PARLIAMENTARY.

Timaru Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 3625, 21 August 1901, Page 3

PARLIAMENTARY.

Per Press Association.

WELLINGTON, August 20. LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. The Council met at 2.30 p.m. RETURN MOVED FOR.

A motion by Mr Ormond for a return showing the lands purchased under the Land for Settlements Act, with information as to the nature of the land, how disposed of, rentals, and amounts of advances to settlers, was discussed. The mover adversely criticised the administration of this Act.

The Minister of Agriculture said that large estates must be broken up for progressive settlement. He promised all information in the returns about to be presented.

The motion was talked out, and the Council -rose at 5 p.m.

EOTjTSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

The House met at 10.30 a.m. Mr Guinness took the chair in the unavoidable absence of the Speaker. A QUESTION.

A question was tabled by Mr Flatman, asking the Premier if .he would introduce an amendment to the Workers' Compensation Act, making it clear whether all workers come under -the provisions of the Act. -

LAND FOB SETTLEMENT. The Waste Lands Committee -reported that the Moa Flat estate was not suitable for close settlement. .

Sir T. Mackenzie urged that a great portion of the estate was suitable lor settlement, and if acquired there were many men in the district who would be glad to occupy it. The report was received. FIRST READING.. The Rotorua Town. Council Validation Bill (Mr Duncan) was read a first time. ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS. In reply to questions, it was stated that the • Government would put a sum on the Supplementary Estimates to send a New Zealand rifle team to compete at the next Bisley meeting, and the House could deal with the vote as it liked, so far, however, no application for assistance had been made by tne Rifle Association; that the Government had no intention of giving a monetary or land grant to parents who have six or more children; that the Government had done all they could possibly do in regard to payment of returned members of Contingents, that the accounts of the Fourth and Fifth Contingents were nearly completed, and that a final settlement would be made with the men when the money was received from the War Office, these Contingents being under Imperial pay; in the meantime advances were beicg made to men who were entitled to them; that'the Government favoured cadet corps being taken over by the Education Department, and intended to see that they were properly looked after and rendered efficient; that from information in the possession of the Government, it was necessary to take steps in regard to the trust- that had been formed for the purpose of controlling the flour output of New Zealand, and an opportunity would bs afforded the House to deal with the matter this session; that the Government thought joint repiesntation should be made by New Zealand and the Commonwealth in the direction of securing the strengthening of the Australasian Squadron on the b-isis of the present contribution; that the Government recognised that something will have to bs done in the direction of compulsory acquisition of land for rifle ranges, especially in the centres of population, and the acquisition of a piece of land for a range near Wellington was under consideration by the Government; that the Government were doing the best they could to find employment for returned troopers, but it was difficult- to pro r vide for so many at once, and it was found, too, that some of the men were a little fastidious in the matter of the employment offered them; that no application had been made to the Government for payment of the costs of the Brothers who were acquitted on . the charges in.con-

nection with the Stoke Orphanage, and it was not usual to pay costs in trials of that kind; that there was no necessity to amend the Criminal Code Act in the

direction of increasing the severity, of the punishment for criminal assaults on women and children, as the law gave sufficient

power at present to the Judges to cope with the increase of these offences. The House rose at 1 o'clock. The House resumed at 2.30 p.m. THE HOSPITAL NURSES REGISTRATION BILL. The Hospital Curses Registration. Bill was further considered in committee. Clause 5 was amended to provide that a hospital nurse shall not be entitled to registration, unless at least twelve lectures have been delivered in the hospital in each of her three years residence therin. The I provision that a certificate shall not issue | unless the matron of the hospital is herself a registered nurse was'struck out. Clause 8, providing that the registration of a nurse may be cancelled for misconduct, evoked considerable discussion. The Premier suggested that the clause should provide that any registered nurse convicted of an indictable offence should have her name erased from the register, and any registered nurse proved to the satisfaction of the Registrar and a Stipendiary Magistrate to have been guilty of grave misconduct shall be liable to have her name erased from the register by an Order-in-Council.

This was agreed to, and the remaining clauses passed through committee without amendment.

