HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Inangahua Times, Volume IX, Issue 1453, 6 October 1884, Page 2

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Wellkjctok, 30. ; Tho House resumed at 7.30. I Yogel moved the second reading of tlie District Railways LeHsni'T ~ airl Purchasing Bill. The Bill, he said, 'would' not increase the liability of 1 Government, but its intention was to ; take advantage of the unfortunate position into which the companies had fallen, ana obtain redress on most favorable terms, The total mileage of these Railways was about 125, and thp total purchasing prices £000,000. Should there be any loss in working the railways half of such loss was to be born by the ratepayers, providing it did not exceed 2 percent. Securities under .District' Rrailways had been most unfortunate, they were iv fact unsaleable with something like 7 per cent interest. He went on to explain, although he was chairman of one of the. companies, he had resigned on taking office, so that it could not be said lie had any personal interest. He concontended that . under any. .ou'enmstances Government w.ere pieced to purchase theee lines, and there was no more favorable time than the: plftsaut. Montgomery would oppo.se the MM, and said a number of these sr.iall lines ' iarl been commenced so as to benefit j holders of large areas in the neighborhood of tho railway. The shareholders in the companies new refused to pay j np calls, and they came to Government i for relief. He, objected to the liiu\s being taken over, and denied that the. liability of Government would not b>." increased. If Government were, going to take over liabilities of this kind he would prefer to see them take over „ works such as Napier harbor works, which he characterised as a perfectly honest work. If it came to a division he would vote agains the Bi 1. ' Fergus was glad to support the Treasurer in the matter. His reason for supporting the Bill was that land had been purchased by settlers because there was,,.to lie railways constructed, and it would \m a breach of faith if the li.rffe were not purchased. The lines &h -mid never have been allowed to l>e Constructed by private companies, j the Government should have un-ler-i tikan the work, He referred particularly to the Waimea Plains Railway. W. J. Steward supported the bill, as a solution of the grave difficulty occasioned by the action of Parliament 'in sanctioning these lines. Taking ; over the lines -would not involve the \ Government in one penny of sacrifice I it was simply a question of judicious j finance, the results of which would be to relieve the burdens of a large class of settlers. Duncan supported the Bill Turubull said. although he, had op* I posed the. measure, in 1879, he saw nothing now but. to take the lines : over. .: Fulton asked the House to reject j the bill. j Harper supported the Bill, arguing that it was an open question whether the colony was not responsible, for the , sums borrowed by those companies. I Rolleston thought the bill had not been circulated sufficient time for members to understand. He had supported the bill in 1879, but times ' had changed since, and he would not now give it his support. He, however hoped to see the debate adjourned ; until they had the whole of the Public Works policy before them. Macandrt-.w thougt the lines had not been constructed for the benefit of the colony and he would be swallowing a very bitter pill if he voted for the ; second reading. He denied altogether ■ that if the Plouse rejected the bill they | would be breaking faith with anybody. He would not say, however, that he would vote njjainst it, but it went very much against the grain. i Bryce would like, to see the debate adjourned . He said that the bill was not so innch for the relief of shareholders as it was for ratepayers, and he thought that would be a dangerous precedent. If they agreed to the bill they would be wanted to take over liabilities of all works which were not a success. Le vesta m said the bill proposed the relief of shareholders of 3 per cent. Why was this ? Simply because the debenture holders Relieved their security was of little value, but by Government taking over the liabilities such securities would rise to their full value. Hatch and Grigg also supported the bill. Lake opposed, and contended if the bill passed it would increase the liability of Government. Wakefield said the arguments in favor of th ft bill were contradictory. They had been told that tiles- 1 railways worn paying, and also that they had done good in opening up Crown lands, and they were also told that another good feature of tho bill was that no more railways were to bo constructed under the District Railways Act. He denied that the lines in question were a financial success, and he nrguetl that the shareholders knew when they went into the speculation that if it was a failurfl Government would relieve them of their responsibility. He mentioned the fact in contradiction of an assertion that he had heard made about the public spiritednesn of the men who embarked in thesp schemes, and who deserved their favorable consideration. He saw no reason for opposing the bill. He said Government would have to tnkp over local liabilities with rti scrim ination, and (hat was what the bill

