BUSINESS NOTES.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2208, 11 October 1907, Page 2

BUSINESS NOTES.

An inset in this issue gives the opening announcement of Mr, Nat Hooper, who will commence business on Saturday, as clothier aud mercer, in McKeos’s new buildings. Mr. Nat Hooper is yell known in Gisborne, having been with Messrs Common Shelton and Co. for a number of years, and fSr the past eighteen months he was in partnership with his brother, in the firm of Hooper and Hooper. The W'aiapu County Council calls for tenders for the supply of a thousand yards of gravel. Messrs. Hannah and Coy. have an advertisement in this issue regarding men’s boots.

DURATION OF THE SESSION.

THE GOVERNMENT’S PROGRAMME. STATEMENT BY THE PREMIER. THE NATIVE LAND BILL. Special to Times. WELLINGTON, Oct, 10. Various matters bearing oil the duration of tlie session came under review in tlie House this afternoon, when the Premier moved his motion to tlio effect that from Monday next the House should meet on Monday evenings for the transaction of Government business only. POSTPONEMENT ASKED FOR.

Mr. Massey pointed out that the proposal would be a severe tax on the House. Several members bad already been laid aside by sickness, although lie did not put this down to the hours, which, on the whole, had not been unreasonable. He attributed it rather to the atmosphere of the chamber and the lobbies. (Hear, hear.) “They are laden with germs,” he declared.” (Chorus of approval.) More fresh air was required in the Chamber. Mr. Massey proceeded to ask the Premier if he would follow tlie usual course in regard to liis motion and make a statement as to the intention of the Government lor the rest of the session. He thought it would be better to allow important measures to stand over till next session rather than rush them through at tlie tail-end of the session in imperfect form. (Hear, hear, and No, no!) THE GOVERNMENT’S PROGRAMME.

The Premier said his desire in mov ing lor Monday night sittings was to avoid late hours. He thought that it members concentrated themselves on their work they should get away before the end of November. To do this, however, it was either late hours or Monday night sittings. There was still the Land Bill to complete, the Meikle Bill, Endowment Bill, Native Band Bill (whicn must take up considerable time), the Bail way Classification Bill, and the Civil Servants Superannuation Bill. There was also the Arbitration Bill, which would also take up some time. An Anti-Gamb-ling Bill was likewise required to be passed. There were the Public Works Statement, Flour and Potato Bill, and some others. Except at the extreme end of the session he hoped it would not be necessary to sit before 7.30 p.m. on Monday. He expressed sympathy with the sick members, but he was sure the House were not resjionsible. He would bo only too glad to do all he could to have the ventilation of the House improved. (Hear, hear.) In reply to Mr. Fisher he said he could not state how far the Shops and Offices Act had proceeded in committee, but it was intended to put through a Bill relating to the Chinese coming into the THE tr NATIVE LAND QUESTION. Mr. Herries entered his emphaticprotest regarding the manner it which important legislation was delayed till towards the end of the session. He referred particularly to the Native Land Bill. This Bill, lie said, was a most important one, and should have been in the hands -• oj members months ago. If 6lich an important measure was to be brought dowii in the dying hours of the session and rushed through at railway speed, he would do all he could to prevent its passing. It- was a Bill, and should be in a forward position. There were other measures which should have been in the hands of members before this. There were the Shoddy Bill, the Flour and Potato Bill, and the Native Land Bill. A 1 those were important, and yet there was at the jiresent time practically nothing on the Order Paper except private members’ Bills. Mr. Massey said he could endorse most emphatically what Mr. Herries had said. The Native Land Bill was one of the most important mentioned this session. He showed the Government a way out. Let them drop some of their other measures, and have the Native Land Bill considered at once. He referred to the Endowment Bill, which, he said, it was an ’open secret was as dead as Julius Caesar. There was certainly no time to put through all these measures in a satisfactory manner this session, and •he hoped it would not be attempted. Mr. Ngata said there was not a single member who did not agree with what . Mr. Herries had said about native land legislation. It would, be advisable to postpone the Bill till next session and adopt the “tailioa” policy. The Premier: We’re going to have that. Mr. Ngata: I would sooner have that than see the Bill rushed through at the end of the session. Mr. Greenslade urged the importance of dealing with the native land question this session, even if they had to stay a fortnight or a month longer. >• Mr. Baume spoke to similar effect, and said that a little extra time should not be considered in having the great question of native lands settled so far as it could be by legislation. Mr. A. L. D. Fraser said that at the beginning of the present year they had the Premier, the Native Minister, and the Attorney-General addressing meetings in different parts of the country and stating that the Government recognised the _ importance of the native land question, and I that one of tile first Bills to be ini troduced this session would be a Native Land.Bill. Here, however, they , were on the 10th of October, and he ventured to say that there was not so much as a scratch of a pen done in regard to the Native Land Bill. “Even if we have to stay hero till Christmas,’ he said, “I think we ought to stay and assist the Government in passing such legislation.” He went on to say that even if the House had only a precis of the proposed native landv legislation it would be as oil to rusty machinery in assisting to pass the land legislaton now before the House. There was a strong feeling in the North Island that the native lands were to be placed upon the market on the optional tenure. Let that once be known and it would greatly assist matters. The House should not rise until it had done justice to this great question.

