PARLIAMENT.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 12975, 30 September 1905, Page 3

PARLIAMENT.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 29. The Council met at 2.30 p.m. The Properly Law Amendment Bil passed its final stakes. The Electoral Bill was received frou the Lower House and read a first time HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. The House met at 2.30 p.m. The Methylated Spirit 1 Bill (Hills] was read a first time. The Agricultural Committee recommended that tho Noxious Weeds Act Amendment Bill receive consideration this session. With regard to a petition for ail alteration iin the present system of valuation the Public Petitions Committee reported as follows :— "That the Committee is of opinion that in order to secure greater satisfaction in valuation the Government be recommended to have competent men employed to make valuations, and that one of the assessors , comprising tl'« Assessment Court' be appointed by the local authority having jurisdictioA in the district affected." In the course ■of a lengthy discussion Mr Taylor complained that land in thje South Island was consistently undervalued, and that >he revenue of the colony was thereby deprived oi thousands of pounds in land tax. He knew of land in the South that had been valued at 35s per acre that should have been assessed at £7 cr £8. If the land was properly, valued the" taxation through tl!e Customs could be reduced to a considerable extent. ' The Hon. C. H. Mills said that all complaints received by the Department were that valuations were too high and not too low. He defended the valuers and- said their valuation was honest and fair in all cases .according to their lights. It was easy to make a general complaint about undervaluation, and the member for [Christchurch should have given spoci"fic instances. . '• !, Mr Laurenson gave^ sevcl-al instances in which there was a great ditference between the actual value and the I'and tax value. . Several! other members also took part in the discussion. At 5.10 p.m. Mr Kidd moved "The' previous question," with a view of closing the debate. Mr Massey protested against the application of the closure in a case 'A this kind. Sir Joseph Ward said he was opposed to this system of gagging the House. Personally he was against the closure altogether, and the Government did not put up the Whip (Mr Kidd) to move the previous question. Under ' the circumstances Sir Joseph asked Mr Kidd to withdraw his motion, but Mr, Kidd said he had' no intention of doing so. The moving of the "Previous question" having closed the debate, tho report of the' Committee was, by £4 votes to 9, ordered to lie on the table and ibe referred to the Government for favourable consideration. The House adjourned at 5.30 p.m. The Houdc resumed at 7.30 p.m. The Property Law Bill was received from tho Legislative Council, and read a first time. ' The House went into Committee of Supply foi further consideration of tho Estimates.. The first taken was tho Department of Agriculture, total vote £112,770. -, Sir .William Russell asked whether anything had been done in regard to tho introduction of the natural enemy of the codlin moth whjch hud been a great success in / California. Mr Massey did not think, the Department had been sufficiently enterprising in this matter. If iho colon} could get rid of the codlin moth ho believed they would be able to export many thousands of tons of apples annually. Hon. T. %. Duncan said the natural enemy of tho codlin moth was* beingexperimented with in Califovoia and New Zealand had been, in •louimuiii'jation with that State gn tho subjitfl. A reply had been received that the work of rearing the insect was very difficult and expensive, but that it was hoped later on to cupply Now Zealand with ten or a dozen <:olonicts of the insect at a cost of £1000. Mr Harding hoped the Minister would not -hesitate , to pay that price for several colonies of the insect, and he would have the support of the whole country. Mr Kifkbridc urged the Governmen to lend its assistance to the fruit can ning industry. Mr Massey complained of the Depart ment's attitude in connection with th< payment of compensation for th< slaughtering of diseased stock. Mr Duncan said that when th slaughtered animal was only slight!;

diseased compensation %was paid, but when badly diseased no compensation was paid. N - In reply to Mr Alison, Mr Duncau said the Government was prepared in j a reasonable way to assist - fruit- j growers to establish fruit-preserving j factories, but the growers must do something for themselves by forming co-operative companies. The Government would be prepared to lend mouey on shares in connection with a eo-opprativc fruit-preserving venture. Mr Massey pointed out that there was uo provision in the law for lending money in this way, and he hoped legislation would be passed this session to enable the Minister to do what he had suggested. Replying to members who had urged that n.ore fruit experts should be appointed, Mr Duncau said it was too early to secure a high-salaried Californian expert. They had to get the industry into order first. The Government intended to 'find out in what districts the best fruit could be grown. A motion by Mr H'awkins to reduce the vote by £1, as an indication that the duty should be taken off Australian crops, was lost by 31 to 19. • Mr Vile moved to reduce the item "estimates of dairy schools £1000" by £1 as an indication that this work o** establishment be begun at one* —Lost by 30 to 23. Mr Ell moved to reduce the vote by £1 as an indication that the duty on potatoes should be removed. — Lost ■by 37 £o 9. The total vote fpr the Department of Agriculture passed unaltered. Pplice Department, £133,206.— 1n re- [ ply to Mr Massey, Hon. J. McGowan said he would lay ■> the evidence taken before the Police Commission on the table, probably within a week. ■ After the telegraph office dosed th« votes for Valuation Department, accncry Preservation. Account, Land for Settlements Account, and Government. Advances to Settlers Office were passed unaltered. This finished the Consolidated Estimates. Progress was reported, am' the House rose at 2.20 a.m.