HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 6231, 14 September 1898, Page 4

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Tuesday, Sept. 13^ AFTERNOON SITTING. ' The House, met at 2.30 p:m. MOTOR CATC 5. ■ During the discussion on a motion that the M'Lean Light Locomotives Bill should be referred back to the Private Bills Committee for further consideration, the Premier, replying to Mr Taylor, said that nothing wouid ulcase him better than to have the Local Government Bill dealt with this session, but whether or not that would be done depended on circumstances over which he liad no control. The Speaker, in connection with a Bnggeatiou made b^the Premier, that the Bill should be converted into a public Bill, ruled that this conldnot be done, though if the private Bill were dropped it would be competent for the Government to introduce a public measuro dealing with motor cars. The motion was agreed to by 34 to 24. ; questions. ~ Ministers, in reply to questions, stated that it would be .impossible to introduce this session an amendment of the Bating Act in the direction providing that a Government subsidy should be payable T^poa separate rates levied upon a particular riding or ridings of a county for purposes for which a subsidy would be payable if the rate was levied over an entire county. Payment for valuation rolls by local authorities was to be spread over three years. It would be wrong to have two systems of valuation existing, that of the Government Valuation Department and that of local authorities. One meat exporting company in the colony had asked the Government to appoint a veterinary surgeon to inspect the, meat exported fey tbe compa-ny, but; the matter "would be dealt with in the Slaughtering Inspection Bill, and if that measure failed to pass the application would receive very careful consideration. The Department knew of no complaint with reference to men employed on co-operative works on the Manukau-Oxford-Botorua Road. Seven thousand nine hundred copies of the map of the Hororata Estate had been circulated with "Hansard," and there would probably be a second edition. It was questionable whether it would be iriae for the Government to insist on the work done by local bodies and subsidised by the Government being done under the co-operative system. The encouragement oE young persons to provide by contributions in their early years for pensions when aged, would receive the careful consideration of the Government. The question of giving Collectors of Customs power to detain any cargo found to be in. a heated condition, would be considered by the Cabinet. The House rose at 5.30 p.m.