PARLIAMENTARY.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIIC, Issue 14238, 2 July 1910, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY.

P*r Preas Association. j , LEGIBIiATIVE COUNCIL. WELLINGTON, July llu the Council in the a.fternoou the. <]fbat» on the AtMxoss-iti-.Repb" writ; continued by Mr Paul., and i\tr Sinclair, and then adjourned until Monday. ! HOUSE OF KJBPIIJiiSIONTA'riVKS. , The House met tit 2.30 p.m. ! ADDHESS-IN-REPL x. | Mr Macdonaid moved the Addrese-Sn-Reply., After reference to tb« death of the King and members of Parliament, he said that the Government was entitled to some credit for a return of prosperity after the depression and their eiiorts to procure cheap monoy would be helpful to settlers. He thought Crown lands should he thrown open on the optional tenure and hoped a. vigorous land policy would be pursued and unproductive lands be brought into use. The ' pit ce-aurfe in connection with native lands required simplification and ho regretted that greater celerity had not been shown in throwing open native ! lands for settlement. Ho considered ' that the rating ori grazing runs was quite inadequate m many cases. The i small runs ought to be placed on the 1 fame footing as freehold lands. More i stringent meaeures. were required to cope with noxious weeds. He advoj ctited setting aside special areas ior j settlement by railway co-operative j workers without competition.

Mr Crai«io in seconding the l.otion touched briefly on the question of the conservation of Water power which presented great potentialities. He approved of local government reform in the direction of decentralisation. The relief of parents was a rational question and money would be better spent in this direction than in immigration. In land tenure he atlI yocak-d the leasehold pur© «>irt simpi© |as offering greater facilities for the (people to go on the land on Cpiitwhsi' [lines. | Mr Massey coinplimc-n.'.-'-I l)<>tli speakers on their solid and sensible speeches.. He controverted the assertion that the renewed oros jfity vas due to the Government. It was du« to the fact that -.nr primary [ • cci.ce was fetching hotter prices. lift _ contemned morning the roar's atrJ Jopartmettfe hi to .uc works depart went which caused i.roaole »nd v> > tjou to settlers. While supporting sinking funds in principle, Ihe "rs' 1 - tice of providing -horn. tut of o\ id money was not ! hi the and question he said 4hat lii'-rj i.ii his s-de would tjivo- others a ."lub j to ti u ireehokl which they thou ,v. ssoisfd. He was unable to 'i >d a smalts prcijxisal' in the .speech by which th>i Uovernjnent would itaud or ia'l. Ail contained reservations whereby they could be altered to rnit the opinion of I the House, water j> wer | conservation the lovjr i njit's pi.-l'cy I was a doj; in the mauler cne o.kl tje- \ trimental to the lVtsrosts of the ''o- | minion. If a local (.c.-ernijent Bill i, would aid local bodies hnan.-ing their works, it would receive his hearty sup j port, It should be brought down early in order to give the County Council Conference an opportunity of considering it. The increased taxation of last session should be The Opposition wanted a progressive and policy and the greatest mistake 'lie Government made was in setting

apart Crown lands as national endowments. These ought to be sold and money invested in town lands. The only solution of the native land problem was to give natives similar rights to Europeans in dealing with their lands. He hoped that matters connected with the working of the railways would be improved. During the session the bookmakers clause of the Gaming Act should be repealed. !. .The House rose nt 5.30 i Mr Ngatu resumed the debate in the evenin'g. He said that Mr Massey's policy was to blow soap and bub- ; bles which invariably burst. In fif- • teen years w> to 1909 about half the j total niNsa of native lands had been • sold chiefly to the Crown. In two ' months since thev altered the proce- ' iuro connected with native lands the i transfer of 300.000 !a«ree had been dealt with by the Court. Sinoe last' . session 438.664 acres had been survey - : ed and £20.000 allocated foT the work : of survey which was proceeding in tho ! North .Island. He went on to trace the history of native land settlement ! and the difficulties connected tlierej with and paid a tribute to the -pork done by tho Hon. Mr Carroll. I Prveeohes were also made by Mr E. i'H. Taylor, Mr Dive, and Mr Poole. , j The 'House adjourned at 10.35 pm.