PARLIAMENT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 60, 27 July 1907, Page 2

PARLIAMENT.

FiiIDAY., .JULY 20. By Telegraph—Per Press Association. ' LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. The Council met at 2.30. lion. Mr lJarr moved for a return showing the number of estates In the colony of an unimproved value between 120,000 and ;C30,000, and every additional .010,000 up to £200,000. The Hastings Keereation Reserves Jiill was committed and progress repelled, and the Council adjourned until b.iSO for the Imprest Supply Bill.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. I ,i The House met at 2.30. | 1 A month's leave of absence was grant- |< ed to Jlr Kliodes ou account of ill- I health. Arising out of a petition for the erec- ■ tion of a bridge at the Waitemata rivcrliead, the A. to h. Petitions Committee reported it had no recommendation to make, and advised that all further petitions for expenditure of public works funds be referred direct by the Classification Committee to the Government. Mr Massey advocated setting up a Public Works Committee to which all application for expenditure of Public Works money should be referred. The Premier said that no matter what a committee said or recommended,, the Government had to allocate the amount available for Public Works to the best advantage, and, guided by its officers, went into the work in the process selection irrespective of anything else. The Government would not be forced into taking in hand any particular work because a petition was sent and favorably reported on by the committee. The responsibility was on the Government, and the Government accepted it. The proper quarter to address a petition was to the Minister for Public Works. If the Government acceded to the demands now being made, they would require a loan of three or four millions. He further added that no new railway works would be undertaken, as there were seventeen or eighteen lines in hand, and to open up new lines meant allocating Public Works money in driblets to convey the impression that new railways were being constructed in particular districts. He contended that the whole tendency was to press matters on the Government in a manner not fair or reasonable. Ministers should not be required to stand up day after day and resist from all sides of the House applications for extraordinary expenditure. No Government, unless it decreed to ruin the colony, could meet anything like the number of applications made for Public Works. He could not agree with Mr Massey's suggestion for a Public Works Committee, as members would have to travel over the country during the recess inspecting and taking evidence. They would require to be paid, I and the cost to the country would bo enormous.

The IMPREST SUPPLY BILL was brought down by Governor's Message. | On the motion to go into committee on the Bill, Mr Herries, referring to railways, contended that if the Department had been properly managed, tho buoyancy of revenue boasted of in the Statement would have been even greater than it was. He did not see any indication of greater effort being made to increase rolling stock, and charged the Department with, shortsightedness in that respect. He was sure if the Premier aked for £500,000' to increase the rolling stock, the House would gladly give it, as there was difficuty in regard to rolling stock all over the colony. He complained that the net profit on the capital invested showed a very small increase during the past seven years, while the net earning per train had decreased from £32.00 in 1906 to £28.79 n 1906. He drew attention to the enormous increase in the cost of construe; tion per mile. It- was stated year nftei year that (lie cost under the co-opera-tive system was less than by contract, yet the cost of construction per mile had steadily increased. He contended that it certainly proved that under the co-operative system the cost of construction had increased, and he hoped large public works would in future be carried out under the contract system. He, asserted that Auckland lines had steadily increased as revenue producers, whilst the Invereargill line hail steadily decreased.

The Premier said he was surprised to see Mr Herries doing what he had done on a former occasion. He thought it was unfair to try to create the im pression that any favoritism was being shown to any portion of the colony. His statements were contrary to fact.

The House adjourned at 5.20 p.m. The House resumed at 7.30. The Premier, continuing, quoted figures ilInstrating the great development which had taken place in the railway trallie since 1895, and the efforts of the Government to cope with the increase. He pointed out that 129 locomotives, and 468 passenger cars had been added to the rolling stock since 1895, showing that in many other respects the demands bad been met by increases up to and over 100 per cent. Proceeding, he stated there was no difference between the class of rolling stock in the two Islands, and the same rules were in force from end to end of New Zealand. Referring to increase in the cost of construction, the pointed out that the permanent way was built to a higher standard than in the early days in accordance with the heavier loads thev were required to carry. During the time he had been Minister for Railways, tho weight of locomotives had increased by SO tons. Dealing with the co-operative system, he defended it in a vigorous manner, pointing out that work had been found by this means for -large "bodies of workmen who otherwise would have been workless. On the whole, the co-operative system had been a good thing for the colony. In conclusion, he asserted that the railway system of New Zealand was second to none in ilie world, and had been responsible for great and lasting good to the colony.

Mr Herries replving referred to accidents on the .railways of the colony, and asserted the percentage was very great.

Mr Massey also briefly criticised the valuation system of the colony.

MY Fisher saiil lie intended to place some figure* before the Premier ill re poet of tlw :uiflit s\'<(of tlio colony, fs in his o|iinlnii ill' l time was l'ipe for <li--> Kvsteni io In: Mbn-il. and he nracl tlfii the Caiudian audit syM.tiii should l' adojltl'd. Mr .las. Allen CMiii 1 ' 1 !! out that the (isl. of i'ini)iinn ]ior mile of r.'ii'wav hid i "lisidiM'nlitv inci'easell since ISfiT. wlii'ii tlm cost nev aiiiiiini was C 14!1 per mile. 'Hid in I,'lOfi C 2.53. Tli" Hill, which proviil « for CG23.000, w.as put through all stages anil pissed. Tlic House ■adjourned at 11.30. Tim Council mot immediately, and p:i*ped tln> Hill through all stages without discussion.