PARLIAMENTARY.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIC, Issue 13448, 21 November 1907, Page 6

PARLIAMENTARY.

Per Press Association. WELLINGTON. November 20. LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. The Council met at 2.50 p.m. PURE MILK. In reply to Mr J. Marshall, as to whether it was the intention of the Government during the recess to take into consideration the question of a. S\ate mi.k supply, the Attorney-General said thai, it was to be regretted that the supply of milk in some of the ciiies was not nearly so clean as it ought to be. The Government were appointing a number of inspectors to eee that cows were healthy, and that byres were kept properly clean. Wide powers weie given under the .ie of Food and Drugs Act, and jf municipalities would do what seemed to be their plain duty, and the provisions of the —ct referred to were judicially tired, a great deal of good would be accomplished. NATIVE LAND. Mr Ormond moved for a revision of the return presented to the Council last year giving particulars relating to the area of unproductive native land in the North Island "sritli the object of ascertaining the areas occupied and unoccupied and productive, D 3 well as a statement of the blocks that had been alienated sinco the return was made. Mr Macdona'd seconded the mo l , ion.

The Attorney-General read a letter from the Under-Seretffry for Lands, showing that the leturn* asked for would necessitate the employment of 50 or 60 surveyors and rangers (who would be required to visit each block), until next session. The expense alone would be prohibitive. Dr Findlay, however, undertook to have the exiting return brought up to date. Tho motion wcg withdrawn. THE COUNCIL GIVE WAY.

The Council agreed net to insist on one of its amendmen s to the Public Health Act Amendment Bill which the House had •disagreed with. • HASTY LEGISLATTOIC.

Seveial members protested against- the baste-with which local Bills were rushed through yesterday. The Attornev-General admitted that Mr Wigram. who inade the protest, was lignt, but the complaint was an t'.nnual one, and in the prteent condition of ihings seemed to be unavoidable. The same thing had occurred under successive ~overmnents for the past 40 years. What was the remedy? Was ib not a Bill lor the ieform of "the House of Representatives, where the deUvy took place. Local Bills having been passed, the Council adjourned till 7.30 p.m. THE PUBLIC SERVICE.

On resuming at 7.30. the Public Service Superannuation 831 was general.y supported bv members. • Mr Jenkinson said it paved the way for private employers to do likewise. In the course of his reply, the AttorneyGeneral said that the omy member of the Government who deserved congratulation was the Premier. From first to last and in every way the Bill was .Sir Joseph Ward's." and "it was due to him to reca'.i that right through his "public careei he " had striven in some way to provide for these who had served the dominion as faithful servants. ' Sir J. Ward-had be~n responsible for the pos; and telegraph superannuation fund, and the railway superannuation fund, and now this . Bill, the coping ctone, was due to him. .The Bill was read a second time on the voices, and committed. Mr Jenkinson suggested that the renting allowance in any cas-s should be limited to £3OO per annum. If this were 'done it would be better for the lower

grades. " The Attorney-General pointed out tha: tbe amount at stake, if spread over the lower grades, was so infinetismal that it -was hardly worth considering. Mr Jenkinson did not persist with his suggestion. "•...„. Clauses 1 to 39 were passed with machinery amendments. Progress was then reported. BILLS PASSED. The Stock Act Amendment Bill. Packet Licenses Bill, and National Endowment Bfll. were passed. BILL DROPPED. The Attorney-General announced that the Judiciary Bill would not be proceeded with this session, and moved for the discharge of the order for the second reading. The Council rose at 9.d0 p.m. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. The House met at 2.30 p.m. REPLIES TO QUESTIONS. In reply to questions. Ministers stated That when the Manawatu Railway h acquired a reorganisation of the system of stations will be necessary in connection therewith, and it is intended if possible to make provision for trains going to the eide of the ferry steamers. An endeavour would h- mack' to icaugura e the checking of luggage of poisengcio who travel by train and ferry buat berwcea " the two islands. That the holidays granted -to tlte milway staff on Dominion Day. labour Day. and King's Birthday are being paid for as a full dav in each care. That so far as is known, none- of the stamps issued i-rome ycam ago o:i whirh the word " Wakitipu" way wrongly spelled have been Fold by the High Commissioner since 1£93.

