PARLIAMENT.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2693, 24 December 1909, Page 5

PARLIAMENT.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

MISCELLANEOUS BUSINESS. '

I Pick Prims Association.! WELLINGTON, Dec. 23. At the afternoon sitting of the Legislative Council to-day, the AttorneyGeneral protested against the action of the Lower House in continually rejecting the amendments made by the Council in money Bills, and the Council adjourned to wait for Bills from the House. At the evening sitting the Public Service Classification and Superannuation Bill and the Rotoiti Validation Bilk were put through all stages, and tlie Council adjourned till 9.30 a.m. next day. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. PUBLIC SERVICE" SUPERANNUATION AND CLASSIFICATION. Late last night Sir Joseph Ward mov ed the second reading of the Public Service Classification and Superannuation Amendment Bill and he briefly explained the provisions of the Bill, which include clauses making grants of £3OOO and £25,000 respectively to the Police and Railway Superannuation Funds in order to put the same on a sound financial basis. Clause 8, which fixes the maximum retiring allowance at £3OO a year, would be struck out, as it would be unfair to ask a man to pay upon a higher salary than £3OO and only receive that amount as retiring allowance. Mr Allen, while approving the provisions of the Bill generally, regretted that Clause 8 was to be abandoned altogether. It was desirable to have a maximum pension of £3OO and this pension should have been on the Statute Book long ago. Mr Wilford supported the Bill but asked that the nolico should be consulted before further legislation affecting their superannuation fund was introduced. Mr Herdman asked if the civil servants affected) by the Bill, who contributed to tlie fund, were consulted before the Bill was introduced. Sir Joseph Ward, replying, said he could not see his way to hold over the provisions of the Bill as they affected the Police Department. The second reading was agreed to. STATE GUARANTEED ADVANCES.

■ ■’.Amendments to, consolidate the law relating to Native lands and lands for settlement and state guaranteed advances, were introduced by Governor’s message. (These refer to the financial provisions of the Native and Lands for Settlement Bills mentioned earlier in the sitting). A discussion of a highly technical nature ensued resulting in progress being reported to obtain the Spea'ker’s ruling on a point raised by Sir Massey whether a clause which had been previously rejected could be brought down bv Governor’s message for reconsidera. tfon. The Speaker ruled that this could be done so long as the Bill had not left the House. ' ' After 12 in Committee Mr-Sidey moved to except the clause under discussion which nad tlie effect of reinsorting in the State Guaranteed Advances Act the provision for tho investment of municipal sinking funds with the public trustee. The motion was defeated by 37 to 27. Mr Massey said there had been most mean and contemptible tactics. Mr Taylor, Christchurch, said he could see nothing wrong with the Govern rhent’a action. Mr Hogan contended that the Government had an equal right with both Houses to influence legislation. Sir Joseph Ward, in reply, said he had made no secret of his intention to keep the clause. He dobouneed at length the action of members who asked for loans to local bodies and yet denied the right of the Government to control the sinking funds. The amendments to the State Guaranteed Advances Act were adopted, and the House rose at 1.55 a.m. IRRIGATION IN CENTRAL OTAGO. The House met at 10 a.m. to-day. A discussion arose on the subject of irrigation in Central Otago on a paper presented’ by the Hon. R. McKenzie, who, in reply to members, said that the Government hadi no idea of going in for a scheme which might' involve an outlay exceeding £IOO,OOO, without investigation. The whole matter was under the Minister’s control at present, and various proposals were under consideration. ' PUBLIC SERVICE BILL. In the afternoon 'the Public Service Classification and Superannuation Amendment Bill was taken in committee. Clause 8, providing for a maximum retiring allowance of £3OO a year, was retained, but a new sub-clause was addefL on the motion of Sir Joseph Ward, limiting its operation to future contributors. . ‘ / Other minor amendments were made and the Bill was passed. On the motion for the third reading, Messrs Herdman, Herries, and Allen touched bn various aspects of the Bill. The last-named stated that the Bill was a good one, and had his support. Sir Joseph Ward, replying, said that Mr. Herdman’s ' proposal that contributors under the superannuation scheme should be consulted before changes were made, was impossible. Next session he would submit a scale to provide that ho injustice be done to contributors who were paying on a salary larger than £3OO, the maximum pension. \ 'The Bill passed its third reading. ROTOITI VALIDATION BILL. The Rotoiti Validation (No. 2) Bill, which provides for the paying of £3OOO by the Public Works Fund by way of compensation for land taken from the natives for the purposes of the Rotorua water-power scheme, went through feommittee, and was passed. _ , / The Mining Act Amendment Bill was committed. Progress was reported Eind the Bill adopted, and the House rose at 5.30 p.m. OPPOSITION CRITICISM. At the evening sitting, on the motion to go into Committee of Supply, Mr. Massey protested against the late period at which tile Public Works Statement had been brought down. This was, he said, the result of the postponement ot flie session from winter till slimmerj ; ::tihe evil effects of which were nb,w being felt. Dealing with tlie Public Works Statement. Air. Mjssey .said that the Minister of Public "Works had laid himself open to severe - criticism. Referring to the expenditure on the railways, Mr.. Massey said that the - amount for the North Island was £287 500, and for the South Island £399,500, notwithstanding the fact that the North Island was more in need of railways than . the South. Mr. Massey, in the course of his remarks, attacked the co-operative system of railway, works. Though the principle was right, the administration seemed to be at fault. He suggested that two experienced men should be commissioned to inves-

tigate the co-operative system. There was, he said, a falling off in the votes for the backblocks and other votes as compared with last year. He hoped that the Local Government Bill promised by the Premier would be introduced next session, and contain provisions for handing over votes to the larger local bodies, who could expend them in a better manner than the Government. Referring to water power, Mr. Massey , said that something should be done to conserve these resources. Sir Joseph Ward, in replying, adduced figures to show that Mr. Mas,sey’s deduction in regard to the allocation of the railway votes as between the North and South Islands was incorrect. In regard to roads, the expenditure on these last year was the heaviest on record, nearly half a million sterling. Details of roads constructed were given by the Prime Minister, who asked if this was not an enormous work for a country such as New Zealand to execute within 12 months.

Mr. Allen charged the Premier with being the talker-in-chief of the House, and with causing more debate than any other member. Referring to the expenditure on public buildings, Mr. Allen said this was in many cases wasteful. He regretted that so little information was given in regard to railway construction and the policy of the Government in regard thereto. He said deliberately that for political purposes concessions had been made which made the railway s non-payable. The policy adopted in regard to the LawrenceRoxburgh line, of refusing to go on with it because it would not pay 3 per cent on the cost of construction, was indefensible, seeing that a solemn promise had been given to go on with the construction of the line. He hojied that before the end of the session the Premier would make a more satisfactory statement on the subject of railway construction. Sir Hogg commented favorably on the Public "Works Statement, and advocated a liberal policy in regard to public works, which, he said, made for civilisation, and progress. COASTAL STEAMER SERVICES. Messrs Buchanan and Ell continued the debate. The latter moved that in the opinion of the House the State should gradually extend its activities so as to secure in time the command and control of the coastal steamer services of the Dominion. He said that nothing could be more important to the developing of the country than an acquisition of this sort. Sir Joseph Ward said he could not accept the motion, which was lost on a division by 44 to 11. Mr. Pearce quoted figures -with the object of showing that the North Island had not received its fair share of expenditure on railways. (Left Sitting.)