PARLIAMENTARY.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2158, 14 August 1907, Page 3

PARLIAMENTARY.

pr LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. The Council mot at 2.30 p.m. The Attorney-General moved: “That the Council at rising adjourn until the following Tuesday.’’-—Car-ried. The Reserves Fund Securities Hill was put through all stages. Sir G. M. O’Rork© gave notice to movo for the re-establishment of the provincial form of government. The Hon. 'l'. Kelly urged the Government to get a copy of the report on patent m«licim*s just presented to the .Commonwealth Parliament. —The Attorney-General said he would endeavor: to get n copy. The following Hills were road a first time on the motion of the AttorneyGeneral :—Chattels Transfer Aot Amendment. evidence relating to mattors ponding boforo a Foreign Tribunal, amendment of the Indictable Offences Summary Jurisdiction Aot. On the motion of the Hon. O. Samuel it was resolved that the set of the Statutes of New Zealand be annotated. Tiio Council rose at 3.20 p.m.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Tlie House met at 2.30 p.m. The Otaki and Porinia Empowering Bill second reading was postponed for a week. Loavo of absence for one week was granted to Mr. T. Mackenzie, for urgent private business. • A week’s leave of absence was granted to l\fr. D. Reid, on account of sickness in his family. Tho amendments made in Committee, to the Costley Training Institution Act Amendment Rill and the To hunga Suppression Bill were agreed to, and the Bills were read a third time and passed. The House went into Committee oi tho Maori Land Settlement Act Amendment Bill.—Mr. Massey asked tiha/1 a clause be included in the Bill, pro viding for detnils of expenditure un dor tho Act being placed annually be fore Parliament.—The Hon. Jas.'Car roll moved an amendment to anakretrospective the powers of the Crowr to purchase portions of an nmlivid ed interest owned by a Maori in am land owned by Maoris. Mr. W. 11. Herries urged that thr amendment should not bo submitted until tlio native members had had r chanco of expressing their opinions As it was, the whole of the Maori members were absent, owing to thr Native Land Commission. At am rate, ho added, they could not agre'i to tho amendment unless they had tho consent of the native members. Mr. Massey rose to a point of order, and asked if the Bill had beer printed in the Maori langange. The Chairman ruled against Mr. Massey on tho point of order. Mr. Laitrenson expressed surprise at Mr. Massey raising ■ objections to the Bill on technical points. He assented. that on the East Coast 190.00 C acres .of native land had been leased for 50 years by one family. Further the number of sheep was decreasing in Hawke’s Bay district, whilst cat tie were increasing on runs, showing that closer settlement was not taking place in. that district. In 'VViaiiapn Count-r the aggregation of native lands was taking place to such an extent as made it almost impossible for a settler. to lease land. He read a list of 12 applications -for native land for an area of 30,000 acres, which lu was informed were all for one family. The Hon. Mr. Carroll pointed out that though large areas were being applied for, it did not follow that they "would be granted by the Native Land Board. Mr. Herries again urged that the Bill should not be proceeded with until all the native members had a chance of expressing their views. Mr. Carroll said no attempt had been made to force tho natives to sell. They had always been told they need not sell any of their land nnles« they desired, and that they could sell any portion they were willing to sell and retain the remainder. Mr. Stevens urged that seveneighths of the purchase money should be invested for. the benefit of the na tives, and not allowed to be squan dered,

Mr. Ell urged that no more land should be put on the market until the law had been amended, so as to prevent the aggregation of estates. Mr. Carroll pointed out that the Board had full power to refuse any applications which it did not approve

