PARLIAMENTARY

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13658, 29 July 1908, Page 6

PARLIAMENTARY

P#r Press Association. LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. WELLINGTON, July 28. The Council met at 2.30 p.m. ADDRESS-IN-REPLY. The Address-in-Reply was conveyed to the Governor. HELPING THE MARRIED. Mr Barr gave notice to move to the effect that the Government; consider the question of devising further practical means of lessening the cost of living now borne by the married workere, so that the rearing of children, may cause less anxiety than at present, and parenthood thereby encouraged. BILL PASSED. The Incorporated Societies' Bill passed through committe with slight amendments. The Council adjourned till 8 o'clock. PASSING SUPPLY. The Council resumed at 11.30 p.m., and received the Imprest Supply Bill from the House. The Bill was passed through all its stages without amendment. The' Council rose at 11.35 p.m. HOUSE OP REPRESTNTATIVES. The House met at 2.30 p.m. THE DAIRY INDUSTRY. Replying to Mr Witty the Minister for Agriculture said that a strong wish on the part of members had delayed the gazetting of the dairy regulations. Now licences would proceed without waiting for the gazetting of new regulations. LOCAL BODIES LOANS. The Premier laid a return on the table asked for by Mr Izard and mentioned tlhat the amount advanced to local bodies by the Public Trustee during 1905-06 was £27,000 and £27,500 the following year. The Government Life Insurance Department advanced respectively in the same years £16,550 and £11,200. The total to date by the Public Trustee was £145,295 and by the Assurance Department £IBO,603. GRANTS FOR WORKS. A debate ensued upon the report by the Public Petitions Committee on the petition for a grant for the improvement of roads in the Otau block, Auckland. The Premier condemned the principle of getting a committee to report favourably ou petitions asking for expenditure on roads, bridges, and railways as absolutely reprehensible. The Government gave every consideration to public works proposals, but would not give precedence to anv recommendation of committee. The presentation of the petition, he declared, gave no superior right to consideration. The applications coming in were far in excess of the appropriations.

Mr Massey disclaimed. any attempt to obtain an advantage. Settlers h*d a right to petition Parliament, and it was the business of members to do their best for their constituents. He contended that all applications for works should go before a commWtee.

Mr Fisher moved an amendment to the effect that all petitions for expenditure of public money be referred to the Government direct. After further debate the Premier said that he never wished to demy the right to petition the House but desired to make it clear that it was unfair to give an impression that by petitioning Parliament the petitions would be specially favoured. Applications for works expenditure should be made direct through the local public bodies or members. Chaos would result if the Government * gave precedence to requests by petitions tfor expenditure. Mr Massey declared that under the present system which was bad and corrupt, thousands of pounds were spent and wasted to ensure political support. Ultimately Mr Fisher's amendment was lost, and the report was ordered to lie on the table. RACIAL DISTINCTIONS.

On the report; of the committee on a request from Taumaranui for a separate school for European children, which stated that it had no recommendation to make, the Hon. Mr Fowlds, replying to criticism, protested against racial distinction being made. The policy of the Department was that as soon as European children attending native schools exceeded the number "of native children, such schools were handed over to the Board of Education. He was strongly opposed to separate schools, holding that the best interests of both races were consulted by bringing the children together in the same schools. The House adjourned at 5.30 p.m. The House resumed at 7.30. INTERCEPTING SUPPLY. On the motion to go into Supply on the Imprest Supply Bill No. 2, Mr James Allen urged the necessity for making adequate provisions for defence. The garrison artillery was without a proper field force, and the coastal defence was valueless. More harbour defences wers* required, and more 6.7 guns. It was the duty of every citizen to help in the defence cf the country, and make himself fit to do eo v Mr Wilford contended that a citizens' army was indispensable, and that quick mobilisation was absolutely necessary. The next war would be fought in European waters. New Zealand's contribution, or proposed contribution, must be in the spirit of a son helping his father. Mr Fisher scathingly denounced the volunteer service as utterly inefficient and valueless. The transport system was quite inefficient and numbers of inefficient infantry corps were kept at the expense of

the artillery, ambulance and transport. Mr Major said that great consternation would be created if the Government came down with a proposal to.spend two or three millions to reorganise and equip the defence forces. . The Premier dissented from the view ot some members that we were at. the mercy of .any foe descending upon our shores. Any foe attacking ur were attacking Great Britain. in view of our smau population such expenditure as that suggested was out of the question, even if the alliance were not renewed, but members overlooked the entente cordiale between Great Britain and France winch indicated the coming together of two oreat nations for mutual advantage. U*> read a letter he had written to the Governor on March 16th to the effect that tiie Government proposed to increase too naval subsidy to £IOO,OOO, as from October Ist next, and that no conditions were imposed as to the situation, of the fleet or the direction thereof by the Admiralty. He reiterated his view as expressed »t 1 Colonial Conference, that the Bnt:t-.u Navy was the strong right arm upon which we had to rely. Public opum.u, he maintained, was not yet ripe lur a. citizen army, any punitive attempt at which would set back the volunteering system for a long period. On the motion to go into Ways ami Means, Mr Massey criticised the finance and borrowing of the' Government,, maintaining that it was improper for the Cto-vei-nment to be stock-brokers. -** to local borrowing, he asserted that when the Premier said he had only borrowed £1,500,000 in the Dominion in five yeans, he overlooked the borowing from the post office at the rate of £500,000 yearly. Mr \la«sey complained of the Government underpaying their best officers who were snapped up elsewhere, instancing among others, Mr Gilrutb. . The Hon. Mr M'Nab said that he had received no communications from the officers of the Department indicating dissatisfaction, and could take no notice of rumours. ■As to Mr Gilruth, he had received no communication from him as to his intended retirement. No officer was indispensable. . , The Premier replied at some lengtn, explaining how conversions are carried out and denying that any loss had been made on these transactions. The motion was carried, and further debate arose on the motion for the second reading of the Bill, which was eventually put through its final stages. SECOND READINGS. The Education Bill, Workers' Compensation Bill, Declaratory Judgments Bill, and Corporations Contracts Bill were read a second time.

BILL PASSED. The Coroners' Amendment Bill passed its final stages. The House rose at 11.45 p.m.