Mr Hall-Jones moved the following new clause:—"For the purpose of enabling nurses who have had not less than four years' experience as nurses, and who do not come within the foregoing provisions, to be registered under this Act, the Minister may make regulations prescribing the qualifications. or form of examination required, and the fee'to bei paid for the issue of a certificate, which shall entitle the holder tof registration under this Act, pro t vided that no such certificate shall be issued after the 31st December, 1902."

After -considerable discussion the clause was amended on. the Minister's motion to make it also refer to any person who, previous to the coming into operation of the Act, holds a certificate issued by any hospital authority. --...

The clause as amended was agreed to. Mr J. Hutcheson moved a new clause, giving preference of employment in future to certificated nurses in any hospitals under the control of Boards constituted under the Hospitals Act, 1885. The clause was opposed on the ground that the matter could very well be left in the hands of the Boards. Eventually the clause was agreed to on the voices. It was resolved, on the motion of Mr Hall-Jones, that the Act shall not come into operation until the Ist January, 1902. The Bill was reported with amendments, which were set down for consideration next day.

THE LAND FOR SETTLEMENTS BILL. ( The Premier moved that the amendments made by the' Legislative Council in the Land for Settlements Act Amendment Bill be agreed' to with the exception of an amendment in Clause 6, providing that if the Governor determines not to proceed with the purchase, he shall forthwith give notice thereof to the claimant, and thereupon the restriction on- the disposition of the land shall cease to have eifect, and with the exception of a new proviso in Clause 8, to the effect that an applicant may apply in respect of more than one group or subdivision. The motion was agreed to on the voices. THE ADVANCES TO SETTLERS BILL. The Government Advances to Settlers Extension BilJ was committed.

At Clause 2, giving the Government power to raise an additional loan of £2,000,000 for the purposes of the Government advances to settlers, the Premier moved to reduce the amount to £1,000,000, pointing, out that since the Bill passed its second reading, the Agent-General had advised him of the icadvisability of raising a large loan at Home at present.

Air Thomas McKenzie asked whether the Department required £1,000,000. The Premier said yes; it could not do with less. Mr.G. W. Russell contended that- this money was not wanted for the Advances to Settlers Department. A sum of £760,000 was available for the purposes of the Act, and this, together with the sum of probably £150,000, which would be received from the Public Trustee for reinvestment, should carry the Department over this year. This Bill really meant that the Government were asking that a. large sum should be placed in their hands which they could chop and change about as they liked. Captain Russell was strongly of opinion that only £500,000 should be granted. In his opinion the Department had ample money to carry on till the end of the year, and the million was merely wanted to flnar.ee some Department which needed aid. The Premier said that he could not understand any supporters of the advances to settlers system voting for a reduction of the sum below £1,000,000. The Department could not do with less than that. The amount now available would be exhausted by the end of the financial year, and there would be no money to carry on the Department until he could get the consent of Parliament next session to raise further money, and then procure it. He must borrow the money as the market suited. He could not raise it just'at the moment he might want it. Mr Mills said that the Superintendent of the Department estimated that even with £150,000 of repayments he would have only £40,000 available on March 31st next. This was a policy measure, and cothing could stop the advances to settlers' policy. Mr-Meredith • expressed a belief that pri- , vatej.competition would very largely lessen the amount applied for by settlers, and there", was no necessity for such a measure as this.

Mr James Allen contended, that half, a million ai year was ample for the Department.

The Premier said that he was advised that at the beginning of next year there would be a plethora of money on the London market at a rate of interest, and he must have authority, so as to enable him to raise it at the most favourable* opportunity. If the public thought that there was a shortage of money in the Department they would not apply for loans, and the Department would be crippled. The debate was interrupted by the 5.30 p.m. adjournment. The House resumed at 7.30 p.m., in committee on the Government Advances to Settlers Extension Bill.