{Miipnn tt!. •■ io., I\ CoUiii:;tP9 uiiey uligbt nakkj laftd in the neighborhood poriiianeritly £liiable-, Jfor a portion of tbe defioiency^and fi)c the purchase piice at a rea^oiiable figuve. Trimble cov^isbllnd^tlie:ii to let tbe.ie railways stand^as^tiey" were, if for no other reason \ th&u to operate &s a caution against sche-.jes si.nilr.v oo these being gone into iv the future. Yogel in reply denied that the r\i ] - ways proposed.to.be taken over* were failures, in fact the leeeipts !-.ad covered i expenditure, and he, wa' 1- • tain as Government lines they woiMu be even more successful. .lii.G-W.ev •- nient were .to take over the lines at the value taken at the '.ime of construction, there would be less depreciation for wear aud tear. If this bill passed Govern uienfc wouUi obtain these lines on such favorable terms that it would be a great iWgftt.i for the colony. He thought evey member in the House wooldftavo bee i glad if he could have brought down a measure of this kind, and \- \v«n i because some other person had done this he attributed much of tlie opposition met with. A division was taken on the motion for the second reading — Ayes, £5 ; Noos, 17. Atkinson complained of: the attacks made on the late Government by Yogel. If Government was to be carried on in this way he wished it tobe understood, avid he ventvu'cd to iea^, that the present Government would not come out besc The late Government had only carried out the law, and insisted that the ratepayers carry out the engagements voluntarily entered int/\ He denied that thesecurities were not good. Yogel did not know of anything ho ; had done which he should not; have done. The motion was carried, aad the bill read a second time. In Committee on the. Parliamentary Honorarium and Privileges.Billj'/Kiifeskl moved that the amount be £itfp instead of £210. The question 'was put that the words as printed 'Stattdk^Ayes, 42; Noes, 46., 1 '.^" 1 "" 1 On a division on No. 7 claugei^Uicli provided that no naflmher be., disqualified for servi ig on a Royal Cotuiriission or receiving fee .or allowance, was struck out by 37 to 15. : <f i Wellington, 1. ! The House met at 2.30. p.m. ; The repoi-t on the Trustees* Executors and Agency Act (18S2) Amendment Bill was adopted. . The New Zealand Company's Euii powering Bill was read a third time 1 aii<l passed. ! Macandrow gavo notice that ho would move that greater eiicon-'age-ment be given for the manufacture of paper in this colony., I Wakefield gave, notice th.it lie would ask if it was intended to aifoi'd greater protection to the fisheries of Lake Ell earn we l>y the " v appointment of , raugors, etc. I Newman gave notice that he would i ask Government to make arrangements | for paying their servants full salaries- * when absent on leave. Yogel gave noLi-je that he would introduce a Life Insurauce Policy Bill ; also, a bill to provide for the better management of coal exporting ports. Sir G. Grey gave notice of a bill providing that Supreme Court Judgoa be appointed for five years and n^ longer. Replying to questions put— It was stated that while, it was not j intended to introduce fishermen from Mount Bay, Cornwall, to establish fisheries in New Zealand, the nomination system of immigration when resumed might be taken advantage of for the purpose. A thorough examination would be made of the West Coast of the South ! Island with the view of stimulating the development of mineral resources. There were three diamond drills in the colony, but their services had uot been extensively used by the local bodies. Government would, when a change of the tariff was proposed, deal with the proposal to impose one penny per i pound on imported blasting powder ; meantime they would be prepared to receive opinions on the subject. i A provision to bring into operation in the Nelson district the homestead clauses of the Act in force in Auckland would not bo proposed by Government, but the proposal was embodied in a Private Members Bill now befor« Parliament ; and when that measure was brought on the principle would be discussed.