PARLIAMENTARY.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIIC, Issue 14282, 24 August 1910, Page 7

PARLIAMENTARY.

HOUSE OF ItEBRESENTATi V ES. Per Press Association. "WELLINGTON, Aug. 23. The House met at 2.3U p.m. CHAIRMAN UK COMMITTEES. Sir J. G. Ward moved that Mr Colviu be appointed Chairman of Committees. Mr Colviii had been eleven years a member of parliament and had occupied .several positions on local bodies on the West Coast and served on every public body in the Buller district successfully, lie was, therefore, well <|iialilied for the position of Chairman of Committees. Sir AY. J. Steward expressed surprise that lie had not been selected by the Government for the position seeing that be was the oldest member of the party and had formerly been Chairman of Committee. Mr Massey moved to substitute Mr Eraser's i.au/o. for Mr Colvin's. lie iiad no objection to .Mr C'olvin. but could not-see why the question should be made a party" one. The Opposition were, more concerned in the appointment of chairman than the Government party, as oee of the chairman's chief duties was to protect the minority. Mr Taylor suggested that the time was ripe for a change of Parlianientarv procedure. lie desired to .see the power of nomination used by tin- Executive so frequently for party purposes, taken from it. Sir .1. a. Ward said that the Opposition had been exercising its ingenuity in endeavouring to bring about a. spli't in the Government ranks in connection willi this matter. Sir W. J. Steward had recognised that circumstances wore a determining factor in the solution of a difficult question. Mr 1 lorries said that more blunders like the present one would descredit Sir .Joseph "Ward in the eyes of the llouse and the country.

'lhe motion was carried by 45 votes;; to 27 votes. ;! Mr C'olvin returned thanks for his !| election, aud said that he woe Id be I impartial, linn aud courteous in tho -j eliair. ':'■ GOVERNMENT BUSINESS. > Sir .J. G. "Ward moved that after.! Wednesday next. Government business ! take precedence on Wednesdays for the • remainder of the session. An amendment by Mr Massey to lis , the hour of Government business as from 7.H0 p.m. was negatived. The motion was carried. POLICY HILLS. Sir J. G. Ward hoped that all the Government policy measures would be carried this session. The Land Bill would probably be placed before the House next week aud would contain very important proposals, which should meet with the support of the country. The Local Government Bill would be 1 introduced at the fend of next week, but the Hill contained so many fari reaching proposals that in his opinion I it would not go through this session. ; The measure should be fully considered bv the country. lie . considered .that fhe *s!<m would 'last til! the middle or end of Novem- ; ber. There was no roasou why the Defence. Superannuation and other Bills : should not be put through this session I'CMI '!, .a-!' EXTINCTION. I Mr Allen t'.' it :.>".. lebato on the second reading of " for ilvs -M Extinction Hill, and s tl .; v " for them.--mid vote for the second rear.. ' '~ P n ri -- ; ported the principle of the ISO. " n'arguments directed against sink funds did not apply to the use but in... abuse of the same. No country so far as he was aware had done more to abuse the principle of sinking funds j than the Dominion, lie held that the only sound source from which they i could derive a sinking fund wa.s the surplus revenue. Touching on the ■■ graduated bind tax he said that if an . e-tate valued at £511.000 increased by j 100 per cent., 55 per cent, of the increase value should !>■• paid in tax. Jn other words if a property woMh £50.000 increased in value to •C.100.000 in 20 years, the owner would have paid £'25.000' in graduated land tax. Mr Malcolm held that the best way to provide a sinking fund wa.s to cease borrowing. The. Bill assumed that the necessity for borrowing should cease in 20 years—an entirely unwarranted assumption. The, Dominion was about to embark in water power utilisation and other great schemes, which necessitate future borrowing. lie could not support the Bill which was as unnecessary as it wa.s unworkable and unfair. Mr Hogg said he could not see anygood reason for objecting to the principles of the Bill. Tho llouse rose at 5.30 p.m. aud resumed at 7.30 p.m. j Mr Hogg continued his speech, ho j advocated an increase of the graduated land and income taxes, and would like to see tho £150,000 handed over to the State Guaranteed-Advances office for lending to settlers multiplied tenfold. Mr Merries agreed that it was wise to provide a means of paying oil' the debt, but, there was a diriercnee of opinion as to the best means of doing bu. Referring to the sinking fund on ] loans to local bodies for which £'253,000 had been accumulated, he said the J'render proposed to take, interest on that, consequently it would cease t-o grow, whereas had it been allowed to accumulate rhe debt would have been wiped out m 1010. The whole system of the Bill was one of deferring the payments of loans lor a period of id years. A more absurd theoiy than that the Dominion could cease burrowing in 20 years had never been held by a statesman in Kuw Zealand. Mis own impression was that we would have, to go on burrowing to a greater extent than ever. The scheme lacked lira. essentials, fust, that tin* investments should be of a liquid nature; second, that proper safeguards should be taken and the scheme, laid down in the Bill possessed neither of these principles. Mr Anderson approved of the, proposal, but considered the Premier over sanguine in supposing that the sum would go on accumulating for an indefinite- period. Mr Thomson ("Wallace) considered that the Bill would reduce borrowing, and he did not believe that anv future Government would abolish the'scheme. Mr Hume favoured the principle of sinking hinds, but opposed the method 01 investment proposed. Sir Joseph \\ aid, in reply, said surely members recognised that there was now an indebtedness of 75 millions and the interest on that amount alone would in ,o years total 150 millions. By providing 11 milions more we could repay too whole amount in addition to the ordinary contributions of interest made m the meantime. It bad been suggested that there were not sufficient safeguards provided, when the fact was no investment would be allowed in a Government security. Then-, was no certainty in this connection Continuing birj. G. Ward said that all the/ Opposition critics announced that they were going to support the Bill. He was prepared to accept anv amendments in committee which he was satisfied would improve the meatbenTOices! Jlld realli " g WM can ' icd on 'IN COMMJ'iTEE. At clause 2 Mr Massey suggested that agricultural shows be' exempted M." Hussel considered that the clause tions " t0 art sot ' l ' otit *"' exhibiAiter some discussion the Minister p. unused to have a proper definition of ...luoiuon embodied in tho Bill. -lr .savior (Christ-church) moved that a provision be added to clause 7 prohioit.ng the sale of alcoholic liquors. ln-e Minister in charge of the Bill couid not accept tho proviso. Alter some discussion the amendment was earned or, the voices and the Dill pas-ed through Committee. The Foreign Insurance Companies Deposits Amendment Bill also passed through Committee. The House rose at midnight.