QUESTIONS.

Wanganui Chronicle, 18 July 1901, Page 3

QUESTIONS.

Replying to a question the Premine! said with regard to what steps had beer taken to have ;i board of experts appoint ed to draw up a uniform system of book keeping for the benefit of local bodies, that was desirable, but could not. compe. locpl bodies to adopt any system; further, that the subject might be dealt witl when the Local Government Bill was under consideration. Replying to other questions, the Minister said that the services of . commissioned and non-commissioned offiecrs who had served in South Africa were being utilised as far as possible for training volunteer forces; that returned troopers would be granted certificates of character and service in due course, and that thfi question ot" issuing medals was under the consideration of the Defence Department; that the Rev. Joseph Berry had not been appointed immigration agent or lecturer in England for New Zealand ;that the Land .Purchase Boaid of Hawke's Bay had reported upon a block 37,000 acres, recommending its purchase for settlement, anct would be considered by the Government ; that a daily through service frtnn Wellington to New Plymouth would be instituted during the summer :that arrears of interest duo to the Post Office Savings Bank by the Hokitika Harbour Board was £1,----900—a reduction of £900 as compared with last year—and that if the Board w.v given time the arrears would be paid; that the Health Department would consider the advisability of inspecting auc analysing drugs and patent medicines, with a view to prevent adulteration and requiring ingredients to be disclosed at or prior to the sale thereof; that the question of the inspection of roads with a View to preventing accidents was an important subject, but one that did not come within the duty of the Government to performi; that aj&iendmlents were necessary in the Noxious Weeds Act by inflicting a penalty for tho sale of chaff or other produce adulterated with weeds, and in other directions; and that if time permitted,, a Bill would be introduced to give effect thereto, and that a Bill would ba introduced extending the time for making improvements under the Land Act; that it was not intended that the Noxious Weeds Act of last session should be a dead letter, and that so far settlers had merely been given time to prepare to carry out its provisions; that steps were being taken to acquire suitable land in the Auckland district for •vv^rksnen's homes ; that protection -t^-'Stoats and weasels should be removed: in a* least the four large centres of the colony. Mr. Massey moved the adjournment of the House to emphasise dissatisfaction with the reply to the last question, contending that the restriction should be removed in all parts of the colony where raibbits were not a nuisance. Mr. Duncan advised caution in removing tho restriction against the natural enemy of rabbits. The debate was interrupted by the 5.30 adjournment. The House resumed at 7.30. ELECTIVE EXECUTIVE BILL. Major Steward moved the second read' ing of the Elective Executive Bill, to pro-, . vide for the election of the Executive"' Council. It was, he said, the most im-'^ portant Bill that could ba brought before the House, as it carried to a logical conclusion the Liberal doctrine of the Go*r-, ernment of the people by the people, and . was intended to give members a freedom*, in the consideration of measures which '■> was not possible under the present party system. He contended if the Bill could; bo sent to. the people under the referendum, clause which it was proposed to in r y sert in committee, it would be adopted by \ a large majority. Since the Bill was first brought forward some years ago it had been favourably discussed by the Press. He had also received numerous resolutions ■ from publio bodies, and letters -from prom- < inent public men, heartily approving of/ the Bill, and urging him to proceed with ;. it. Major Steward then .proceeded to j briefly explain the provisions pf the mea-i sure,'pointing out that any Minister who,) on being elected, did not care to (serve* ag a member of the team chosen, would have an opportunity of withdrawing, and * thus there would be a fresh election. He\ agreed that a clause should be inserted in^> committee to provide that the Bill, with \ the exception of clause: 16, should rotj come into force nutil it had been sub-,' mitted to the referendum. There would' always ba party Government, and this Bill made no violent change in that re-' gard, but he contended the House would work better under an Executive of it's' own choosing than under a Ministry selected by one man, and he saw no reason why the House should not elect an Executive as good and as capable as could be chosen under the existing system. Mr. Willis spoke strongly against the Bill, and moved a hostile amendment, that it be read a second time that day six months. He pointed out that all our great liberties and reforms had been obtained by means of party Government, and he had ■heard nothing to warrant him in supporting any alteration in the present system, Mr. Monk thought the principle of me Bill a good one. He hoped the amendment would be withdrawn, so that a straight out vote cbuld be taken.

Mr. Barclay believed the Blil as bad a one as could be introduced. It was a gross error for any Liberal to support this Bill, wbMi was a Conservative device to put a clog on the wheels of progress. Sir. Witheford did not think" it in the interests of the people to bring about a crisis such as would be produced by this Bill. Sir Joseph Ward remarked upon the cons2>iraoy of silence on.the i>;ut of some .members" on an important question likp this, and said he wished to put on record bis protest against the Bill. In his opinion, tho Bill proposed to create a system of intrigue and underhand procedure which would bring discredit on the House and the country. He quoted from the provisions of the measure to show that in practice the system -would lead to chaos and intrigue, under which no man of independence and self-respect could possibly remain in a Cabinet. What, he asked, would have happened in New Zealand during the last ten years under this Bill? At one time there was only a balance of four votes in favour of the party in power, and he contended that had aai elective Executive held sway at the time, tiie Government could not possibly have succeeded with its progressive legislation. The people of New Zealand possessed a cood deaf more power under the existing system than they would do under an elective Executive, and he believed if the matter wero put fairly before the people they would determinedly and firmly refuse to surrender their privileges under the party system, which had built uyy the strongest nation the world had ever seen. The House should hesitate before it assented to any alteration in a system under which New Zealand had obtained a world-wide reputation for its advanced and progressive legislation. Mr; Fisher strongly opposed the Bill. He looked upon Major Steward's proposal as an absurd one ,and did not think it of sufficient importance to engage the serious attention of tho House. Mr. Seddon urged that no good reason had been shown for this proposed, constitutional change. It had never been before the people at an election. In fact, the Bill proposed to undo what the peoi>le had decided on at the last general election, ■when a largely increased majority had decreed that the Liberal party should remain in power. He warned members that under clause 4 the House would be broughc into conflict with the representative of the Crown. In other words, they would be setting at defiance the representative of tho "brown, and a great constitutional change like this would mean cutting the painter with the Old Country. (Hon. Members: No.) It was, he contended, imppssible for Major Steward to meet that objection. Another objection to the Bill was that it would take away the power of the people, in that at the present the Ministry were liable to be challenged from day to "clay during the session, but under this Bill after the start of the session the Government could not be further impeached, and he asked the House not to make a change which would be a step in the ■wron"1 direction. If this Bill passed into law its effect would be to destroy our power for good and substitute chaos for prosperity. Mr.Fowlds said that the most vigorous whip of tho past two or three sessions had been employed against this Bill, and all the influence' of roads and bridges used to prevent it becoming law. Sir Joseph Ward had stated that under this Bili there would be a system of intrigue, but he assorted that intrigue had been employed vagainat this Bill. Mr. G. W.-Russell claimed that an elective Executive was one of the primary nuestions before the electors at last election ■ Under an elective Executive there L vould be purer administration, and im-

partial administration of expenditure on public, works, and n strengthening of the hands of the Ministry, lie asserted that what tho Premier wanted was only one party with himself as loader of it. He would vote for the second reading, reserving to himself the right to suggest what he might consider necessary amendmelulM in committee. Mr. Napier would not support the Bill, bub he thought some change was necessary, tor since the Ministry was only a committee of the dominant party the party i be consulted in the election of

ougn Ministers