The Native Minister said members need not" have any fear that the Nativo Land Bill would not be brought down this session. He referred to the difficulty there was in drafting a measure such as was required, in view of the quantity of past legislation that had to be dealt with, and he considered that they had to work right back to the original state of affairs. The House would not be kept waiting very long for the Bill. THE PREMIER IN REPLY

The Premier, in replying, characterised Mr. Herries’s strictures in regard to the work of the session and the future as unwarrantable. Mr. Herries had also suggested - something in regard to the native land legislation that the Government were not going to do. The Government had already indicated what the procedure would be in regard to future business this session, and they intended to bring the legislation before the House in the order they thought desirable. He pointed to the inconsistency of the suggestion of the member for the Bay of Plenty in view of the strong opposition that had been made in committee to the present land measure. Mr. Ngata had suggested that the proposed policy measure in regard to native affairs should be left till next session, but “tailioa” was not the policy of this Government. (Hear, hear.) The native land question was important alike to both Islands. The time had come when every member of the House outside those who looked upon native affairs as their peculiar preserve and indeed every member of the country, should take interest in the question. He did not think that any vital alterations would be made in the Bill by the Native Affairs Committee, as the remarks of the member for the Bay of Plenty would lead one to suppose. As to Mr. Fraser’s complaint that the Bill had pot come down earlier, lie pointed out that the Native Lands Commission had not reported until late in duly, Thcp a 'suggestion had been

made that provisions should go in tho Bill referring to timber contracts, legalising things that some peoplo had done deliberately with the object of having them legalised afterwards, and that these matters should be so dealt with in the policy Bill; but the Government would do nothing of the kind. They required to be put into a “general” or “washing-up” Bill at tho end of tho session. As to Mr. Herries’s suggestion that the Bill could bo dealt with by tile Native Affairs Committee to-morrow if it came down, he had already stated that'nothing vital could bo done by that committee on a policy measure. This was no reflection on the Committee, which was one of tho most competent the House had. No evidence required to be taken whatever in such :i case, DEAD OR SLEEPING.-’ The Premier went on to say that the Leader of the Opposition was laboring under a misapprehension when he said the Endowment Bill was killed or as dead as Julius Caesar. • Mr. Massey: It’s dead in the meantime, and you know it. . Sir Joseph replied that it was not dead. Ho went on to say that the Government had placed Bills on the Order Paper in the sequence in wliicn it was intended to bring them before the House. When the Endowment Bill came before the House Mr. Masesy: It has got to como back from the committee yet. The Premier made an 7 interjection which led Mr. Massey to retort, “Well, the schedule has been knocked out of the Bill, if you will have it.” The Premier: Well, if that is so, we will put it back again. He went on to say that the Government had over a hundred Bills which were ready—(cries of Oh !)—but it was intended to bring them down m the order of their importance. Referring to the native land question, he said that the Government’s desire was that it should be dealt with carefully and deliberately. Mr. Hornsby: Are you compelled to send the Bill to the Native Affairs Committee The Premier: It is usual to do so. Mr. Hornsby: You would not like it hung up? _. Tho Premier: Certainly not. Ihe Committee might be asked to report within a week. An earnest and honest attempt, he said, should be made to untie the tangled knots _ wliicn were involved in the question of ■ native lands. ■ The motion was then agreed to. .