WEDNESDAY, JUNE 28.

Otago Witness, Issue 2677, 5 July 1905, Page 17

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 28.

The House of Representarivcs transacted a good .deal of formal business on Wednesday, amonoj the bills read a first time being the Shops and Offices Act Amendment Bill. In the evening the debate on the Address-in-Reply was commenced, and as no one desired to continue it after the mover and seconder and the Leader of the Opposition had spoken, the Address -was adopted, and the House rose. FIRST READINGS. The following bills were read a first time: — Bible Lessons in Public Schools Plebiscite (Mr Sidey), Elective Executive (Sir W. 3. Steward), Motor Registration , (Mr Lewis), Factory Act Amendment (Mr Taylor), Habitual Criminal (Mr Sidey I, Mutual Fire Insurance Amendment; (Mr Kirkbride), Legislative Council Election (Sir W. J. Steward), Education Board of Otago Empowering (Mr Millar), Veterinary Surgeons, Registration (Mr Dayey). Marriage Restrictions Removal (Sir W. J. Steward), "Public Works Act, 1904," Amendment (Mr Millar), Statutes Compilation Amendment (Sir W. J. Steward), Accountancy (Mr Millar), Divorce and Matrimonial Causes Amendment (Mr Laurenson), Old-age Pensions Amendment (Mr Taylor), Criminal Code Amendment (Hon. J. M'Gowan), Timaru Borough Drainage, Sewerage, ajid Loans Bill (Hon. Mr HailJones), Local Bodies' Leases (Sir J. G. Ward), Ro-ad Boards Act Amendment (Sir J. G. Ward), Medical (Practitioners Registration (Sir J. G. Ward), Counties Act Amendment (Sir J. G. Ward), Municipal i Corporations Amendment (Sir J. G. Ward), ! Electoral (Sir J. G. Ward), Fire Brigades (Hon. J. Carroll), Convicts Forfeiture Amendment (Hon. J. M'Gowan), State Coal 4 Mines Act Amendment (Hon. J. M'Gowan), Destitute Persons Amendment (Hon. J. M Gowa-n), and Gaming and Lotteries Amendment (Hon. J. M'Gowan). THE OPPOSITION. The members of the Opposition met in caucus this morning, and resolved to pursue an active policy during the present session. Mr Massey stated that the party will take I up a Gtrong position both in the House and ' country. _ Certain reforms, he says, are re- ' quired in connection with parliamentary procedure, and it is the duty of the Opposition to endeavour to bring them about. Judging from the Governor's Speech, said Mr Massey, it is the intention of the Government to give Parliament the oppor- ■ tunity pi can&idwiAg same iixmortant »rQ- '

posaK Whether they will be persevered w»(,h and become law remains to be seen.

