PARLIAMENT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 214, 3 September 1908, Page 2

PARLIAMENT.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 2. LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. By '.Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, Lust Might. The Council met at 2,30. On the motion of the Hon. Sinclair, the Westport Harbor jjouru Loan Bill was read u second time. Xhe yuacKeries Prevention Bill was referred to the Statutes Revision Committee. The Local Elections and Polls Amendment Hill and Town Boards Aet Amendment Hill were put through the committee with slight amendments. Xhe Coroners' Act Amendment Bill was read a third time and passed. Xhe Christchurch City Sanitation Empowering Bill was considered in committee and progress reported. The Council rose at 4.50.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. The House met at 2.30. Replying to questions, Ministers stated that it seemed quite unnecessary to set up special Appeal Boards for such departments of the public servic« as do not possess them, as the Classrtleation Board fulfilled the functions of such Boards; that the question of altering the law so tihat water supply boards shall share in subsidies on rates collected, on the same basis as comity councils would be considered by the Government during the recess; that arrangements would bu made for automatic voting machines to be tested at some local election; that the final selection of a design for a coat of' arms for the Dominion would be made witihin the next two months; that officers of the Labor Department were paying attention to the question of the sale of tobacco after 8 p.m. by Chinese shopkeepers; that the amendment to

the Noxious Weeds Bill would be brought down if time permitted. The Premier, replying to remarks subsequently made by members, said the task of preparing the railway classification list had been enormously complicated, and it was untrue and unfair to assert that the Govemmeni uad ibeen subjected to pressure iu its preparation. He noticed that in one breath the Opposition complained that the Government was always swelling tihe Estimates, and in the next plained that enough was not pam to members of the public service Regarding railway concessions, he declared that what the Government sms done already should have excited applause from the whole community. It was a bad sign for the future government of the Dominion, that on tie eve of ai general election members were asking for all sorts of further concessions, and it wa« a bad sign that the constituents of members, whoever they might he, s'ho«ld encourage that sort of thing. The House adjourned, at 5.30 and resumed at 7.30.