PARLIAMENTARY.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 11603, 18 August 1899, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NEW

ZEALAND.

HOUSE OP REPRESENTATIVES. Thobsday, August 17.— The Hon. the Speaker took the chair at 2 30. Mr J. Hutcheson gave notice to ask what steps the Government would take to provide for the widows of the men killed by the explosion at Mabnuga Bty. Replying to questions, Ministers said that thore was already an Act upon the Statute Book giving the Government power to enter into reciprocal arrangements with tho proposed Australian Federation ; that before the inland penny post could be established (which would involve reduction in the rovenua of £70), the matter would have to be considered in relation to the Customs dutietj, a committee to revise which would be set up ; that the Government would be no party to denominational or religious education in schools, and that the attention of the Wanganui Education Board would be called to tho reader recently introduced into schools thoro, contaiuinn lengthy scripluru lossons ; that tho question of compensating butchers who had meat condemned after being killed would h quiz e consideration;

that an amendment will be made in the Factory Act in the direction that stokers •md firemen employed in freezing works, •-lectiic light works, and gas works should oot be required to work more than six daj-3 a week, or its equivalent ; that 'Ministerial" tiavolling allowances was a misnomer, and that Ministers bad only drawn the statutory 30s per day while absent from Wellington. Tbe House adjourned at 5 30. On resuming at 7 30, Mr FishT resumed ths debate on the Financial Statement. He characterised die debate as the most dreary he had ever listened to, and suggested, ironically, that an independent accountant should be ippointed to examine and report on the Statement, as the criticisms that had been levelled at ii by some members Bimplv made confusion worse confounded. I' bad been characterised as a Statement that had been prepared for electioneering purpose", and that it was a bribe, but his opinion was that it was the hardestheaded and closest-reasoned Statement that had* been put before the House since that by Sir Harry Atkinson in 1878; and contained ample evidence of the soundness of the contention as to the prosperous state of the colony. It was clear that there was a surplus of £261,667. Opposition members had stated that it waa bad finance to have a surplus, but one of the greatest economical writers of the day bad wiitten that a constantly recurring surplus was evidence of good financing, and with that opinioa he agreed. Mr Missey said there was no doubt that the Statement was Jiffieult to o iticise. If the proposals were carried out a« proposed, it would enlail further borrowing to thß extent of £2,000,000. The colony had been lately in the contemptible oosition of living almost entirely upon borrowed money. He blafaed the Govern-> ment for their policy of promising anything so long as they could retain th< ir seats on the Treasury benches. He quite agreed wilh the proposal to reduce the rate of interest under the Advances to Settlers and Land for Settlements Actp, but if a reduction was to be made it should apply all round, aud not to the comparatively well off settlers, who could afford to pay promptly. Referring to the land question, he declared for people being allowed the option of freehold if they so desired. He condemned the labour laws enacted during the last few rears as btiug the cause of the falling off in the export of manufactures; that falling off was a most serious thing, and warranted the appointment of a Royal Commission with a view to finding a remedy.

Mr Wilson said the majority of the criticisms against the Statement were of a tnperficial character, but the fact that ihe surplus existed had not been shaken. He was a believer in_the Government carrying out a progressive policy, and urged that the amount proposed to be borrowed thould be- increased, so that the main lines of rai'way would be pushed on more vigorously, tie condemned the obstinacy of the Premier in persisting in his refusal to grant tin A.ount Cook (prison) site for Victoria College, and hoped the narrow* minded view taken by him on the subject would give way to a higher one.

After the telegraph office closed, Mr McLean condemned the Government for tbe small amount of encouragement given towards the development of the East Coast, despite nhich the district had progressed. He advocated native lands being placed on a better footing, which would prove advam'ageous <qually to the natives and the colony.

Mr Kaibau considered that the amount proposed to be borrowod was too small, and urged that it be increased to three million?, and included amongst works to be undertaken should be the railway from Puketapu to Waiuku in bis distiict.

The debate was adjourned, and the Housarose.