• The legislative programme foreshadowed in ■ the Speech is sufficiently long to occupy > the attention of Parliament for six months, i if all the matters mentioned are to receive the consideration to which they are entitled. Mr Massey doubts very much whether ■ several of the matters referred to in the i I Governor's Speech will have been dealt with ■ by the- end of the session. j SHOPS AND OFFICES ACT. i The Shops and Offices Act Amendment Bill was introduced this afternoon by the Preniier, as Minister of Labour. In introducing this long-looked-for measure for the rectification of the egregious "blunder" of last session Mr Seddon asked the leave of the House to explain the provisions of tho bill at the present stage. He said he desired to take thi3 unusual course in consequence of the deep interest being taken , in the subject by the shopkeepers and the I public generally in the leading centres of the colony. The House, which greeted the appearance of the bill with " Hear, hears," agreed to the Premier's request, it is needless to 6ay, I with ready acquiescence. 1 The intimation of the proposed extinction , of the notorious clause 3 was received with 1 a further mark of approval. Mr Massey asked the Premier if he intended to refer the bill to tho Labour Bills Committee for the purpose of taking evidence thereon, and Mr Seddon replied that he intended to adopt that course if the House so desired. " That would delay the bill again till t>® end of the session," was the interjection of Mr Tanner. " ELECTIONEERING AT THE TAXPAYERS' -EXPENSE. Mr Duthie has given notice to move for a return of all costs to the colony in connection with the Right Hon. the Premier's visit to tho South Island between the 23rd May and the 11th June last; the return to , also set out the amount of expenses of each of the accompanying secretaries. Mr Duthie is also asking for a return setting out the several publio works pi'omised or - impliedly promised by each of the Ministers during the last three months while on his travels throughout the colony, and showing whether such promises were for railways, public buildings, roads, bridges, mining, irrigation, water power, or other purpose ; the estimated cost in each case ; and also whether such commitments were made on the public platform, in reply to deputations, or on the application of individuals. It is a foregone conclusion that Mr Duthie will not get the information he wants. THE LAND TAX. The expediency of increasing the graduated land tax is being bronchi, forward by Mr Hogg in the form of a question to the' Government. Pie wishes the tax increased with a view to further facilitating the acquisition of unimproved or partially improved estates that are suitable for close settlement, and to enable the State, without increasing indirect taxation, to abolish the special rates now levied in country districts, ■which are pressing very heavily on Crown tenants and other settlers. RETURNING OFFICERS AND REGISTRARS. Mr Hawkins is asking the Colonial Secretary whether he considers a man who has had several prohibition orders issjued against him, and who is prohibited to-day, is a fitting person to hold the position of returning officer, registrar of electors, and justice of the peace, and whether it is the Minister's intention to remove all incompetent men from the positions of registrars of electors and returning officers in the • co'ony. ANTHRAX. y Mr Tile is putting a series of questions to the Government as to the means taken to prevent the spread of anthrax. ' He wants to know why the proposed sterilising works which members of this Parliament during last session were led to believe "were being erected at Auckland and the Bluff have not been proceeded with. Mr Vile is also concerned lest the men appointed to examine bones and bonedust at various ports are not experts at detecting anthrax causes. THE FIRST DIVISION OF THE SESSION. The first division of the session took place this afternoon in connection with • the laotion of the Minister of Railways for the setting up of the Railways Committee. i The motion, as usual, provided for the ! suspension of the Standing Orders, s.o that ' the number of members of the committee should consist of 13 members, the usual Lumber being 10. The Leader of the Opporepeated the protest made by him in previous sessions against largo committees. He held that the smaller committees did better work, and he said that the undue enlargement of committees, necessitating as it did the placing of the same members on a greater number of committees, prevented them from attending to all the duties assigned to them. "We have I only followed the practice which hae. ob- [ tamed for some years," lemarked the Premier. "Th°n it iri a very bad practice," v>as the quick retort of Mr Massey. Sir Joseph Ward, -\\lio sought to justify tho course at present pursued by pointing out that the practice had been in vogue for the past 25 years, taunted the Opposition with : assisting to increase the membership of 1 ii>A <anruiiittees in p^st sessions by aett-iaac

names added to various committee*. He cited two instances in which, he said, the Opposition had made such a request, one being in regard to the appointment of Mr Alison, and the other in respect to the appointment of Mr Kirkbride as members of certain committees. Jas. Allen, who added a vigorous protest to that of his leader, said that any such request made by the Opposition was due, not to any wish to enlarge- the committees, but merely the desire to secure a proportionate representation of the party on the committees. As an instance of the disproportionate representation of thA two parties on the committees, he referred to the present Instance as a case in point, Messrs Massey and Rhodes being, he said, the only two members of the Opposition proposed for appointment. The division resulted in the Government carrying- its, motion by 39 to 21. On the motion for the appointment of the Commerce Committee, consisting of 19 members, Mr Massey repeated his protest, which, he said, was not directed against the committee, but against the suspension of the Standing Orders. A division, with a result similar to that of the first, took' place. A PUBLIC WORKS COMMITTEE WANTED. The appointment of a special Public Work"; Committee for the purpose of considering all petitions relating to public wprks was advocated by Mr Massey in the course, of his remarks on the discussion which arose over the appointment of sessional committees. Speaking on the motion for the setting up of the Petitions Committee^, he said that at present matters relating to public works were referred to the latter committees, with 'the result that they were ' not given full consideration, but were referred to the Government for consideration. The committee was thus handing over its functions to the Government of the day. He objected to siicfaf a state of affairs, and vrged the appointment of a special committee, whoso duties should be to make full inquiries into tho subject of the various jDetitions relating to publio works, and make recommendations accordingly. If this were done, he considered that a great deal of the present improper and wasteful expenditura would bo avoided. The reply of the Minister of Publio Works to this suggestion was that the appointment of such a committee would give so much power that all the members of the House would seek to be placed upon it. He considered that the present arrangement under which the responsibility was placed on the Government was the better plan. MR MASSEY AND THE PUELIC 1 ACCOUNTS. When the Publio Accounts Committee was being set up this afternoon Mr Jas. Allen stated that he considered that the I eadcr of the Opposition should occupy a seat on that committee. Mr Allen suggested to the Premier that he should add Mr Mas«ey's name. The Premier said that no discourtesy to the Leader of the Opposition was intended. The names of several Opposition members appeared on ' the list submitted, and if on© of these members desired to give way to his leader .'jo would be very pleased to remove his rame and substitute that of Mr Masp,ey. This, of course, was only a convenient way of evading the point, for, as might be supposed, Mr Massey would not be likely 'to allow himself to be placed upon the committee on such a condition. For this irason no member of the committee considered it worth while to offer to retire ; but the evident reluctance of the Premier to follow the sugge&tion of Mr Allen may j bt» regarded as a compliment to Mr ' Massey. THE ADDRESS-IN-REPLY. The Address-in -Reply debate which took y.lace ihis evening collapsed immediately after the supper adjournment, after running a very brief course. The debate was not distinguished by any remarkable exhibition of life. The speech of the proposer (Mr Flatman) was a very prosy one, full of statistics and laboured elaborations of the gcod deeds of the Government, relieved by the expression of a fervent hope that the predictions of a stormy session would not be realised, and ah almost pathetic anpeal to the- Opposition* to join with the Government in insuring & peaceful conduct of the country's business. Mr Hogg, the late Government. Whip, who seconded the Address-in-Reply, rather startled the mcmbeis of the Opposition by his free criticism of the Government policy. He pointed ouL that whilst ihe Governor's Speech indicated the general happiness and contentment of the people no reference was made to the privations which were being suffered by the backblock settlers. His condemnation of the State coal mine policy was couched in strong terms, he stating that whilst they had been led to believe that the establishment of the system would bring cheap coal to the poor man's fireside, the mines were, being woikcd in such a manner as to afford no benefit to the workers. In the words of the Leader of tho Opposition, the membor for Masterton acted the part of candid friend "to perfection." Mr Massey, who followed Mr Hogg, made a forcible speech, in which he attacked the Government's administration with his xistial vigour. His strong points were in regard to the slow rate of progress in the construction of railway lines. He declared that the colony

