PARLIAMENTARY.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 11096, 9 December 1897, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NEW

ZEALAND.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. Wellington, December 8. -The Hon. the Speaker took the chair at 2.30 p.m. The Imprest Supply Bill (No. 3) wasput through all its btages. The motion for the second reading of the Old Age Pension Bill was adjourned on the motion of the Minister for Education, till next sitting day. Tho Council rose at 2.50 p.m. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. Wednesday, December 8. — The Speaker took the chair a*- 2 30 p m. The State Fire Insurance Bill was introduced by Governor's message and read a first time. Mr Seddon intimated that the measure was a most important one and differed from the measure introiuced last year. It was intended to circulate the measure amongst those whom it vitally affected, but it was not intended to proceed further with it this session. The Government Loans to Local Bodies Act Amendment Bill was introduced by Governor's message auJ read a first time. The Aid to Public Works and land Settlement Act Amendment Bill was also introduced by Governor's message and ' read a first time. Mr Seddon said ht intended to consider these two measures as urgent. The ConsoliJated Loan Act Amend' meut Bill was introduced and rtal a first time. Mr Seddon gave notice to move thafc the Bills not disposed of as the end of the present sasiion be made suspended orders, and set down on the first Older paoer of the next session, at the stage which they had reached during the present session. He also indicated the measures which the Government de>i ed to pas 3 this session, amongst which were the Horowhenua Block, Technical Education, Alien Immigration, and Members of Home of Representative*. Disqualification Bills. As to the Master and Apprentices, Young Persons Protection, Banking and Eight Hours Bill, he hoped they would be passed, as he intended to anend them ia the direction of removing the objections at piesent urgjd against them.The Horowhenua Block Act Amendment Bill was read a second time pro for,,i r, und referred to th^ Native Affairs Committee. Tne Westport Ngakawau Railway Extension Act Amsndmont Bill was committed and passed with Hlight amendment, and subsequently passed its final stages. Th> Water Supply Act Amendment Bill was committed. Clause 2— dealing with amendments to tha Act of 18J2 — was discussed at some length, buo ultimately/agreed to by 35 to 22. A new cfeu«e, proposed by Mr Moore, providing ' f ji-*he pynent of subsidies to Water Su[ ply Boards, was ruled Qafcpf order The Bill passed, with amendffiTeWrgWi**^ subsequently passed its final stages. The Alien Immigration Restriction Bill was committed, slightly amended, and subsequently passed its final stages Mr Seddon movpd the sscond reading of the Aid to Public Works and La»-d Settlement Act Amendment Bill, which proposed .to empower the raising of +:250,000, of which £200,000 is to be devoted to railway repairs and providing of rolling stock, £25,000 for a.hool buildings, and £25,000 for technical schools. Re referred to the necessity, owit<g to floods, for repairs to railway lines and additions to rolling stock, owing to increased traffic. The amounts to be raised for public school buildings and technical education would, he considered, meet with the approval of the House and he intimated that the allocation of votes for school buildings would be on a different basis thai hitherto. Mr. Buchanan supported the measure, but thought the Government was not supplyiog rolling-stock sufficient to cope with tho xacrea3ed traffic on the railways Mr Allen regretted that the loan had to be raised, but admitted that accident wa» responsible for some of the proposed expenditure. Mr Pirani praised lh& railway .administration oi the Government as compared with that of the Commissioners, and said tho railways under tha- Commissioners got into a positively dangerous conditio a, The House adjourned at 5.30, and resumed at 7 30 p.m. Lfaptaiu Russell contended that if the railways had been proporly managed ihoro would not hove been any necessity for borrowing £200,000 f or repairs and additions. He was prepared to admit that Mr Cadman had maraged the railways creditably, but denied thafc tha Commis-stoneis uad left the lolling stock in a bad condition. It wai not a new thing for the Unas to be damiged by storms, and he pointed out in 1893 much damage had resulted from the land slips and floods. He Bpoke in favour of the Commissioners' control of railways, and said while the Commissioners had the management of the traffic the revenue had increased^ and a larg* amount of' repairs had been effected out of revenue. If there was 'to be an equitable distnbutirn of school buildings grant, the population basis would have to be igcored in respect to the bash districts of the North Island. Hon. Mr Cadmaii said the question of State or Commissioner control was one for the country to decide. He did not profess that the Government policy had ' been responsible for the whole of the increased traffic on the railways, but he claimed that reductions made in rates hid materially assisted in increasing traffic. He quoted figures sho *ing larg« increases in connection with railways since 1894. Referring to necessary improvements he said it would take £228,000 to attach new brake 3to all carriages, and £5000 could be spent annually for 20 years in introducing interlocking signals. To properly light carriages would moau a further larga expenditure. The amount proposed to be expended £200,000, was not excessive, considering what had to be done with it. To replace the Rangitilioi bridge would take £12 000, though the previous bridge only cost £3000. Another bridge in the Hawke's Bay district would cost £6781, and ho contended it was not fair to charge the revenue account with the amounts: Sir Robert Stout siid the Government's ol.j-ct in bringing in the Bill was to ensure that there should be a surplus at the end of a year. He pointed out the works on which £200,000 for railways in the Budget that money was to be spent. He objected to the provision of Bill under which the currency of debentures uuder theorigiaal Act was extended inckfimtelj\ Mr J. VV. Thomson said the amount to be borrowed would construct 30 miles of railway, and this would be more satisfactory than borrowing for repair and rolling stock, which should bo a charge on the revenue. Mr Monk was not in favor of borrowing for the purposes indicated. Mr Wright disagreed with tho contention thai everything should ba paid out of the revenue in connection with the railways. Mr Fras3r said there was a g»^at demaud for trucks in the South Island aud he would support th j measure. ' MrR. Thompson said he had it on good authority that the locomotives could not be manufactured satisfactorily in the colony, aud he hoped the Govern ra-enc would discontinue spending oionev on rolling stock in the colony. J Mr Massey contended the Commissioners hai done their best to keen tha railways in order. . Mr Seddon said he was gratified to hear so many members compliment bis co l eague on his railway management, and his administration had proved that th« Government was competent to effici n'lv manage tho railways. He contended that the proposod oxpendituro would ba VJ productive. A much larger expenditure on tho d,ff,re»t workshops i D tne coE ww also necessary, a «d would be equally

reproductive. Respecting Sir Robert Stout'b references to the schedule of the bill, he pointed out that clauso 14 pro vidud that moneys in the schedule were only to be expended after being appropriated by Parliament. The second reading was agreed to on the voices. Mr Seddon moved the second reading of the Government Emergency Loan 3to Local Bod it s Bill, which empowers the Colonial Treasurer to lend to local bodies three times the maximum amount allowed under the Government Loans to Local Bodies Act, when on account of floods or other contingency. The second reading of the Public School Ttachers Incorporation aud Court of Appeal Act Amendment 8.1 l was agr«9d to on the voices without debate. The Aid to Publiq Schools and Land Settlement Act Amendment Bill, Government Emergency, Loans to Local Bodies Bill, and Public School Teachers Bill were committed, passed with slight amendments, and subsequently passed their final stages. The House rose at 1.20 a.m.