PARLIAMENT.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2689, 20 December 1909, Page 5

PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE ,OF REPRESENTATIVES. -

AN ALL-NIGHT SITTING.

I Per Press Association.! WELLINGTON, Dec. 18. After 12 o’clock on Friday night, while the Public Health Estimates were under discussion, Mr Malcolm moved to reduce the vote of £750, consulting medical officer in London, as an indication of dissatisfaction with Dr Mason’s appointment. The amendment wa slost by 29 to 1/. After 2 a.m. in discussion on the item \ Miscellaneous Services, Department of Internal Affairs, it was pointed out that a reduction of £IOOO had been made in the amount of £SOOO originally placed on the estimates for a memorial to the late Mr Seddon. Mr Russell suggested that this amount should be expended on scholarships. , Sir Joseph Ward said there was difficulty in the way of doing this. The internal defence vote was passed. THE LIGHTHOUSE SERVICE.

On the vote for the Customs Department £128,790 Mr Herries asked if anything would be done in the way of erecting a lighthouse at Terawhiti, and if provision would be made for increasing the number of lights between the East Cape and Wellington and also at Jackson’s Head. The Hon. J. A. Millar said that it was not the intention of the Department to put a lighthouse up at Terawhiti at present. A lighthouse would be erected on the East Coast between Oastlepoint and Flat Point, ancl on Whangarei Heads. The light at Jackson’s Head would be installed early as possible, probably in a month. Mr Massey regretted that the Minis, ter could not see his way, to erect a lighthouse at Terawhiti.

THE DUCO CASE. Mr Poole, referring to the discovery of wreckage of the Duco, asked what punishment would be meted out to those responsible for the departure of the vessel in the state in which she left port. If thousands of pounds were spent in bringing the offenders to book it was necessary that steps should he taken to prevent a recurrence of such a disaster.

Mr McLaren also asked what was to be done in the matter, which was a most serious one. The vessel had been overloaded and men had gone to their death.

The Hon. J. A. Millar said that an appeal was pending on the ‘Duco case, and as soon as tlmt was settled the Department would take action. The vote was agreed to. At 4.20 a.m. Mr Massey protested against sitting longer. The House had been working for 18 hours and he had had enough of it. The country would not tolerate this method of doing its business. He moved the adjournment.

The motion was lost by 29 to 15. THE AUCKLAND CONCILIATION

COMMISSIONER

On t-lie vote, Department of Labor, £25,928. Mr Poole said that , there was profound dissatisfaction with the Conciliation Commissioner for Auckland. It was a blot on the Act that such a man should have been appointed, notwithstanding til© fact that he did not have, and never would have, the confidence of the community. The Hon. J. A. Millar said that the Commissioner, Mr Giles, had proved a most successful man in settling disputes and ha# earned the enconinms of men and masters alike. The"same remarks applied to Messrs Holley and Triggs, who were doing good work in their districts. Mr Massey said that Mr Giles had received the appointment for political services rendered to the Party in power. That was what he objected to. He quite admitted that the Commissioner had been a success as such. Sir Joseph Ward denied that men had been rewarded for political services, but said that men belonging to anv political narty had a right to be appointed, and the Labor Department’s estimates were agreed to without reduction. . At 5.20 a.m. the Prime Minister agreed to an adjournment until 10 a.m. THE NATIVE LAND QUESTION. The House resumed at 10 a.m. today. On the vote Lands and Survey Department £231,966, Mr Herries complained of delay in opening up Native land for settlement and urged that the money voted, for the purpose should be expended. The Premier said that the delays in the opening of Native land would, under the new Bill, be done away with. Land for landless Natives in the South Island would be laid off during the next two months.

WANGANUI RIVER SERVICE—A

HEATED DEBATE

A long discussion ensued upon miscellaneous'items of expenditure in the Department and there was a heated discussion in ’ regard to the Wanganui river service subsidy. . . . Mr Massey and others criticised the service for its high charges. Mr Hogan said that it has often been hinted that a Minister of the Crown had an interest in the service, but the Premier had denied it. Sir Joseph Ward said that the state, ment was a dastardly lie and neither |ie nor any member of his family had ever had an interest in these services, vet these .contemptuble wretched creatures outside would allow these statements to go about. Referring to certain persons who published the statements he added: “They are too oontemptable to live. When they published that Mr Seddon’s wife was a shareholder, an absolutely contemptuble lie.'' Mr Hcrries protested against the use of the word “lie’rtm 'the House. Mr Wilford (the Chairman) ruled that a member had a right to say that a statement made about him outside was a lie or an untruth and the episode ended at that. , Mr T. E. Taylor moved that the subsidy to Hattricks for the Wanganui river service (£700) be reduced b.v. Lo “In order to bring Hattrick combination to their knees,” he explained. The motion was dost by 42 to 26. The total vote passed and the House adjourned at 1 p.m. . - The House resumed at 2.30 p.m. The items Land for Settlement £7,-. 948, and: State Forests, £22,916, were '.passed, ;-. ' ' ~ • On the vote, : Scenery Preservation Account ' £10,425, Mr Russell moved to reduce the. item £2500, compensation for rands acquired- along the. Wan. ganui' River " by* £2499.’ as, a . protest against- waste of time in discussing the 'Mr . Taylor declared that all the flow of doquentfe about the Wanganui ltiyer indulged in by Mr Hogan was intended to .-bloc'krthe' Defence Bill; s ' , Mr Hogan, in reply,to Mr Taylor, denied the latter’s charges and the . ambhdmeiit was lost on the voices and -the vote, passed. • .

THE AGRICULTURAL DEPARTMENT. . .

Department of Agriculture £184,581. The Minister, replying to Mr Pearce, said that poultry export depots were to cease to exist, and that in future they would be carried on to assist in local trade in a way that would enable them to pay their way. The Government poultry farms were now working on the credit Bide.. Mr Massey entered a --’-otest against experimental departments coming into competition with private individuals, citing Raukura and Hamilton a s examples of such interference. As a protest against the laxity of tine methods of the Department in connection with preserved meat Mr Rhodes moved to reduce the item £3,/55 for meat inspectors’ salaries by £l. He said that a recent instance which came under his notice indicated that meat unfit for human consumption had 1 been allowed to leave the country for Australia. *

The Minister said that the matter had already received attention. All the inspectors had to do was to see that the meat was free from disease. The motion was negatived and the House rose at the dinner adjournment.