HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 11607, 23 August 1899, Page 3

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Tuesday, August 22.—The Hon tho Speaker took the chair at 2 30 p m Mr Tanner resumed the debate on tho Financhl Statement. After the exhaustive way in which th 9 Statement had been discussed, he did not think he could say anything new of the subject. AdornS nant note on the debate was the desire for more free borrowing and lavish expenditure, but before going in for fui ther borrowing he would like to know how the money was to be expended; and thsy should ask whether the people would stand the further taxation -which further borrowing would necessitate. The Budget also indicated that the Government were feeling their way to larger borrowing, and, while he would oppose an extended borrowing policy like that of 18/6, that nearly brought the colony to ruin, he did not see how they could very well do without a moderats amount of borrowing. Referring to the customs duties he thought that too much money waa rai-ed by that means. Before any reduction was made, however, tLe Hous3 should know exactly its position in regard to the tariff, nnd at any rate he was of opinion that it should nob be tinkered with, bat that the duty on one or two leading articles thould be abolished altogether. He advocated thai; local government and social legislation should receive more attention at the bands of the Government, and urgsd that th 9 Government should give the Homo aa opportunity of expressing its opinion ou the Education question. Mr Sligo contended that when Parlia> ment voted the Government money for specific purposes they should not proceed to spend than money at their own sweet will. Speaking of labour legislation, he claimed that tha late Government should be credited with initiating that class of legislation, and blamed some of the present occupants of the Treasury benches with beiag the cause of prevent* ing such legislation becoming law. With regard to railway construction, he described the Midland Railway as a bire>> faced swindle, and said that it would be a good thing for the colony if the line was handed over to the debenture vholders. The Noith Island Main Trunk Railway he would not oppose, although ha believed it would reduce the average earnicg power of general railways. He approved of reducing the interest to settlers under the Land for Settlements Act and tolocil bodies, but would oppose any concession to Crown tenants.

Mr Joyce was surprised that Mr Sligo had characterised the Midland Railway as a huge swindle. The biggest swindle that hai ever been perpetrated in railways was the Otago Central, which, on account of selfishness, had been diverted from the Oamiru route at an increased expense of half a million. On the railway question he considered the management ot Mr Cadmin had been satisfactory but be condemned the loading placed upon fares and freights on the Lyttelton-Christ-church line. lief erring to the question of Federation, he considered that the Australian Commonwealth was but the prelude to tha formation of a Republic there and a catting of the painter with Great? Britain. He considered that the bfcst attitude New Zealand could assume towards ihs subject was one of refusal to join, but to cultivate reciprocal relations with the Australian Federation. The Hou*e adjourned at 5.30.

On resuming at 7 30,

Mr Crowther continued th 9 debate, saying that up to the present th c debate must have cost the country £5000; and the question ha asked himself was, " What did the country get for it ? ' So that, like tke member tor Avon, he would make Li) speech as short as possible, and so save the time of the House. He was very pleased that only one opinion had been expressed with regard to the necessity of pushing on the railway to Aucks land, and he thanked tho Southern members for the liberal view they took of that subject. There could now be no longer any doubt as to the fate of that line and which of the two routes would be accepted. Auckland members had been twitted wi:h not knowing what they wanted with respect to that line, but he contended that they knew very well, and that wa9 railway communication with Wellington. It was only a fair subject for discu'fion where it wai necessary to make a choice of two routes. He had doubts as to the boasted prosperity oi the country; at any rate he could fiad no evidence of it, and certainly, compared with some years ago, the Post Office Sav.ngs Bank did not show it.

Major Steward did not know which was the worse of two evils, either that there should be so much talk or that I there could be' no Jegia'ation without ! proper discussion, lie thought that had the debate bean properly arranged it 'could have been completed witbiu a week. He congratulated tin-. Government, on tho success of their land policy, and although there was a strong feeling in favour of freehold tenure, there wero objactions to Crown tenants acquiring that touuro, lest there bhould again be an aggregilun of i large estates. With regard to the-pro- | gress of railway*, he thought the Government was ina'<i:ig a great mistake in carrying on the groafc lines so slowly that it would be twenty-five or thirty years beforo they were completed. In the meantime a great loss was caused by loss of interest on capital so far expended in uncompleted lia<B and by. deterioration of work. Tho Auckland line should have been completed years ago ; indeed, there should havo been a through lino from Auckland to the Bluff, via Blenheim and Culvcrden. Tho Otago Central bhould also have been puthed on more vigorously, If the proposal to take the line vu'i Timaru had been adopted, it would have been' running as far as Cl)do ten years ago. If the Government uimo down with a proposal to borrow five millions for those and other lines, ho would approvo of it.

Mr Heko addressed himself principally to an explanation of I is absence f roru the House duriog tho last session, which ho attributes to a desire to ailay excitement amongst the natives at Hokianga consequent upon the demand being made upon iliem for payment of tbo dog tax, and wheu an a r mtd forco was sent ugaitst them. He wa» aIRO the means of Bottling what promised to be a serious tribal dispute and trouble that had aribeu owing to the survey of some land. Concluding, ho declared that since his grandfather lione Hfcko had given in his allegiance to the Queen, no descendant hid over done anything against hor authority. Iteferricg to the IJudgol, ho complain cd that the country north of Auckland had been greatly neglected in the way of public works. He urged that certain reforms

should be made in the native education system, and that technical instruction ■-hould also be given in native schools He advocated assimilatirg native laud laws to" European land laws. Aftor the Tekgiftpb Office closed Mr Meredith advocated that £750,000 ol.tbo proposed million loan should be expended iv completing the main linc3 o£ railways >"n course of construction, but he would oppose an extravagant loan. lie referred to the Assets Realisation Board, contending that tha assets should be realised more promptly. He approvad of federation wiih the Australian Com> monwealtb, but admitted public opinion required educating upon the subject. Tbe debate was adjourned, and the House ro3e at 12 5 a.m.