PARLIAMENTARY.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIIC, Issue 13715, 3 October 1908, Page 6

PARLIAMENTARY.

Par .Pnsi Anodxthm. .•LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. WELLINGTON, October 2. The Council met .at 2.30 p.m. , SECOND" BALLOf. -" The report of the conference of manaam of fao»h Hows" on the amendments .}.§TMh« Second Ballot Bui were agreed ' ' ISP ANTS. • The Infant* Amendment BiU was read a. first tiff M> x Tamendments agreed to. , The .niendmente made by the House :* to the Justices of the Peace Act Amend- -... mernV B£H and Harbours Act Amendment .^^•^e^ence. - The Defence Act Amendment Bill was '- nod '■ a Mccodr time. The Bfll propose* to re* the power of dtenam&» volunteer for disobedience or aweonduct ia the band* of the Council ' of Defence acting on the recommendation " of the officer commanding the duunct, , after enquiry by him. The power to - disrate nosvccimfasioiied officer* is to ie- . ■ jaua as at present with the officers com- • mandmg the district. The Bffl also pro- :' pose* to admit equipment* for officers of the defence forces free. . The Bui wae put thronga read a third time, end passed. , BILLS PASSED. The GoTernmeni Advances to Settkrs BflL Immigration Restriction Act Amendment BuT, and the 1 Palmerston Korth Dairr- School Reserve Bill, were read a aeeond time, put through committee, and •The Local Bodies Loan* Act Amendment KB, Wsipuka Block Bead Vesting Bfll, were put through ell their stages and passed. BODIES LEASES. - The Public Bodies Leasee BiU was pot through committee with an . amendment if.«frW the Bill peruussive; the Bill was reported a* emended* and the third readBig- set down for Monday. The Council adjourned at 5 pjn. till ' 21 aan-.on Monday. " HOUSE OP-REPRESENTATIVES. The House met at 2.30 p.m. OLD SOLDIERS. The. Public Petitions Committee reported* #*»«*•- it'had no recommendation to make, respecting the several petitions of veterans praying* for recognition. Several members urged that old soldiers should granted * further opportunity to e*<»m»»t> their claim*, many not having.been aware of the last commission. It was pointed out that a! very regrettable feature ot our "«* ; "f»" character was our disregard for those who in years gone by had fought our battles. It was urged that magistrates should be instructed to investigate these claims a* they do claims for old age pensions. The Premier in replying stud that everyone was desirous to do what was right by .the old soldiem who had fought for &tw Zealand in the past. In 26 years SO fees than five commissions had been appointed to investigate claims, and bad trarsQed all over tbe> country, and it was remarkable that in a very short time after each of these commissions had reported, sv fresh batch of claims came forward. The Government were quite prepared to deal is; » proper way with all legitimate claims, bat he did not think the. magistrate* should deal with them, nor did be think there should be another coram is■too. . The* Government would coasiuer she settlement of these claims once for ail during the recess. 1 PUBLIC WORKS ESTIMATES. The Bouse then went into committee on the Public Works Estimates. At class 2»—Railways, £1,250,000, a number of South and North Island member* urged the construction of branch lines. The Minister said that the Government were not justined in carrying on many of the smell titxa urged. The others would be pushed on in one course. Toe House then adjourned till 7.30 p.m. The Committee of Supply resumed at 7.30 p.m. Replying to Mr Guinness the Minister •aid the Xgahere-Blackball railway would be completed by January or February. Mr Guinness said that his constituent* would surely have a bonfire to-morrow to celebrate such good news. He thanked the Minister. Mr Thomson said that the debate; showed that the member* were playing a game of grab in which in spite of the profeijjens on other occasion*, they nhowed a regard neither for the Minister of Finance nor for the welfare of the country. He then proceeded to enumerate the want* of hie own cocstituent*. and concluded with a condemnation of what be called political hypocrisy. The Hon. Mr Hall-Jooe* siut that no doobt at this time memberu were well ad vised ja asking for all sort* of things for their constituencies, but he had to do the beet possible with the money at hu com maad ia the inter**** wfthe Dominion _n * whole. The vote passed At public buildings, £292,45?. the Miu titer, replying to Mr Hemes laid that the Hem £SOOO for old parliament ni the amount payable for the cancel. latioa of the contract for addition.'', together with the materials taken over from the contractors as a result of the tire The vote passed unaltered. Lighthouses, £17^600.— Pared ur.iltered. Toutiit md health pemnU, £35,00(7.

Mr A. L. D. Fraser protested that this expenditure was a pure waste of money, only benefiting hoteikeepers. - The Hon. Mr McGo wan'pointed out that Rotoroa belonged to the State, as did also Te Aroha. The expenditure.was justified, and had been more than repaid. The rote patted unaltered. •'.*'

Immigration, £IO,OOO. -," Considerable discussion took place regarding the class. Several -members eaid • that New Zealand only wanted agricultural labourers, but many were not tit for •hat work. . The Hon. Mr McGowan quoted figures. to show that the immigrants brought capi- ' cal with them.' He said (hat some mistakes occurred, but ' every care ■ was adopted in selecting agisted immigrants. Mr Tanner said that lots of waiters and the industrial scum of England were "shot out on the wharves here, to take down the first confiding idiot they came ncr'as*. de did not bay that these' were "assisted anmigrants," but still they aimt* here. After some farther discok-ion the vote passed unaltered. ■> , . • Roads and bridges, £601,000. Mr Herries pointed out that there was a reduction ot £170,000 on the general class for main roads. The vuunted £150,000 for back block roads was, therefore, not extra at all. Many roads appearing as back-blocks roads this year appeared a>> ordinary roads last year . The, rote passed unaltered. All. the other classes passed without debate and progress was reported. REVENUE RETURNS. The Premier gave the following particulars of the revenue for the past six cnlar* of the rvvvnnSe for th)» past 6 months—(Figures in brackets are for the same period hut vear) —Customs, £1.404,381 (£1.544.314);" stamps, £709,050 (£718,511); land and income tax £21,094 £14,851); beer dutv, £51,639 (£47,947); railways. £1.292,631, (£1.215,030); regit*ration and other fees, £51,300 (£50,641); marine. £20,499' (£19,299); cellaneous, £108,497 (£92.749); territorial revenue, £110,542 (£116,926); total. £3,829,641 (£3,829.304); increase £337. The Prime Minister said that in view of the concessions m Customs and other items, this was very satisfactory. The House adjourned at 1.15 am.