HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXIV, Issue 29, 27 September 1912, Page 7

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Remission of Death Dues. In the House this afternoon, the Chairman of the Public Petitions Committee reported on the petition praying for the remission of death duties on the will of T. G. McCarthy, Wellington, referring the petition to the Government for careful consideration, as it involved a principle of public policy. The Committee also reported similarly in connection with the petition dealing with the will of Sir John Logan Campbell, of Auckland. The discussion which followed, favoured, on the one hand, thg sentimental and on the oilier hand, the practical. Some speakers favoured .a general remission in such cases, others urged that death duties were the absolute right of the State. Mr Massey, replying to various arguments, said that it was impossible for him to state the intentions of the Government, because the proposals had not yet been considered by them. The Petitions Committee had made no recommendation on the petitions. It was a pity they had not done so one way or the other. He would make a statement to the House in the course of a few days. The Chairman of the Petitions Committee stated that had the Committee come to a decision, they would have decided against the' petitioners as the Wellington and Auckland provinces alone benefited under the wills, and the whole Dominion would have to stand the refund. Tho Mokau Jones’ Petition. Reports were laid on the table that a Committee was set up, consisting of Messrs Anderson,, Craigie, Dickie, Mauder and Nathan to consider, in conjunction with a similar committee of the Upper House, the petition of Joshua Jones re the Mokau estate. The Public Service Bill. On the motion for the third reading of the Public Service Bill, Dir Russell said that he, believed the. measure would tend An a condition- of discontent in a service, where it had hitherto happily,been unknown., " He suggested that the' number of amendments made in the Bill by tho.-Ministcr was the result of outside pressure. The Government had come into power on theif&trength of a cry for ecppptuical.ud-: ministration, and it started its case by setting up an entirely new department, consisting of three men whose salaries aggregated £3300 per year. It was stated that saving! (M i £300,000 could bo effected, but that meant the elimination 1200 men from the service, and he would like to know how that elirain'ation was going to be carried out. The greatest blot on the whole Bill was its l concessions to the Post and Telegraph Department, while the rest of the service was not considered. Mr Hanan considered that the carrying of the Bill was an indication that democracy was a failure. There was uo argument that the Bill should only apply to a section of the service. If the Bill was good for one section, it should apply to all. Tho House adjourned. The House resumed at 7.30 p.m. The Public Scrvico Bill,

Mr Hanan, continuing the debate on the third reading of the Public Service Bill, said that tho passing of the 1 measure indicated that tho Ministers had no confidence in their own ability to conduct the service. He thought the measure was a retrograde one. Mr Malcolm supported tho Bill at some length, admitting that the success of the Bill depended on the calibre of the men secured to carry out its provisions. In any case the Government showed a desire to effect reforms. Mr leitt asked where was the square deal the Reform Party was going to deliver. Mr Carroll: “They’re dealing from the bottom of the pack.” The debate was carried on by the Opposition and Labour members. Mr Herdman, replying to criticism, said that the putting of the Bill on the Statute Book would create a better feeling in the service. The Bill would put in charge of tho public service a gentleman who was not susceptible to political influence. The measure was purely a democratic one. It would give opportunities to young men and girls of ability, and tho sons and daughters of poor.pboplo, who had no influence. On a division the third reading of the Bill was carried by 39 to 29. Births and Deaths. The Births and Deaths Registration Amendment Bill, received from the Council, was read a first time. The House rose at 11,50 p.m.