PARLIAMENT.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVII, Issue 41, 18 October 1913, Page 2

PARLIAMENT.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 17. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. IPeu Press Association.! j Wellington, October 17. 1 The House met at 2.30 j The Church of England Trusts Bill j was read a third 'time. 1 Replying to Sir J. Ward, the Minister of Public Health stated that it was proposed to place a simi on the Supplementary Estimates to cover payments for those vaccinated. Already claims for over £BOOO had been received for vaccinations alone, j Mr Allen stated that if Ministers had been aide to meet in council last : week-end’ the final details of the naval policy would have been concluded. He hoped that the matter would bo finally dealt with at the coming weekend. The Tramways Act Amendment Bill was read a first time, j THE LAND BILL. The debate on the third reading of the Land Bill was resumed by Mr D.

BmldO; who recommended the amendments made in the direction of improving the tenure given to holders of pastoral licenses. t . Mr T. M. Wilford drew attention to the state of affairs existing on a farm at Cheltenham in the Oroiia district, where a woman with nine children had to milk some 30 cows witstlte assistance of her children, aged 13 and 11, for a sum of 30s weekly, and nothing found. Ho hoped that the Government-'would put an end to such a disgraceful case of child slavery. Mr 11. H, Rhodes challenged the Opposition members to assist him in getting the name of the-writer ot a letter read, by Mr G. Laurejison concerning his connection with clahse 25, in order that he might oonipel| him (the writer.) to substantiate th| allegations in' open court. >. .. Mr J. Craigie,reiterated his protest against the selling of Crown lands and the destruction of■ the leasehold ten-

ure. 1 . Mr G. Laurenson said that already ue had parted with the greater 'part of our national-estate, and would soon bo face to face with a position that was serious. If the world was to he rc’-settled 'to-morrow, he ventured to say that not a civilised people on the earth would part with an acre of its land • ! . '

The House resumed at 7.30. Mr W. IX S. MacDonald said-that there were iuany clauses in the which would, specified; the ,<?laufle providing for the revaluation of Crown lands, which hithei'to had; been b'vClWahied. At the same time' ‘he 1 xlthirb'cdi ed the claim that the Bill was the best Land Bill ever introduced: 1 ' ’ ; Mr H. At more declared that nu s specious reasoning cbttJd' the'' public mind of. the fact that Mr Rhodes liad attempted something most " iirp’roper. He had nothing Blit re-lb probation for the Primh Minister’s attitude towards the big freeholders monopolising enormous tracts of good land 'fit l for closer settlement. Mr G. W. Russell said that the Bill represented one of the broken pledges of a Government who told the Crown tenants that they would give the freehold at the original value. The fact ~vas that when Mr Masftey came to } put his proposal into legislative form he’ found that he could not because h was'iriequitifßle. Tpp granting o the freehold over the . Hguraki lands Was the-thin' end of the, wedged Before long'they would' have a proposal to give the freehold over other'lbHds; winch ,1 ait' pi'esent 1 are regarded pis'.sacked. j ! Messrs Payne, .Fd'H. W«> alld f Mander also spoke. dr. Hr « [ i ~Mi- -Massev, in reply, claimed It vVdi'hlht 1 ’possible Wnt”to u keep 1 all p.ts' pl^n^ps^to'The I popple Vlp'iing thp eoursp of Ppe Pariij,nppt. I; As; 40 giving - settlors the.--SVcehold at. thh original 1 vah'ie; aboutUl which the member for Avon'had much to say, he claimed that he was giv- j ng the freehold at the original value, ‘and the tm'-iu valuation” had only been used to disarm criticism. As t<b parting with profit hotv I being made' on; -tho of" ,tlf^tji profit 'f -,vas £sß;'6ob'\vyps;’.fit WTffltv • l|ut iff : it; were the 1 phonny, .waS'.fivorth more' 51 Vo'the State' at the preseiW'Hifhe! than * ! 1 per cent., and the Finance Minister" w'diildbe~only too glad if every ieusep ■>: holder came' forward with an offep to 1 acquire the freehold, because there was" more profit in the use of Mhe money than in the land., defon-d-d Clause 25, and' explained thaf it was "only'Mr Rhodes’ keep .desire to preserve ’ the interests of the miners that ‘led to all the trouble. When ho found that the clause was faulty' ho had 'it amended so that the interests of the State, miners and settlers were' protected, and in that form there had not been a single objection to it.' Much had been said .against the non-residence ’ clause'. Few members evidently were aware that this was law at present in connection with' the Hauuaki leases, but this was so, subject to the consent ot’the Land " Board. That was wllat he was providing for in the Bill. 'He justified * the conduct of Mr Rhodes, which was ' perfectly straightforward, and the attack upon him w'aff one of the most cowardly tilings that had” happened during the 19 years he had been in Parliament. Aggregation" was more effectively dealt with in the Bill than it had ever been in any previous mea- , sure; The question off v |sub-division. he would have to leave till another occasion. He moved the third reading of tho Bill. ; On the question being put, a divL cion was called for by Dr. Newman, • the voting being: Ayes 39, noes 14. The Bill then passed and the House rose at 12.22.