N Z. PARLIAMENT.

Otago Witness, Issue 1905, 14 August 1890, Page 16

N Z. PARLIAMENT.

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 6.

The House went into committee on the Patea Harbour Board Bill, which passed without amendment. A new clause was added to the bill providing that mortgages, debentures, or I other securities given by the board in reßpeot of the £10,000 previously borrowed shall have priority over the £5000 proposed to be borrowed by this bill. The bill was read a third time and passed. BILLS PASSED. The Otago Sshool Commissioners Empowering Bill, Waipu County Bill, and Omaka Recreation Reserve Bill were committed, read a third time, and passed without amendment. THE ESTIMATES. Crown Lands department, £18,200.— Mr Fish moved to reduce by £50 the salary of the Com* missioner of Crown Lands, Nelson, and Westland coalfields, £450.— Mr Reeves (Inangahua) defended the item, aud said they could not effect much retrenchment by cutting down salaries in this way. He was one who voted a few nights ago for a reduction of the salary of the Undersecretary for Lands, and he now regretted having done so. — Mr Grimmond moved that the vote be struck out altogether. — Mr Ballance supported that proposal.— The Hon. G. F. Richardson pointed out that this officer had a large amount of work to perform, and the committee would, do a great wrong if they struck out the vote. If this officer's salary was struck out another officer would have exactly the opposite direction. If this officer's to be appointed to perform his duties, and no saving would be effected, but the reverse. — Mr Hareness stated that this officer was entitled to a pension of £350 or £400 a year. He hoped the vote would not be struck out. — In reply to Mr Ward, : the Hon. G. F. Richardson said as far as he coald recollect this officer was not entitled to a pension, but he was entitled to a; large retiring allowance. — The motion for omitting the item was carried by 37 to 32.—Dr Fitchbtt moved that the item, £500, .Commissioner of Crown Lands, Dunedin, be struck out. — The Hon. G. F. Richardson said he had told the commitce that they wore doing wrong in striking out the previous vote, and now again they were dealing with a vote which they did not understand. He pointed out that half the year's salary was already paid to' this officer, and his salary had been reduced' by the late Government to £600. Besides he was under notice to leave the service, and an amalgamation of officers would then be made. — Mr Perceval then suggested that the ' vote .should be reduced by £5, as an indication that this officer should not be reappointed. — The Hon G. F, Richardson agreed to that — Mr Percetal then moved that the vote be reduced by £1, which was agreed to on the voices, the motion to strike out vote being lost.— Mr Thompson (Auckland North) moved to strike out the item, Contribution to vote " mines,". Invercargill, £115.— Agreed to.— Mr Lawry moved to reduce the item,'£6so9 for travelling expenses, advertising, renb of offices, and extra clerical assistance by £1000.— The Hon. G. F. Richardson said the Government were frequently charged with retarding settlement, and yet an effort was being now made to reduce this vote. The work of the Lands department was very much in arrear, and if the vote were reduced extra clerks would have to be employed.— The reduction was agreed to.— Thermal Springs expenses, £500.— Mr O'Conor objected to the Government maintaining those springs at Hanmer Plains merely for the use of the aristocracy of Christcburch, and he wished to know whether the Minister would agree to strike out this item. Mr Ward moved that it be struck out. — Mr Rhodes hoped that- the vote would not be omitted, as the springs were used by people from all parts of the colony as well as Christchurch. — Mr Walker expressed a hope on behalf of the people who could not undertake a long voyage to the North Island springs, that this vote would not be struck out. —The motion was lost. Mr Fish moved to reduce the vote by £100.— Lost. Survey Department, £72,378.— Mr Fish moved that the item, Surveyor-general, £750, be reduced by £100.— The Hon. G. F. Richardson said if the committee pursued that course they would make themselves ridiculous in the eyes of the country. This officer had very grave duties and responsibilities cast upon. When the present Government took office in 1887, the salary of this officer was £900 a year, and he (Mr Richardson thought £750 a year was really not enough to pay to the head of the Survey department. He hoped the committee would not reduce this vote. — Mr Perceval explained that he should vote for this and all other reductions in order to force the civil service classification. He felt satisfied that the proper way was amalgamation, not reduction, but he hoped the committee would reduce large as well as small salaries, so that some classification of the service would be forced on the Government.— Mr T. Mackenzie (Clutha) defended the item, and pointed out that the Survey department should not be reduced, as it was worked very cheaply compared with the work it had to perform. — Mr Brtce hoped Mr Perceval would not carry out his intention of voting' against Ml salaries merely to force classification. As to Mr Fish's action, that hon. gentleman wjjs acting towards the Estimates in a haphazard manner, as he had expressed his intention of moving reductions all round. He appealed to Mr Perceval not to inflict injustice on individuals.—Dr Hodgkinson was also surprised at Mr Perceval's statement, as he appeared to be willing to do any amount of injustice in order to effect a certain object.— Mr Fish denied that he was acting in a haphazard manner. He thought those salaries were too high, and he was determined to reduce them if possible. Every one of those gentlemen whose salaries they were trying to reduce could not obtain as much money in private business. — Mr Peacock said the committee were pursuing a wrong principle if they followed Mr Fish's advice. It seemed to him they should first endeavour to ascertain whether any particular officer was deserving of the salary voted to him, and the officer in question was one of the hardest worked in the service.— ln reply to Mr Joyce, the Hon. G. F. Richardson said the present Surveyor-general was in receipt of £700 a year in Auckland as Assistant Surveyor-general, 'and the salary of the Sur-veyor-general was at that time £900. — Mr Ward pointed out that Ministers themselves were then receiving salaries of £1200 a year, and he thought those large-salaried officers should be reduced in proportion to the reductions that had been made in Ministers' salaries.— Mr Beycb sympathised with Mr Perceval's motives, but it' he was doing evil that good might come, he was pursuing a very dangerous principle. As to the particular officer under discussion, no member had yet stated that the salary was too high. The office was a very important one, and the holder of it was more than an under-secretary, and had onerous duties to perform. Looking at the matter calmly, he could not say that the Surveyor-general of New Zealand was too highly paid at £750. He suggested that the reduction be £50 instead of £100, as moved by Mr Fish.— Mr Ward said if they were to reduce large salaries they should do so in a systematic way, and if this officer's salary was not

