N.Z. PARLIAMENT. TUESDAY, JULY 17.

Otago Witness, Volume 26, Issue 2419, 26 July 1900, Page 30

N.Z. PARLIAMENT. TUESDAY, JULY 17.

In. the Legislative Council on Tuesday the Chambers of. Commerce and Mines Bill was rejected by a majority of one vote. In the House of Representatives on Tuesday the Reporting Debates Committee brought up a report in connection with th& action of Mr Grattan Grey, the chief reporter for Haneard, in writing to a New York newspaper "what , is termed a pro-Boer article, recommending that Mr Grey's services be dispensed with. Questions occupied the afternoon sitting", In the evening, the GoverunentValuations of Land Act Amendment Bill was read a second time after debate. The House decided to adjourn till next evening on account of Arbor Day. REPLIES TO QUESTIONS. ,-P.eplying to questions, Ministers said: — " Inquiries are being made as to the desirability of establishing a sanatorium- at Mount Egmant. . The question of removing the loading o£ 5s per acre which is levied on Crown lands for roading purposes will be considered. The Government have now to hand a new battery of. up-to-date guns, and another has been ordered. Instructions will be given, where sawmillers tender to supply railway sleepers, that a bond ■wittt sufficient sureties should be accepted in lieu of a cash, deposit from tenderers. „ An amendment of the'-Old Age Pensions Act will be made in the direction of providing pensions to aliens ~ who are otherwise qualified. A bill will be brought down this session providing that no person under 2L years be allowed to control a steam, gas, or oil engine ; also that any person having control of such engines should have to pass an examination. It is not intended ta provide funds this session for straightening and duplicating the railway between Dunedin. and Sawyers' Bay. With ' regard to the reported sailing f or New Zealand of 70 Austrians to work on the gumfields, the Government will see that the law is observed, and if the present legislation is not sufficient they will introduce an amending bill to prevent sttch an undesirable thing. GOVERNMENT VALUATION OF LAND. -The Hon. Mr WARD moved the second reading -of tlie -Government Valuation of Land Act -Amendment Bill. He explained that the present act was found unworkable. It was now proposed that objections be heard be- " fore a stipendiary magistrate. During a depression, owners were only too glad to accept the "valuation of the Land department, but vrhen.the value increased, as it had during the past three years, objection was made by owners, to have the- taxation increased in accordance with such increment in value. The system provided also for one, instead of two, valuations. Mr J. -ALLEN contended that the princioler of Government land values was wrong. Most of the local bodies were quite satisfied with- the system previously in vogue, and considered the Supreme Court a much better court of apT3e?.l than stipendiary magistrates. Tie^Land Valuation, department had proved a failure, a-s no money would _ be advanced by way of mortgage without revising that valuation. Mr HOGG submitted that the act had been very useful to local bodies, and under it big pror>erty-owners had, for the first tinfe on recofd, to bear a fnir share of land taxation. Carrtairi RUSSELL saicl that to regulate taxation so that all classes should bear an equal amount of taxation was right, but he deprecated nmr. proposal to impose a class tax, .as hnd been -proposed by a previous speaker. He contended that no other form in which capital was invested so larsiely was so subject to taxation as tba man who puts Ills money in land. ; Mr W.- FRASER said the act had not realised the obiect claimed for it, failure to tfc> which was due in a great measure to incompetent valuers, who should be appointed apart from 'political considerations. Mr WARD defended the Valuation department, conteriding that no advances were made without consulting the valuers of the denart1 ment,. while the- fact that not a single default had been made under the Advances to Settlers Act' was proof of the competence of the valuers. The motion for the second reading was carried by 4-1 to 12. MINISTERS' SALARIES. The proposed increase in the salaries of Ministers was, I understand^ very warmly cte-

bated at the Government caucus this morning. There was a good deal of plain speaking on this question, no decision being arrived at. The debate will be still warmer when the bill comes up for discussion in the House. NOT DESIRABLE. In reply to Mr Ell, Mr Ward said it was not desirable that members of the railway service should be members of local bedie?. The interest of local bodies and the Railway department were often of a conflicting nature, arid railway servants, if on local bodies, might incur public odium in certain cases. THE POLICE FORCE. Mr Fisher says the colony is seething with complaints regarding the police force. The Minister of Defence, however, stuck up for his department, and gave unqualified denial to Mr Fisher's statement. DIFFERENTIAL HONORARIUM. ►''..Mr Lawry to-day attempted to introduce his Payment of Members Act Amendment Bill, but Mr Fisher smelt a rat and wanted to know what it was about. Mr Lawry explained that it was not a fair thing that members who lived always in Wellington should get as much pay as those who came from distant parts. He assured Mr Fisher that if the bill passed he (Mr Fisher) would find himself worse than he was at present. — (Laughter.) E« based his bill on the highest principles of immutable liberty and justice. Mr j Fisher, however, did not want his salary cue , clown, and, with a stentorian "No," he de- | manded a division. Members trooped in, ! and by 35 vote* to 14- they refused the necessary leave, and chucked overboard the " principles of immutable liberty and jtistice " so fondly cherished by the member for Parnell. Apparently, however, Mr Lawry was joking, for, during the brief discussion, he admitted that there was no such bill as yet in existence. " COAL LEASES IN CENTRAL OTAGO. To-day Mr Millar asked the Minister of Mines if, in the interests of the gold dredging industry, he will grant further coal leases in Central Otago. Mr Millar spoke in favour of the proposal, and stated that he knew of one case in which a coal lease 'had been refused. Mr Fraser interjected that they had b&en refused in a good many cases. Mr M'Gowan retorted, " And a very proper tiling, too." He went on to state that in the past concessions granted had been abused, and men with neither the necessary capital nor skill had undertaken to work coal deposits. The result was that coal was wasted. In other cases, coal leases had been taken up, but were not being worked. These people were being served with notices. The destruction of coal, which was a national osset, would have to be guarded against. Mr Millar : "Do I understand from the Minister that he will grant coal leases under certain regulations?" Mr M'Gowan: "Certainly." SLUDGE CHANNELS. In answer to a question as to whether, in accordance with the petition of miners and others interested in mining and- dredging on the Maerewhenua goldfield, the Government ! will proclaim the Awamoko Stream a sludge channel, the Minister of Mines said < there were a mimber of interests involved, but as this was one of the matter 3to be considered by the Rivers Committee, it would be a mistake to take any action until they had reported. He could not say when the report would be received. THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE BILL. Mr Ward's bill met its death in the Upper House to-day, the voting being 17 to 16 r a majority of one against it. The main contention that decided the fate of the measure was that it was an interference with the liberty of the subject and sought to establish a very dangerous precedent in this respect.- The following is the division list : — Ayes (16). — Messr3 Bolt, Cadman, T?eldwick, Harris, Jenkinson, Jones, T. Kelly, "W. Kelly, Ken-, Pitt, Rigg, Scotland, W. C. Smith, A. L. Smith, Twomey, W. C. Walker. Noes (17).— -Messrs Baillie, Barnicoat, Bonar, Bowen, G-ouiicy, Grace, Johnston, Kenny, M"Lean, Montgomery, Ormond, Pmkei-ton, Stevens, Swanson, L. Walker, Whitmore, Williams. OLD-AGE PENSIONS. The payment for old-age pensions _ is still mounting up at a somewhat alarming rate. On March 31 last the total yearly payment was £193,713. Since then, the amount has increased by no less than £7000, for the Premier announced to-day that the* present number of pensions meant a total annual payment of over £200,000.