PARLIAMENTARY.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13679, 22 August 1908, Page 6

PARLIAMENTARY.

Ftr Presa Association. LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. WELLINGTON, August 21. The Legislative Council met at 2.30 p. in. THE JONES' ESTATE. Mr' McArdla at the suggestion of the Attorney-General -withdrew life motion urging that- the Government .should .take, action re Mr Joshua Jones' pioperty at Mokau. and eaid that Mr Jontii would approach 'Parliament by petition. CORONERS BILL. The Coroners Amendment Rill passed its second reading. The-Attorney-General intimated--that in committee lie- would move a new clause dispensing with the necessity of the coroner viewing a body where a medical practitioner certified that deceased died iiom an infectious disease* The Council adjourned at 4:45 p.m. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. Tho House met at 2.30 p.mv PRISONS. A discussion on prisons was initiated on tho presentation of the prisons report. Air Laiirensoii said that the prison sys-' tem. ought to be reformed in the directieii of making treatment of prisoners reformative rather than punitive. Mr Poole thought .that prisons should not bo niade so attractive as to ke-.p u. considerable class in them from device. Great discrimination should be -exercised in the class of men sent to the planting camps'. ..! Mr Hemes said that at present dangerous criminate were; sent to these 'camps.'. This ekofild not be allowed. '.' - . Mr E; ~G. Allen was of opinion that it was unfair -to warders to send subjects for medical treatment to prisons. Mr Wilford agreed with the luiit speakeryVaud eaid that the classification of ■criminals., .by a criminal anthropologist was absolutely necessary. The' present system of treating all classes cf criminals alike was unsatisfactory" and 'unscientific. Mr Barclay, Mr Hogg, and Mr Hanan also spoke in the same .strain.^' The Hon. Mr MoGowan, in leply, said that classification was not cfomi. Scientific treatment wa-s a term tho meaning of which was not clear. He would introduce reform in the prison system when desirable reforms suggested themselves. RILL PASSED. The Local Authorities Indemnity Bill passed it's committee was read a third time and passed. COMMITTEE OF SUPPLY. In committee of supply on the.-estimates, claes 13';* Police Department, total vote £173,499. ; . Mr Wilford aiid Mr lard supported the view that the police ehyuld be paid much better wages for the important duties devolving lipon them.

The Hon. Mr MeGowan, eaid that the references; to pay were misleading. Married men. received Is per day house allowance, and ' free clothes; single men wero given free quarters. The voter passed unaltered. On elate 14, Mines Department, total vote £58,650, ' Mr E.G. Allen said that the services of tho director of geological survey were badly wanted in Otago. Other members arked for hie services.; • - The Hon. Mr McUdwaii said that the applications for Dr Bc'll'b Services, would keep biiir' going for-six-Vr seven years.The geological survey-must' ba proisecuted. He refused to allow Dr Bell or any other Government geologist- to be used as- a. mining expert by .speculatoiK. ' Gold-min-ing was speculative, and should be carried on only by private enterprise.

Mr Hcrries and Mr E. 6. Allen said that the staff of the Geological Survey Department should be increased to meat the requirements of the industry. The vote passed unaltered. The House adjourned at 5.30 p.m.. and resumed at 7-30 paii. Glass 15, Department of Internal Affair*-, total vote £120,061. Some 'discussion took place regarding the printing of the. electoral rolls, objection being N taken to the new system, of printing the Tolis in Wellington instead of in each electorate as formerly.

Mr J. Allen moved to reduce the vote by £1 to test the feeling of the Houfce. The Prime Minister said that everything possible had been done to make tU° rolls perfect. If members wanted to go back to the old -system of striking the names of non-voters off the rolls let them do so, but the new system had! been adopted to get over, many' difficulties. He quoted figures to show the reduction in '.cost of preparing the rolls. The motion was lost by 35 to 16. . On the vote fur the High- Conuuiisionship Sir J. G. Ward said Le would keep in view the moving '■ of the offices to a more central position in London. : (Left sitting at 2 a.m.)