J MINISTERIAL STATEMENT. 1 The Premier, in reply to Mr Gray, said | that they ought to be able to get the i business of the session done by Saturday j evening. The Bills he proposed to go 011 | ivith were:—Native Land Settlements, | Gaming and Lotteiies, Government Rail- | ways Department Classification, Chrjsti church Drainage Act Amendment, Water j Supply Act Amendment, Railways Autno- ! risation, Shops and Offices Act Amend- | ment, Fire Brigades, and Animals Proi tection Bill. The contentious clauses in ; the latter Bill -would be dropped, j NATIVE LAND SETTLEMENT, i The House went into committee (in the * Native Land Settlement Bill. Clause 3, as reported from the Native Affairs Committee, provides tha!; only land already reported on by the Commission shall be subject to the Act. Considerable discussion took place on the clause. The Minister opposed the clause as reported, and moved to bring k back to the original form by proposing that the land dealt with in one year alter lbs passing of the Act should be subject to the Act. Mr Massey and Mr Okey opposed the Ministers motion, and uiged that the operations of the Act should b9 limited to land already reported on by the Commission.

Ihe Minister's amendment was carried by 29 to 14. Mr Heke moved another amendment to the same clause, to provide fhat- land coming under should only be disposed of by way of lease and not sale or leases as proposed in the Bill. The amendment was rejected by 37 to> 11, and the e'laizee as amended was passed on tho voices. Mr Heke moved to strike out subclause 2 of clause 6, under which a Maori is given full poweis of tes'.am-entary disposition.—Lost on the voices. On the motion of the Minister a new clause, 7a, inserted by the committee—- '" The board is empowered to inquire into any equitable claims with Tespeco to euch land, and to deal with such claims as it may think fit, snbject to the consent of the Native Minister," was struck out by 41 voles to 10. The House adjourned at 5.30 p.m. The House resumed at 7.30 p.m. At clause 11 Mr Heke moved an amendment to provide .that surplus native lands shall be set apart for leasing only and not for sale and leasing as provided in the clause.—Lost- by 34 to 14. At clause 16 which provides that all lands set apart, under tlie Bill for sale shall be sold by public auction or public tender, Mr Davey moved that the clause bs struck out and the ballot system substituted. He urged that th-'s should ba adopted ns dear 'land retarded settlement and prevented a poor man taking up land. Mr Barber disagreed with Mr Davey in this case as the- land Avas the property of natives who were entitled to get as much money as possible for it. Whilst agreeing with the ballot- system in regard to Crown lands he was opposed! to it in this case. '

Negatived by 45 votes to 3. At clause 25 wiiich provides that- the purchaser of land is entitled to obtain a transfer in five years of the fee isimple, Mr Witty moved" an amendment to increase the period to seven years.—Rejected on the "voices. Clause 33 subsection la which provides that the amount expended an making surveys etc. shall be subsidised out of moneys appropriated bv Parliament, out of the Public Works Funds to lCs in the £ was amended on the motion of the Minister bv striking out the words "to the extent of 10s in "the £." At clause 50 the native affairs committee had struck out the provision giving the Governor-in-Council power to authorise the beard to continue negotiations already entered into. On the motion of the Minister the provision was reinserted. Clause 57 empowers the board to cell to the Crown at a price to be agreed upon between the board and the Governor-in-Council any land vetted in the board by virtue cf the Act. Mr Massey moved to strike out the, clause but it was retained' by 38 votes tig 19 votes. At clause 56 which empowers the board to act as agents for Maori owners Mr Kaihau called for a division. The clause was retained by 45 votes to 7 votes. Mr Ngata moved a new clause providing that a lesee with the consent of the board may borrow money for the purpose of farming, stocking or improving land.—Agreed to on the voices. Mr Ngata moved another new clause to provide that the board may use money by way of mortgage on security of any land for owners of which such board i.« registered as agent.—Negatived en the voices.

The Bill with amendments was reported and the Minister moved the third reading.

After a ihort debate, the Bill wars read a 'third time and passed. The Hou.-e rose at 2 a.m.