Further discussion took place on the Premier's motion to reduce the amount of the loan from £2,000,000 to £1,000,000. The Premier said that if private lending institutions lent money at a less rate of interest than the Advances to Settlers Department, it showed that the object of the policy had been achieved. If it became known that the coffers of the Department were empty, private lenders would raise the rate of interest at once. If any proposal was made to reduce the' amount of loan below £1,000,000, he* should- regard it as la no-confidence motion. He would stand no nonsense as far as the Government's financial policy was concerned. If it had not been for the state of the finances and the tightness of the money market more money would have been lent last year. Great care had been exercised in making advances on urban property, but he knew for a fact that more money would ( be lent on that class -of property this year. There was no intention to raise the rate of interest charged on advances to settlers, because this policy had been tha means of reducing the rate of interest in the colony. For a colony like New Zealand, nothing less than a million loan would be looKed at on the London money market, and to apply for a smaller sum would be taken to indicate that there was a weakening, whereas in fact they had not lost a £lO note, and the outlook was bright in the extreme. He ridiculed the idea that he wanted the money to help the Public Works Fund, and remarked that the restrictions imposed on them made such a course impossible. Mr G. W. Russell had been barking up the wrong tree. The amount available on the 31st March last was only £560,000, and loans authorised amounted to about £500,000 a year. Mr G. J'. Smith supported the Premier in his application for £1,000,000, but expressed regret that on such a question he should have raised the question of party. Captain Russell ridiculed the idea of the Premier threatening to make a no-conii-dence motion of a proposal to reduce an amount which he himself had already proposed to reduce by 'one-half. ' The inference from the Premier's remarks as -to advances not being made was that the

money which, should; havei been, for settlers had been taken away and placed to credit of some other account.

Mr G. W. Russell, referring to the no-

confidenca threat, said that he objected to be placed in the position of voting against a policy which he had always supported because he objected to giving unnecessary powers of borrowing to. the Government. He objected to a flick of the Seddonian whip being laid over his shoulders. He gave figures in support of his contention, that with a £500,000 loan the Department would have £1,235,000 for the current year, whereas the amount borrowed last year only totalled £539,000. Mr Hornsby said that he would vote for

£1,000,000, not because he thought it was

altogether required, but to enunciate the principle that the Advances to Settlers' Office was the most important, office in. the whole government -of the country. Mr Collins said that a feeling was prevalent among members that this money was wanted not for the Advances to. Settlers Department, but for some other Department.

Mr Monk objected to these proposals, because they enabled the Government' to borrow at a higher rate of interest than they could lend to settlers, except, at a loss. This was not sound finance. The Premier said that if the Government finance was to be interfered with by irresponsible members they could not with self-respect retain their seats on the Treasury Benches. They could not permit Captain Russell or anyone else to assume responsibility in regard to public finance. Mr James Allen contended that if the Government got this loan they .would have really £1,500,000 this, year for the. purposes of the Advances to Settlers Department.

Sir Joseph Ward said that the opponents of the Bill desired to restrict the operations of the Department, and thus reflect discredit on the Government. The real cause of the opposition to the Premier's proposal was a desire to minimise' the usefulness of the Department. It would be suicidal to go on the London or any other market at the present time, and it was good policy to get money just now in our own country, at 4 per cent., and wait a favourable opportunity to. take advantage of a lower rate . on the Home market.

■ Several other members also spoke. The Premier's motion to strike out " two millions" was agreed to on the voices.

The Premier then moved that the words " one million " be inserted.

To this Captain Russell moved an amendment that the words "five hundred thousand" be inserted. He reiterated that he considered there was no necessity for raising a larger sum than £500,000. The Premier said that the issue was this : Was the Government, which was responsible for the finances of this Department, to lead the House, or was the House to be led by Captain Russell? On a division Captain Russell's amendment was negatived by 43 to 14. The Premier's motion fixing the sffnount to be raised at; £1,000,000 was agreed to on the voices. Mr 6. W. Russell then moved that the proviso of the clause be amended to provide that not more than £500,000 (instead of £1,000,000) shall be raised in any one financial year. _ ■ Lost by 42 to 14. .On the motion of the Premier, the proviso itself Vas struck out. ■

The Bill was then reported with amendments.

The House) rose at 10.35 p.m.