Eventually on a division the amendment was carried by 35 to 15. Thi clause as amended was agreed to or. the voices. Mr. Massey moved a new clause to provide that details of expendituri be laid before Parliament. Tht clause was agreed to without discus sion, and the Bill as amended was reported. The House then went into Commit 'tee of Supply on the Justice Department.' Miscellaneous services, £ll. 045, was passed unaltered, and tin House adjourned at 5.30 p.m. The House resumed at 7.30 p.m. On the prisons estimate, £44,116 Mr. Hogg, referring to the treatmen meted out to prisoners, said that i they were subjected to similar treat ment to settlers in the backblocks ha put up with, few prisoners would re turn to goal. He advocated that pri soners should work, not- only to main tain themselves, but for the lienefi of others. Particularly should thi: course be. adopted in regard to wit. 'deserters.-—ALr. Laurenson urged re form of the present prison system which was obsolete and had prove*, so in older countries. It would b better to spend a few jKilinds annualh to effect tlie cure of criminals.—Mr Barclay urged'that a scientific mves -tigatipn should he made with a viev t> reforming prisoners, rather thai -to expend huge sums, on punishm; them. —Mr. Duncan said the priso. system in New Zealand was the bes ill the world so far as it goes, but i did not go far enough. He advocate more prisoners being sent to tJi country to engage m tree-plantin„ and those who could not be so truste. should be put to a trade and made tf work and not play.—Mr. Ell referrer to the deaths which had recently tab en place in gaols. He urged tha sick prisoners suffering from exeessn< drinking should be sent to hospital.Mr Massey said prisoners sent t tree-planting should be shortsentenc men with good records. It- would altogether wrong to send -dangerc it r .risoners to country distncts on tree planting. He urged that prisoner suffering from delerium tremer. sl-ould not he'sent to gaol ueithe sliould they he sent to mental liosii this hut some special provision shout be made. He the o prisoners’ maintenance at auckmu , with other gaols. He asserted tha the Auckland prisoners were made t. dif useful work, which decreased t ; fillip rlue te-the fact soners than an contained moie 1 ... being tlia there’ lie S added Cl that t 0 e C uThat the time had arrived whe There were few « M , ing meted out to .offenders . fir & r ri rAiW- : -manner fJi ,r thev r wou'ld be "a muc Cla si of "men -Referring thaPi . • , t cH he said he would give ther inebrn. . n f luxury and consign seme so- ~e rson s who made mebi a prison the t nt i ier f or d said sc wo or tes.—-Mr. It. , the worst class o not do to plus Only th criminals on trev <(soucrs should o best classes of pr. n)0S0 . Ho urgeutilised for tlie P«* k be used for tlr that prisoners should ■ .—Mr. Hanar purpose of making roads. ■ w ; t j, t i, f asked wl.at would bo .Med to reexisting gaols it it was “ country S't.,l *»•« purpose and it w f^_| I ? c ""n h CO ns I de. ~ c '' build new Kf° bis views.—M. ' AV afc Eras°er said tlie whole system of -Prase . i j n classification o. reform inllS i r Wilford: You cannot prisoners v.eie harden h#( , km.wn J of Hardened criminals, who had ! Idlen a lifting hand to new prisoners. . criminals realised they were in tlie ruck, and whilst ready to go back to gaol themselves were willing to help new offenders. He intended to support Mr. ' EllV amendment as lie considered the gaote should not be allowed to exist in cities—Mr. Daurenaon said -the worst prisoners -to deal with were those who were continually in gaol—Mr. Tanner said that while we had such exhibitions as ' • the "Kelly -Gang”; going .about the

country wo woro tending to make criminals, and ho thought the time had arrived when somo consorship should be exorcised over theatrical representations of criminal doings.—Air. EU’s amendment was negatived by 33 to 23. —Air. McGowan said he was not going to tench prisoners trades .to compote with free laborers. Wherever possible the Department was giving hotter light in gaols. The prisoners sent to the country for treeplanting wore first offenders or prisoners undergoing sentences, for minor offences.—-Mr. Wilford .said lie had heard members raise their voices in protest against what woro described as anomalies, but bo never heard a Minister admit that members were right. It was disheartening to got up and urge 'reform and he mot with the Minister’s reply to the effect that there was nothing in tile argument. —The vote was passed without alteration.

At tko Polico Department, £158,659, Mr. Tannor, referring to the death of infants, said that at Christchurch tho matron, whoso duty as inspector under the Infant Life Protection Act, it was to inspect registered homes, had a total of 120 of such koines to inspect, and in addition the duties at tko police station were suffi- | eieiyt to occupy the whole of her time. He further assorted that to efficiently I inspect houses would occupy the whole ' time of two inspectors. Consequently it was no wonder that tho duty of inspecting these infant homes as oarr.ied out was far from satisfactory.— Mr. AVtlford, referring to the pay of detectives, said it took 23 years before they reached a maximum salary of 14s Gd per day. A detective start'd after eight years in tho police force it 9s 6d per day, or sixpence per day less than a dustman employed by the Wellington Corporation. Ho added that when a police constablo became i detective ho could never become an inspector or nub-inspector. Only one member of the Detective force during the last 20 years had been appointed i sub-inspector.—-Mr. Italian said hat in establishing a system of different salaries for police officors in different towns they had, whilst doing away with rank, brought into iorco. a system of grades, which caus'd jealousy.—Mr. Wilford, resumng, said that eight sergeants had icon appointed sub-inspectors over ho heads of chief detectives. He irged that chief detectives should- be raid the same salary as a sub-inspec-'nr n.nrl (riinnrfrfifl +*lv<\ rSrrlvf. f«-\ Imnomn

inspector.—Mr. Hogg contended that is compared with officials in othor departments, tlie Railway Department, tor instance, the pay of dotectives was vorv satisfactory. Ho added that .hoy were a good, intelligent class of men to miter the force, which was ivn•qualled by the forces of neighboring States. —Mr. Poolo urged that the Auckland police should ho provided with a launch in order that they could patrol the water fronts.—Mr. Gray ■omplimented tho Minister on having Increased- tho pay of constables, but considered the .increase not enough.— Mr. Barber advocated increased po--1 icy in suburban districts. —M r. Her-

oes said ho had heard that a great deal of favoritism was shown in the m omotion of police officers. Ho asked that a return be presented showing the salary and pay of every officer of’ die force.—Mr. Arnold urged that an inducement should bo held out to all officers in tlie force to stimulate them to rise.—Mr. McGowan said the question of licensed homes for infants was under consideration. Referring to appointments of inspector 'and subinspocitor, ho said that if detectives continued in that branch, enjoying higher pay, tip - could not expect to receive a higher position in the uniform branch, but if they cared to reainio duty in tho uniform branch they would become eligible for tlie higher position.—Tho vote was passed unaltered. Tho Premier during tlie afternoon gave notice of the introduction of the Meikle Acquittal "Act.