GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17729, 13 September 1919, Page 10

GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

] -, ( LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL | .v (Psb United Pbess 'Association.) ' WELLINGTON, September 12. J The Council met at 2.30 p.m. , ■■ AN EMPOWERING BILL. ■ Tte_ Charles Joseph Jury Estate Em- : powering Bill was read a third time and 1 .passed. 1 ■ -The Council adjourned at 2.35 p.m. until 1 Thursday. 1 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES < • .t- • 4 Iho House met at 2.30 p.m. SPECIAL CONSTABLES. ! Replying to Mr Semple, the PRIME ] MINISTER said ho was not aware that j special constables were being enrolled in | certain districts. Ho had heard nothing , : of it j EXPORT OF HIDES. . Replying to Mr Smith. (Taranaki), tho i PRIME MINISTER said the question of i the removal of the embargo on the export i of hides was under consideration. ( f,: COST OF RAISING LOANS. ! The following return was ordered to be ' laid on tho table of the House:—Return ' giving details of the sum of £430,917 6s 3d ! paid as charges and expenses in raising ' loans during the financial year 1918-19, such, j return ..to show (a) the sum (if any) paid to fhe Imperial Government; (b) the names j of persons, firms, or joint stock companies ,

banks to •whom payments were made, . and* tho payments made 'when such pay- ;; mehts exceeded £100; and (c) the sums paid to • any Government Department on ; £his' account. OP NATIVE LANDS. : Eeplying to Mr Pearce, tho Hon. Mr , EERRLES said the quantity of land purthased by tho Government in tho Urerewa ; Country to July 31 wa3 290,603 acres, and the. quantity purchased during the year was ~ 43,693 acres. When these landse could be opened np would depend entirely on the Lands' Department, and he -would ask the • Surveyor-general to facilitate the surveys. LOCATION OF PRISONS. The Hon. Mr COATES, replying to Mr Ell, said he proposed to carry out the policy of his predecessors in charge of the Prisons Department in removing- prisons from the centre of cities. PISHING INDUSTRY. The Hon. Mr COATES laid on the table the report of the Fisheries Commission, which raised a lengthy discussion on the fishing industry, members urging the Minister to encOurago tho industry so that p.eople should have aabundance of cheap : fish. _ More powerful trawlers than those now. in use were generally advocated. Mr POOLE urged the Prime Minister to apply to the Imperial Government for tho : .gift of some war vessel suitable for deep- . 6ea trawling. Tho PRIME MINISTER said he was now in. negotiation with the Imperial Govern- • ment to that end. PAYMENT OF JURORS. • Tho Payment of Jurors Bill was intro- . duced by Governor's Message. Tho PRIME MINISTER said it was the samo Bill as was drawn up by Mr Wilford when he was Minister of Justice. •Subsequently the Bill, which provides for tho {bang* of jurors' fees from time totimo ?, by Order-m-Council, was passed through all stages without amendment. OTHER BILLS. The Kauri Gum Industry and the Land Mid Income Tax Bills were also introduced by .Governor's Message. , In rePb' to Sir Joseph Ward, Sir JAMES ALLEN said the» latter Bill provided for exactly the same rates of taxation, as were imposed last year, there being no alteration ; "whatever. Tho Bills .were read a first time. WHEAT-GROWING. Sir JOSEPH WARD, by way of personal • explanation, said he desired to correct an impression which evidently arose in the • mind of the Prime Minister. When speaking on the wheat question last night he did not, as the Prime Minister seemed to infer, cast aspersions on tho land of Oanter- : bury and Otago as wheat-growing land. He was quite of the opinion that these lands . were unequalled in &ny part of the world /but there were certain features in connec- : faon with wheat-growing to which he desired ;to drav? attention. We required every year 7,000,000 bushels to satisfy tho local " need, and yet with a guarantee of 63 6d per bushel orly 3,(M0,000 bushels were grown last-year, and we were compelled to import 4,000,000 bushels. Ho believed that before the importations ceased the quantitv would amount to 6,000,000 bushels. This year with a guarantee in existence of 5s 6d', ds Bd, and 53 lOd as the minimum price,' and a free market, less wheat had been sown .. than last year. Witli all due respect to the Prime Minister's opinion,, he did not think that Canterbury and Otago couid grow enough wheat for our requirements, and we' would have in future to reiy to a great extent on supplies from" Russia, Canada and the Argentine, where wheat could be cheaper than in New Zealand