HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Taranaki Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 13204, 30 June 1906, Page 3

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

The H«use mot at 2.30 p.n>. Leave of absence for the remainder of 'the session was 'granted to Sir J . G. Ward) and Messrs McNab, Kaihau, Aitken, Bollard, and Fowlds. The Premier, in moving, explained his position, namely that he holds office till Sir Joseph Ward returns. An adjournment, ho thought, would be necessary till the 14th August, and lie would undertake that the House would meet some day between the 14th and 21st. The Address-in'-Reply was moved by Mr Millar, and seconded by Mr Baume, both of whom took the op l>o£tiinity to deliver eulogies of the late Premier. The address was adopted without division, or further comment. ! The Public Revenues Amendment Act, ' enabling imprest supply to be granted, was road a first time, and the H o uee adjourned till 4.16, to enable members 'to peruse same. On resuming, the Premier moved the second reading of the Rev-enues Bill, explaining that its provisions were dosigned to provide an authority to enable the pufblie oxpondli'ture to bo met during 1 the period of adjournment. It moreover -enabled certain increases to be matJe in i>\w railway service, a© proidded laajt year (by repairing an unintentional legislative omission!)!,, and it jrovides for necessary transfers to tlia Public Works Funds, and makes provi don for for the Ohristchurch Exhibition. Wr Wa&Zey thought the position rery different now. By ladjounning, ihe Efouse'is^ asked to declare that ttiere s only dne-ni'anin the ' House able to >arry an "the business. He thought jhere wrap© , several on his side, and he ivould undertake to pick two without sxhaustin-g the roll. (Laughter). He ros farced to admit ihat Sir Joseph Yard 'had- -the best right' of anyone to ho Prenidership, but as he is absent, ?arliamen>fc. Ire thought, ought 'to go m with the business as 'there was nuch to be 'done. He referred to the ►royiiion for the Christchurch JBxhibiion, 1 the finances, the private uicsiu* era* work, the revivion of the tariff, vntd ithf* setting up of the oomm'ijttees. for the first nine weeks the Governrvent usually only had two days of very week. Had an adjournjment of wo or throe weeks been asked for, lo objection would have been raised. Ie feared -that the adjo'uran. ent would adefinitely. postpone tariff revision. Ie was 'disappointed at the silence of he Governor's Speech regarding the 'elattions witih Australia. Be wanted, n view of the fall of interest evoryifber'e, to - see the rate of interest an ocal bodies' loans lowered at once. Ie would like to see the lamd question ettled iihia year. He referred' with andous- mmd -to th© "Valuation Departnent, jjrotestin'g against the "dieterimiLation evident to raise every possible foillin'g of, land tax. H<e hoped for the rarlier production . of iihe Public Acjoun'ta,. aai improvemeii't he would at ,h« proper time insist upon. Coming >ack' to.vtbe. Bill, he "tbought that nor*G money waß asked for than was iecessary vf'-'v f '-' that clause 4 seemed to th©w< t'b^b- the direction of "thie IHouse ast yea*: to pay £700,000 over to the Public W'Qrk-s >'und ha-d 'been ignored. Be did n^t abject to granting the adournmetiti and he would not obstruct, jut he ;®)Aw a imagnificont opportunity 'or a ustofiil session, and be regretted it ivias noi,\-io bo embraced. OHx Wi^prd (Hutt) advised an alterition of ."detail so as to enable thg leei i sions"bf tho Howse last year regarding .tilie 1 . minimum wage of 8/- in the railway service to be fully paid all round" during the current year. A, thing, h>; said, that is not being ione now. Mr Alien (Bruce) .thoaight more papers were - Required to justify the requiretneiits of the Bill, and criticised the finances as shown in th«Bublic Acoountji.; .Mt Herries (Bay, of Plenty) dealt with the- clause devoted to the 'Maori people; iand touched on the Wativo policy • of- the •jGovernment, which he criticised" for dtlatoriness in the appointineni of the Board. Referring to the Public Works Fund he congratulated -th£ Government on the increas- 1 vigour" tney had put into that part of their ''policy, 'but asked how the fund i«;*o stand- the strain if that vigour- ?»v to be maintained. / The 'premier, in reply, threw rk)icule on "-Che enormous amount of these demand*: as contrasted with the abort time to , attend to tbean. He ag|aiii pointed out the need for the time asked -for; and promised if it were granted : to see that all Bills wew prepared; all account were ready, amc jhat everything was in order. Foi his part- he hated long sessions. Ther^ was in- his opinion, no need for an?, session .to la«t more than three months," and he thought the, coun try would be better satisfied. Whci the tariff came to lie ' considered an omalies . ought to be the firsto 'get attention. As to loca OovernnVent a brand new Bil wa'« •on tWel stocksi— 'brand . new «tock,. lock", and barrel. 'With regar< to loans' to local bodies 1 the itateres was now down to 3^ per centum. Th land -question would be dealt wit! early (laughter), also the vailuatioi question- As to finance the pre s«ftit O^oaial Treasurer was goin

t« have sound and safe finance. About 1 the transfers to the Public Works Fund, the bill only enabled the present practice to go on, as would be seen by taking in detail at convenience the money appropriated in globo by the House. He detailed Ihe state of the ' Public Works Fund, there was a credit balance on Match 31st last of £492,000, or less advances in the hands of o|flsoersi amounting to £66,520, -there waa a balance of £426,000. The receipts from April Ist to June 27 (Wednesday) were : from loan? £118,800 ; transfers from the Consolidated Fund, £250,000- •total £368,860, making a total credit ol £794,000* since March 31st. The expenditure was £488,333 leaving- a credit balance of £306,000. I A voice : "Do you consider that sufficient." Mr Hall-JonesH a Il- Jones : "Yes, T do, became tnere is another £300,000 availabk' by clause 10 of 'this Bill, enablitvj; j that sum to be transferred from tin* surplus of the Consolidated Revenue." The Bill was road a second ti:.. ■ on the voicos unanimously, and p.i - ed all tho remaining stages. By 6 o'clock -the House a'djourni d for dinner.