Mr MAJ3SEY thought tho probability of any one company obtaining an option over deposits like Parapara should bo avoided.—Mr. E. M'KENZIE Fiud several attempts had been made to work the Parapara mineral deposits, but had failed tor want of capital, so that tho Government should see that any company to which a lease was granted should have ample capital and that the labour laws of the colony woro observed.—Mr ELL was opposed to handing over the minoral resources of tho colony to a syndicate unless he was satisfiefi as to tho length of the leaso proposed bo

given and an to tho plant to bo orcctcd and the minimum output of iron insisted upon.— Mr MEIUiD'TH believed there was a big thing-in the possibilities of the iron industry, and that it would thrive without tho aid of aprotectivo duty. Further, lie bolioved a large export trade would be devoloped.— In reply to a question, the Hon. Mr M'GOWAN said the Government had entered into 110 arrangement with Messrs Cadman and Smith as to a lea.se of the land at Parapnra.-Mr LAUBKNSOK complained that the term of tho lease was not named in I the bill, and moved that tho term lie 25 years—Mr ELL contended that if it would j pay a foreign syndicate to exploit the iron ore deposits at Parapara it would bo a belter- course if tho State worked the measures. —On a division tho proposal to : limit the term of tho lease to 25 years was negatived by W to 7. I Mr J. ALLEN moved an amondment to clause 2, subscotion 2, that- any lcaso granted shall contain a provision that tho State may purchase the concern at a fair value, without anything added for goodwill, either at Iho oml of 21 or 42 years.-Tlris was lost bv 26 to 25.—Mr ALLEN then moved a. further amendment: "Tho State may purchaso at ■ a fair value."—Carried by 27 to 23. I A new dauso was added providing for the payment of overtimo after eight hours. STATE COAL MINE. The House then considered the Stato Coal Mines Act Amendment Bill in committee, A lengthy discussion took place on clauso , 2.—Mr HERRIES objected to the voting of j money under this bill without the appropriation by Parliament.—Tho Hon. Mr i M'GOWAN explained that it might bo to purchase a ship or contract for tho delivery of coal, and to enable this to bo done it was necessary there should, be tho authority of law. All tho transactions would bo reported to Parliament.—Sir J. j (r. WARD said it was not a question of | shutting the mouth of Parliament at all, ; but tho difficulty was that the Minister in charge of the department could not tell the amount of tho vote which he would require this year.

The discussion was proceeding when the Telegraph Office closed at 2 a.m.