reduced, the salary of the Under-secretaryfor Lands should be restored to its original amount.— Sir John Hall pointed out that the salary of the Surveyor-general was for many years past £900 a year. Economy bad been practised to a large degree, but be held that to reduce the salary of a valuable officer like this one would be false economy, and be hoped the committee would not agree to it. He (Sir J. Hall) remembered when they had cheap surveyors in the colony and the large amount of confusion that was created by inefficient surveys. There was no officer of that kind in any of the colonies who was so poorly paid as our Surveyor-general. As to Mr Perceval's remarks, he thought they were very illogical and calculated to do great injustice. He thought the cost of the department in 1887 was £74,475, and the amount this year was £69,705.— Mr Seddon said if Sir J. Hall's advice was listened to no reduction would, be made at all. It was a mistake to suppose that the Surveyor-general was responsible for any surveys.— The Hon. J, Ballance said .there was much more survey work done in 18,77 than at present. He considered that looking at the circumstances of the colony, and the fact that Ministers' salaries had been reduced, £700 a year was a large salary for the Snrveyorgeneral. — Mr Fish altered his motion to, reduce the salary by £50 instead of £100,— The vote was reduced to £700 by 30 to 25.— The Hon. G. F. Richardson appealed to the committee that if it was desirous of keeping open Crown lands, for settlement to deal liberally with the survey vote. He should ask the committee to let that: vote go in one block, and he was quite prepared to give an assurance that he should take off all increases ou salaries over £200.— After some discussion, Mr Fish moved to reduce the salary of the head officer (£550) by £50.— Lost by 19 to. 15.— Mr Fish movqd a reduction by £25.— Carried' by 19 to 15.— Mr Thompson (Auckland Norhh> moved to reduce eight chief- surveyors (£3855) by £200.— Carried.— Mr Fish moved to reduce two chief' surveyors (one at Otago aud one at Nelson),- £950, ' by £50 —Carried,— Ten chief draughtsmen were reduced by £80 and £45, and assistant draughtsmen by £50.— Mr Thompson moved to reduce 10 land transfer draughtsmen, £2740, by £15.— Ayes, 16; noes, ,16.—The.ohairman gave his casting vote with, the,, noes.— Mr Fish moved to reduce four bookkeepers, £1030, by £30.— Lost by [P lB ,to it.— Mr Perceval, moved to reduce the item other charges,, £45,600, by £1000.— Mr Thompson (Marsden> considered this vote as necessary in the interest, of settlement.— Dr Newman also pointed out that surveys in Wellington, Hawke's Bay, and Taranaki were far behind; and he thought the vote should not be reduced.— The Hon. G. F. Richardson merely wished to state that if members voted against this item it would greatly hamper what they were always talking about — namely, settlement. Mr Perceval withdrew his propos-1, and the total vote for Survey department as reduced from £72,378 to £71,985 was passed. Miscellaneous Services, £2490.- Mr Goldie, moved to strike out the item £400 for dairy instruction, including travelling expenses.— Lost on the voices.— Rates on Crown Lands, £2400. — Carried.— Mr Grimmond moved to strike out the vote inspecting' i engineers, £500. After a lengthy discussion Mr Seddon moved to report progress,— -Agreed to. THE LABOUR BILLS. The Labour Bills Committee concluded their work on the Factories and Shops Bill this morning and formulated their report on the measure, which was presented this afternoon. The committee also, made a beginning with the Truck Bill. It was decided to insert a clause making it compulsory to pay wages monthly. On the advice of the Solicitor-general the interpretation clause defining ."workman" has been altered by striking, out all the different trades mentioned, thus making it include all trades. A clause in the bill originally proposed to make wages payable by cheques at any bank "within 20 miles." This restriction has been now struck out. Mr Cadman's amendment to include joint stock and mining companies in the act was not inserted, the Solioitor-general explaining that they were included by the Interpretation Aot.