wanted "business men -and business methods," and not a system under which lines were- constructed at tho rate of a mile a year. Speaking of the vacancies in the Legislative Council, he- asserted that the seats were only being kept open for electioneering purposes. " lib has been done before, and it will be done again," he declared. The Land Commission, the Shops and Offices Ac I. the pa^fc delays in the bringing down of the Public Works Statement, and various other features of the Government's administration were also matters which received full justcic at Mr Massey's hands. JOTTINGS. Solicitude for the welfare of the railway servants is evinced by Mr Millar, who wantt the hours of labour of engine-drivers, firemen, .and guards reduced from 54 to 48 a week. Mr Arnold is also concerned as to the interests of the same branch of the service, he desiring that all railway servants whose present maximum pay is 7s a day shall receive 8s a day. . Mr Taylor wants to know whether, iff view of the "alleged enormous surplus," the Colonial , Treasurer will devote the euin of £200,000 from such surplus to improved and extended school buildings, technical education, increased salaries, etc. The same member is also inquiring whether the Government will provide a uniform bet of Bchool books for the public schools. Mr Field is asking the Government fc& take some decisive stops to cope with the present appalling mortality amongst the native population. The Hon. W. CL Carncross will be a candidate for the Chairmanship of Committees in the Legislative Council. The Hon. E. H. J. Reeveis the present chairman, but has not been? a onlhant success in that position. Mr Carncross was formerly member for the i -T L n the House of Representatives, in which he was popular with both parties. He acted for some time as Government U hip. 7j A T g llimj ' no «s t«t decidedly humdrum aadress is the not very flattering term apphed to the Governor's Speech V tho local Ministerial journal. "Seldom if ever, « says, "has the Speech from the Xhrone oeen such a flat, prosy, and ur>sensationaJ utterance." "A scrappy programme is tho title under which tho Post sums up the Speech. A petition from a large number of bank omciajs in various parts of tho colony v/as presented to-day by Sir Joseph Ward. The petitioners ask that they bo specially txcm Pteafn>m tho operations of the Shops and Offices Act, stating that they are satisfied witn their present conditions of emrlovnient. J Mr Laurenson i* to a=k the Minister of Railways whether his department has ?«eii what an unqualified success the electrification of suburban railways has been in every place where it has been tried, and whether in view of this, he has decided on trvin* the scheme on the different suburban lines throughout the colony. Referring to the rumour that there is to be an abolition of separate police districts for Southland and other places, Mr Hanan interviewed the Minister of Justice to-day with reference to the matter. Mr M'Gowan stated that the Government had not the slightest intention of doing anything in that direction.