GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13693, 8 September 1906, Page 10

GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER ,7. The House met at. 2,30 p.m. FIRST READINGS. The Apiaries Bill, Slaughtering and Inspection Amendment Bill, and AVaimate Agricultural Reserves Bill were lead a first time. WOOL FIRES COMMISSION. Mr GRAY read tho Lyttelton Times report of, and editorial comments on, a recent meeting of tho Wool Fires Commission. and drew tho attention of the liouso lo the " painful scene."

Tho Hon. Sir J. G. WARD regretted that a report of comments whic-li might not be correct • had been placed on the reoords of the House, lie would make inquiries into that question. LAND BILL. Tho PREMIER, for the Minister of Lands, gave notice of tho introduction of the Land Bill at the next sitting. THE TOTALISATOR. Mr TANNER gave notico of a bill for reducing the tolalisator permits. SUPPLY. .The House went into Committee of Supply, and took up the Estimates. Class 1, Legislative Council and Homo of Representatives, general expenses.—The lirst item, Legislative Council £200, was passed on Wednesday night. On the present occasion the House passed (lie House of Representatives and' other charges £5720, and salaries and other charges £17,886. The total of Class 1, £25,889, passed' unaltered. Class 11, Treasury salaries, £9706; friendly societies' registry, £2600; Land and Income Tax Department. £22 038; rates on Crown land, £800; miscellaneous. £11,461;—toial, £46,605. — Passed unaltered. Class 111, Post and Telegraph Department—Salaries, £375,050; conveyance of mails by sea, £56,420;. and conveyance of inland mails wero passed. Ihe House adjourned at 5.30 p.m. EVENING SITTING.. The Houso resumed at 7.30.

Before the item £56,420 passed thenwas a discussion on tho San Francisco service on the vole proposed of £20,000. On tho Minister's explanation fnat the whole question could be gone into when the proposals for the service are brought down later Ihe discussion dropixxl. T:ie item was passed unaltered. On the item conveyance of inland; mails. £55,910, Mr ALLEN complained of the absence ,of detailed information.—The MINISTER said that- the information could not be placed upon tho Estimates. There were 27 pages of it. closely printed foolscap, and it had been published in tlie newspapers.—Mr BARCLAY drew attention to tho fact that all the necessary information was ir the report of the Postal Department.—The item passed without alteration, Tho item carriage of mails by sea, £33.954. passed without alteration.

During a discussion on the item maintenance of telegraph and telephone lines, £35,500, it was objected that, wilh tho Iris repairing steamer in New Zealand waters, tho Tutaiiekai was unnecessary and should be sold.—The MINISTER explained that the colony had nothing to do with the Iris, that the Tutanekai was specially built for cable-repairing, that she dees that work well, and must be on hand for sudden emergency. Tho Premier further stated that the whole of the maintenance oost. was in the vote, nothing coming from' tho" Public Works Fund.—'flic item passed unaltered.

On the item miscellaneous services, £58.215, Mr AITKEN objected to the £3300 paid »> overtime as excessive, urging that itimight be better to employ more people.—The PREMIER pointed out that as there are 4929 employees the amount was not excessive, and that tlie work was too uncertain to depend on casual labour. The department did not like to overwork its men.-Tlie item passed unaltered, and that finished the class—Postal and Telegraph, £614,849. /I In Class IV, Tourist and Health, tlie item Oflice of Industries and Commerce. £7390, the' PREMIER explained, in answer to a question, that tho vote for £1000 for the State industry was an old standing vote, that the expenditure oil various exhibitions in London had been ] profitable from the advertising point of view, and lliere had l>een £400 of recoveries. Mr JAMES ALLEN objected fo the large, amount, for advertising as too large.—The PREMIER pointed out the competition against ibis country. Canada was spending £185,000 in England alono on advertising. Tho whole co6t of t-lie Department of Industries and Commerro in New Zealand was under £8000, and the advertising costs only a few hundreds-pounds. The expenditure of the neighbouring colonies in advertising was far more. Incidentally he mentioned that that day between 80 and 100 inquiries wero made in Sydney from people anxious for information about this country. He pointed out that the advertising in the Estimates amounted to £500, not- £ c OOO. In reply to'Mr Wilford and Mr Allen (Bruce), .ho said there was no vote on the Estimates for the Kine newspaper. Two years ago a large distribution of the King hud been paid for to advertise the colony.—Mr T. MACKENZIE said that more ought to be spent, in advertising, but lie thought tlie colony's trade in Brilnin might be handled better.—Tho PREMIER agreed, but. he had mado inquiries about, the charge mentioned,' and had found it would ccst £5000 a year. The-department'was doing its best on a very small expenditure. Certainly if location? could be obtained in Leitdonliftll filroct and Trafalgar square it would be profitable at the increased cost.—After some further discussion the item passed without, alteration.

Tourist and Health Department, £31,392. —Durine tho discussion on this item Mr W. ERASER suggested that tho Government should lake up all th« necessary licenses, and the PREMIER said tho question was tinder consideration —Tho item passed without alteration. Old-age pensions, £5215. —Item passed unaltered. The Committee reported at 10.40, and the House adjourned at 10.45.