GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2094, 4 September 1890, Page 3

GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

HQD3B OF REPRESENTATIVES. On Monday, THE S^EIKE. Idr Fish moved the adjournment of the gopse tq en^h 1 ® r P? e ? to B telegram which bp hq.d received, to the effect that the Pukaki sailed from Auckland lately with only one competent man t»n hoard, and asking him to bring the matter before the House. Jn connection vfifh this, he Mr Fish) eajd that he c°w|d pot that Mr Glasgow, the Collector of Customs, had been misreported when he was mentioned in the report as having said in reply to a deputation that there was no clause in the Ship- [ ping and Seamen’s Act which com* I pe|led a vessel to carry any particular

’ number of seamen. He thought that it was the duty of the Government fto see that vessels were properly manned. He dwelt on the impropriety of the Government calling out the permanent artillery. The unnecessary display of a body of soldiers on the Wellington wharf bn Saturday afternoon was more calculated to create a riot than anything else that had yet occurred. The Government, in the placing of that detachment of permanent Artillery, had committed a blunder which in this case amounted to a crime. He condemned the. action of the Bailway Commissioners since the strike commenced, Their conduct was likely to lead to a strike on a much larger scale than now existed.. The Commissioners and ; the ! capitalists were evidently combining to crush r labor unions. ' ; ' Mr Tanner ventured to assert that the' anxiety by the Maritime Council as to steamers being properly manned was due more to their desire to see the'steamers stopped altogether than "for the welfare of the public. He commended the Government for their desire' to preserve order in the present struggle. Mr Hall Jones considered that the Government and the House should do nothing to embitter parties in the labor difficulty. Mr Bruce warmly defended the Railway "• Commissioners, remarking that they deserved the thanks of the House for the conciliatory disposition they had shown towards the men. Mr Moss should like to know whether the, men were not to be commended for their conciliation as , well as the Railway Commissioners. He strongly condemned the Government for sending soldiers to the wharf on Saturday. : Mr Ballanco said if there was any probability of a disturbance occuring it would be time enough to call out the military power, ! and he thought that the action of the Government in this respect deserved the censure of the House. The Government, he considered, should propose a board of conciliation to settle matters of this kind. With respect to the Eailway Commissioners he failed to see how they could justify their aetion in asking the railway laborers to perform wharf duty. [Mr Mitchelson: “ shortness of coal.”] He did not think that was the ; reason, as he had been informed that the Commissioners had three months’ supply of coal on hand; His own opinion was that this, strike would not last long, but it would be 1 settled in Australia. In the meantime all they demanded of the Government was strict impartiality. Captain Bussell said that the Government were so determined to keep a neutral attitude in this struggle that he should not refer to the attacks that were made on them by various members. Po long as he (Captain Bussell) held office he should do all in his power to preserve order in the country. Mr Beeves (St. Albans) said that in his opinion the Bailway Commissioners' had acted in a tactless and irritating manner, and in this difficulty they had not acted in a conciliatory spirit, He bad frequently striven to avert a railway strike, as he thought it would be a colossal blunder from a union point; of view as well as a national calamity if a railway strike occurred. He had some reason to believe that if the Government endeavour to mediate between the parties in the present crisis in a friendly manner, their efforts would not be discountenanced.

Sir George Grey suggested that the House might appoint a committee to act in the matter. Such committee, in his opinion, might interfere m this great struggle without taking either side. The debate was interrupted by the 5.30 p.m. adjournment. COMMUTES OP SUPPLY. The House resumed at 7,30 and went into Committee of Supply. Working railways—£67B,ooo. After a discussion lasting three hours, the vote was reduced by £565, Public buildings—£3s,sls. After several attempts had been made to reduce the items by sums ranging frem £14,265 to £75,000 a reduction of £6OOO was agreed to on the voices,

School buildings—£so,ooo, Several motions to reduce the item “ public schools ” were lest. Eventually the Minister agreed to a reduction of £SOO, and progress was reported, On Tuesday, EEEOET OH DUMMYISM; Mr Fulton brought up the report of the Waste Commi tfeee 011 subject of dummyism. The report was to the effect that the evidence adduced before the committee showed conclusively that the Land Act had in a number of cases been by means of false made with a yifiw or dummying, and in their opinion it was the duty of the Government to enforce the law. They recommended that the Government should take in apy cases wjierp evidence wfts obtainable,

Mr Richardson said that the Government would take every possible step in their power to deal with any cases of dummyism brought to their notice. the naptApE PUT?, hfr BnUaoce asked the ActingPremier why instructions had not been issued to the Collector of Customs to cease collecting the primage duty after the end of August as promised by the Government.' '

Mr Mitchelson said that there were two reasons for’this having been done. .... I ll •' 1 o ' • ■ J

' One was that the Government. wished the Estimates to be first disposed of in order to ascertain what reductions would be made in them; the second reason was a more serious one—that owing to the lamentable labor difficulty now existing in the colony the Government feared that the revenue would seriouly suffer, and it might be neces-; sary for them to ask the * House - for authority to collect the primage duty till the 31st March ; if not, they might have to face a large deficit next year. Ho should, however be able to inform the House definitely on Friday next whom he hoped to be able to ask for, authority to collect the duty up to the end of September only.

! TTTB STBIKB. Replying to Mr Jopce as to wether the Government , had received any information as to the allegations respecting the fitness of the crew on the steamer Tekapo at Dy ttelton, bound to Australia, Mi Mitchelson said that he could only repeat what had been said yesterday by the ■ Minister for Justice; namely, that the Government had instructed the Custom House officials throughout the colony to see that the law was properly administered and that steamers were sufficiently manned.

The Hopse then went into committee of supply and several items passed with slight alteration.