NOTES FROM THE HOUSE.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXVIII, Issue 42, 18 October 1900, Page 4

NOTES FROM THE HOUSE.

PROCEEDINGS IN PARLIAMENT

CFrom our special correspondent.)

The whole of the Bitting on Monday was taken up with the debate on the Public Workß Eitimates. Several of the members complained of the meagro sums set aside for their respective districts. The Premier deprecated the cry for more money which had been heard from all over the Colony. It was impossible, he said, that the country could go on at the rate seme members wished. The appropriations for public works this year amounted to fourteen hundred thousand, but next year, owing to the reduction in the tariff, there would be a smaller sum available to meet the demands made, and a loan of two millions would be needed. Personally, he would sooner leave the Treasury benches than land the Colony in any Buch policy. The House could do so, but he would be no party to it. He hoped the House would not force on the Government a policy of heavy borrowing that had proved so disastrous in the past, and he asked the Press of the Colony to sustain him in that decision. The Estimates were larger than he approved of, and therefore he could hold out no hope that further provision would be made in the Supplementary Estimates. They were on iafa lines at present, and should leave it at that.

On Tuesday the principal business transacted in the House was the consideration of the Public Works Estimates. In reply to an objection urged against the importation of rolling stock the Minister for Railways said that 1000 waggons were being ordered from England. Tney were to be landed in the Colony by the Ist January. The C 3 railway carriages were being manufactured in America. He was opposed to the importation of rolling stock, but in this case it was inevitable. The imported rolling stock would not be cheaper than that manufactured in the Colony. The railway workshops were working at high pressure, but they were unable to overtake the demand for rolling stock. The growth of railway traffic was phenomenal, and unusual steps had to be taken to cope ■with the business. He assured members that the vote on the Estimates was not a penny more than was wanted. If the traffic continued to increase at the present rate another large vote would be required next year. From the Ist of January there would be. a completely new set of express trains on the ditf-rent through lines. Tenders had been called for the construction of 50' > waggons by private firms in the Colony.

On Wednesday afternoon the Council by 13 votes to S amended the Private Induntri.il School Inspection Bill so that all such institutions shall cease t) receive any public giants after 12 months. In the House several measures of mma or less im[ ortam c were advanced t-t ige-. nnd in the evening a Bill, to make the Military Pensions AU apply to members ot the contingents bent to South Africa, was read a second time.

When the third reading of the Private Industrial Schools Inspection Bill was nvtved in the Council on Thursday afternoon the Hon. Dr. Grace proposed the re-committal of the measure lor the purpose of reinstating the words 'as aforesaid ' in clause four. He said .—By striking out the words 'as aforesaid" in ciause four they made it impossible for about 200 girls who are at present being reared in the various convent schools of the Colony to retain their only homes. It has appeared to me you make them orphans tor a second time. It is possible that the Council did not realise this aspect of the subject. The exact terms on which these jmld are educated in the convent schools are these : — Tako St. Jyeph's Orphanage, sitnated here at the top of the hill, and which I should be very «lad if any hon member would at any time inspect. There are altogether S'j girls in that orphanage. Of this number .V> have b.-en committed to the charge of the nuns, either under the Industrial Schools Act. or under particular circumstances, as I understand, by the Education Department. Now, the contract which the nuns undertake, and the duty which they perform is one which I should like the Council thoioughiy to appreciate. These children are sent there at various ages, boine of them in their infancy, some at 13, some at 14, and Borne at 10 years, and so on. The' nuna receive contributions from the Government to enable them to feed these children My hon. friend Mr. Kelly the other day estimated the average sum to be £ti per annum for each. Now, in return for that contribution these children are educated and clothed. They are put out to domestic service as they grow up, or are taught a trade. The whole of their affairs? are administered by the nuns until the girls arrive at the age of 21. A strict account is kept of all their earning* when they go to service, or the profits of their work when they are engaged in industrial pursuits. The money is collected in by the uuns and an account is kept opposite the name of each girl, and at least annually and generally biennially, the whole of these accounts are inspected' by a Government; officer, in many instances by the Secretary for Education. When these girla happen to be out of service, they enjoy the right and privilege to retire to these convent schools as if they were their own homes, as, in fact, they are. They remain there and are taken care of until fresh places are found lor them ; their clothes are kept in order and their clothps are purchased for them. The nuns are responsible for them, and the whole of their affairs are regulated as by old-fashioned trustees under old-fashioned wills, until the girls either marry or attain to the age of 21. Now

the effect of striking out the words 'as aforesaid 'in clause 4 will be to prevent these girls, about 200, from being dealt with in these °°f "J cn c schoo]s t0 their ver y J-Treat personal >>eneh"rand to the benefit ot the State. Jt has occurred to me that this position has not been thoroughly realised by the Council, and that many boa. members may have their minds turned in another direction 1 feel an injury is being done to the cause ot the-e children and to the best interests of this Toiony, and to remedy this I now move that the Bill be re-committed for the purpose 'of reinstating the words 'as ator-said.' The motion for the re-committal of the Bill was lost by one vote. The most important business transacted in the House on lhuiauay u» the adaption, of a nxo'i^u that a tc.p-riry agreement be made with Messrs. Spreckels and Co. tor a continuance of the ban *raneiM;o mail Hervice for 12 months, the m-w «,< rvice to be every three weeks. The Po.stmaster-liencral read the conditions of the contract, which showed that provision was made tor a If, days' contract. The company received a subsidy fi,, » t/ie 4nk.ric.rn Government, and this Colony had been asked to cmtiibute C3<>,ooo lersonally, he did not approve of subsidising the service on the conditions contained in the contract. He believed, however, that it would be in the interest of the Colony to maintain a rapid service across the Pacific. The Union Company had requested to be relieved of tht lr contract on the 2!>th of this month, as they found they were being i-qucezed out of the trade, which he regretted, as the company had carried out the work well as far as New Zealand was concerned. He was of opinion that the Colony should enter into the contract entirely on its own account, and apart from the other Australian colonies. Tne present service cost the Colony £12,14,"), and under the three-weekly service the cost would be increased to £15,000. When penny postage came into force the net cost to the Colony would be about £17, 000. Instead of 13 voyages, the annual number would be 10, and the average length of voyage from Auckland to London would be reduced from 30 to 27 days. On Friday afternoon there wan a painful scene in the House, during which members not only referred to each other in unparliamentary language, but even dragged in the names of their wives. One member was suspended for the balance of the sitting. Several me.sures were advanced .stages during the evening sitting, and the Maori Lands Administration Bill was read a third time, the House rising at half-past eight on Saturday morning. The House met again in the afternoon, when the Manawatu Railway Purchasing Bill, which empowers the Government to enter into negotiations for the purchase of the Manawatu line, was read a second time.

The motion for the second reading of the Crown Tenants' Rebate of Rent Bill, which provides for a rebate of 10 per cent, on all rent paid within one month of due date, was stoutly opposed by several of the tow n members, who considered the measure uncalled for and unnecessary. The debate lasted until midnight, when the Speaker left the chair.