E.—la.

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endeavours to arrive at perfection. The Bill, Sir, provides, on a broad ground, that old-age pensions are a desirable thing for the colony to undertake, that they are properly the duty of the State, and that the general taxpayer, by means of the ordinary revenue, should provide these pensions. In other countries where pension schemes have been established—in Europe—-the 5 pensions rest on contributions | from the employers, the workers, and the State, conditions which are perfectly possible and practicable in those countries where movement is comparativelyrare, and where the conditions of employment remain comparatively unaltered through men's lives—where the conditions of employment and the conditions of residence are matters of police inspection, and where at any time the worker can get a ticket which will testify to the fact 6 that he has paid up all his dues to the State in this | matter or that, and fulfilled every other public duty. In the same way the employers are easily handled as far as their contributions are concerned; but what is practicable in those countries would be absolutely impossible if attempted to be applied to our conditions. Therefore the conditions of the European countries that have established national pensions schemes of a kind in which the State assists 7 are not applicable to us in our conditions. The question then arises, Are we able |to propound a scheme which is practicable, which is advisable, and which will carry out what is intended by it ? And, Sir, I would ask the Council, in looking at this question, not so much to look at it from the point of view of the objectors against a scheme of a national pensions fund, but to look at this rather with a sincere and even enthusiastic belief that the machinery that they 8 desire may be erected so that the ) object can be obtained. Criticism is all very right when it comes in its proper place, but the views and the expressions used by hostile critics as regarding this or any other proposal of reform, especially when it is a matter of construction, should be very properly discounted by the fact that the intention of these critics is not so much to construct as absolutely to destroy. A most singular instance of how dangerous it is to put 9 matters of | this kind into the hands of a retrogressive body of intelligent men is pointed out very clearly by the treatment this question has received at the hands of the Committee which was set up in the year 1896 in the Old Country by the Conservative Government, who had pledged themselves on the hustings to make a national pension scheme part of their progressive policy. They remitted the question to a Committee of nine, the chairman being Lord 10 Eothschild. | (c.) At the rate of 100 words a minute. Takes 5 minutes. As the oldest member on the floor of this House, and as one whose privilege it was to know Sir Dillon Bell from the earliest days of my public life, and to be associated with him on terms of personal friendship, and of that high respect that belongs to a man of his character and attainments, the House will, I trust, excuse me if I say a few words in respect to the resolution which has been so well proposed and seconded and spoken to by members of this 1 House. Sir, it is well that this House should do the | utmost it can on an occasion of this kind, though that utmost is but a very small thing, to show honour to the memory of one to whom honour is due in the highest degree. Sir, it is the custom amongst all nations and all classes of people to show respect in some way or another to the memory of their dead. Loving hands put wreaths on the graves of those whose loss they mourn; we in a Legislative Assembly of this kind take another mode of showing the respect and affection that we entertain 2 for those who pass away | from us, and with whom we have in days gone by wrought and thought and fought in the interests of the country to which we belong. We place on what we believe to be the imperishable records of this House an expression of our regard and esteem. Sir, I wish that I could do justice to the memory of the late Sir Dillon Bell, and I am sure all of us feel how incapable we are of doing justice to an occasion of this kind. It is 3 some comfort, however, to feel that no failure on my part will detract | from the memory of a man who will never be forgotten, however inadequately his praises may be spoken in this House. I remember Sir Dillon Bell in my early days when I entered political life, and recall his words of advice and encouragement. Even then I looked upon him as an example, and as a model public man and .public servant of the colony. When at a later day he took the chair of this House, which had been previously occupied by one of the ablest and best men 4 that New Zealand has ever seen—Sir David Monro—he ably | fulfilled the duties of that position. During the time he presided ever this House there was but one feeling—that of respect —for the work he did and for the manner in which he did it. For four-and-twenty years he was a member of either one or the other branch of the Legislature. Three times he held the responsible position of a Minister of the Crown. In every position he held he was a credit to that position. As has been stated by the Minister of Lands, his name will ever be entwined in 5 the history of our country. |

Maori. — For Senior and Junior Civil Service. Time allowed: 3 hours. 1. Illustrate the use of the demonstrative pronouns tenei, tena, tera, translating the sentences you use. 2. As there is no distinction of gender in Maori, how would you translate "he," "she," and "it"? Construct three short sentences illustrating your answer. 3. Translate the following into Maori: Mine, yours, good, better, best. Those one hundred and one good horses. This is better than that. The height of those twenty-one trees. What are the names of the men who threshed your wheat ? I will hold the rope of your horse. Hoani is the man whom you saw on the beach. There was a great fire in the town last night. The horses which were lost yesterday have been found to-day.