PARLIAMENTARY.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 11571, 12 July 1899, Page 1

PARLIAMENTARY.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NEW ZEALAND. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. Tuesday, July 11. —The Hod. (h Sptaker took the chair at 2 SO. In reply to questions, Mitjister-i sai' than the ament'ed regulations >viih r«spect to pegging off mining claims had been published on the 28th uifc., an<i ' came into foice on the same date; tl,a tht^re was a wide distinction lietween Grown and acquired land, su d (hat ap parent a lomalies that t-xisted in drawing such a distinction wero in hi opinion such aa should exist in regar< to tho terms upon which settlers should be allowed to tske up gush lands; thai the contract for Awatere railway bntfge was k-t in April, and that the time k/r its completion was two yeais; that thi Land Purchase Board had made do recommendation, so far, to purchas certain land in the vicinity of Auckland for workmen's homes ; that a Fair Rent. Bill would be introduced this session ; that the Government was quite sitbfieu with the manner in which tho JacksouOtira section of the Midland Railway was being carried out, and had no intention of appointiog a Select Committee or a Royal Commission to engui-e into the matter ; that the question of a site for a dairy school for the .North Island had nol yet been settled, bnt ifc was hoped that a decision would be a-rived at Bbortly; that attention would be given duriDg the recess to making a better approach to the Par liamentaiy Buildings; that railway engines could not be manufactured in the colonj , aud if that were to be done Parliament would have to vote half a million to properly equip the workshops of thecolony with adequate machinery for the furpose. The engines imported from America had not yet been sufficiently tested to enable an opinion to ba rormed as to whether they were a3 capable at those made in England or the colony; thai the question of payiDg compensation to butchers who had stock condemned by Government inspectors would be referred to the Stock Committee ; that steps, would Le taken to see what could be done to improve tho WelJicgfon-Lyttelton steam service trade ; that the. tratter of granting or ref usiog licenses was a matter tor Licensing Committees to consider, and therefore the Government had taken no steps regarding the isßue of a license for a house on the newly-acquired Star borough estate, in Marlborough ; that the Government intended to place a sura on the Estimates aa a subsidy to country libraries; that the question of giving facili ies for enabling bojs to be sailors would bo considered. " I

Answering wr Taylor, Mr Hall- Jones said (he work of completing the Parliamentary Buildings was by contract, instead of the co-operative system, because at the time men were not available t o do the work. The Government did not intend to abandon the co-operative system, as the work done under that system would compare favourably with any work done under the contract system.

Replying to further questions, it was stated that the opening of the shooting season for native game should be de'syed a month ; that an effort would be inide to prepare a Bill to vest the Ohuto block of native land on the Wanganui River in the Public Trustee, in the interests of natives and Europeans alike ; that the question of establishing a farm school within the Wellington district would be considered ; that the Government did not intend to introduce a Bill this session making old age pensions universal. The House adjourned at 5 30.

On resuming at 7.30,

The Premier moved the second reading of the Lands for Settlement Bill. Mr Seddon explained that tho Bill provided for extending the time of operation o« the Act till next session, in order that certain negotiations for the purchase of certain lauds might be completed . Under Ifae decision of the Court in Uio Hatuma ease it would be useless for the Government to go on purchasing estates with sentimental value**, so that an alteration in the Act was necessary to obviate that. It was also proposed to take land for workraen'ti homes in a borough or towa district:. It was in tha interests of work men, and of railways of tho colony generally, that an extension of power bhould be given in working the Act. The Minister for Railways was prepired to encourage workmen to make Lujies in snburba, by reducing railway fares to a 1 reasonable sum.

Captain Eussell regretted that the Premier did not accept his (Captain Russell's) suggestion to postpone con-> sideration of this Bill, as it had only just been circulated. He considered that it would be better to settle the people upon larger areas of land rather than upon small sections ne*r borojghs. -With regard to the Hatuma Estate, he said the trustees vrare willing to part with a sufEU cienL portion of the land for settlement at a reasonable figure, but the Government had said that they would take Ihe whole or none. lie condemued the proposal that the Government should acquire aresu in boroughs and town districts, as well us rural lands, at the actual market value. Such a proposal wa3 most arbitrary.

Mr Mills said it would, ba impossible to carry out the Lands for Settlement Act properly if a Ecntitnental v.ilue were to be put upon (he land. Tho Act had proved ot great value in the interests of settlbnieut, and had relieved to gome extern, the congested labour market. r i he pry of "confiscation" raised against the Act at first had died away, and people were now offering moro land' thau they enred to accept. The advantages of the Act shou'd ba extended to localities in and near towns. We did not think the Bill would help workmen in cities to get suburban resi euces. To put man in residences without water, light, or sanitary conveuii-riccs would becrue'ty. The only sttisfacioiy way to carry out cuch a schirae would bo for 1119 Government to buy the land anil puc up residences for workmen, and coufiitu tho system solely to workmen employed in c.ties He oi j icted to tha area?, m being too smal for a settler to make a living out cf.

Mr 'Jajlor con idered thi Bill was an t uuADsworablo argument in iavoar of a comprehensive sjstem of locil government, as he considered that the administration of such an Act would be more effective in ihe hands of a local body than by the Government The proposals in the Bill were altogether inadvquate for supplying comfortablo homes lor workmen, but weco in the right direction, and ho recommended that the lines of the Englith Act ■ should be followed if a succcaj were to be made of tho system. Mr Bollard did uot think the Government were in ta p nesl; in providing land for the working men in suburb*, other» wise they would have bt-i-n more liberal in their proposals to that end in tho way of advancing money for tho ereution of such homes.

Mr Hogg was very pleased at the fair criticism the Bill met wilh from both sides of the House. lie consi ured it beyond the i'uuctiou of the t tate to erect residences for workmen ; all that could reasonably be expected was for the Government to offer the land for th purpose. As a country representative, he pointed out that none of (the early settlers had buch opportunities of goiug upon the land under tuch advantageous conditions as now exist.

Mr J. Allen admitted that there was necessity for avquiriog laud in the viciuiiy

of the large towns for the purpose of workmen's home*, but he contended that the Bill before the House failed to offer inducements for that purpose. On its face, a fair market value looked a reasonable thing as a basis of value, bus whafc about people who bought land, say, at £2000 which had fallen to, say, £25U ? Mr Morrison contended (hat the very class that would benefit mo3t by the Bill would be that which had intermittent employment, who could spend their s;>nro time improving the land and making comfortable homes for themselves. Any objections that hid bnen made were merely Committee olj .c.ions. After the telegraph office closed ?Jcrsrs Tauner, Fisher, Flatism, li. '! homuson, and Duncan continued the e'ebate, which was adjourned. The House rose at 12 30