LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 26, 25 October 1907, Page 6

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

MINISTERIAL REPRESENTATION. | Then the' Council ..met yesterday after-- 1 noon, the Hon. J. E. Jenkinson gave notice tq move: "Thaviri:tho opinion of the Council,'it is desirablo that the Government should be represented : by more than oho honourable Minister in tho Legislative CouneiL'! FINAL STAGES. The Supremo Court Practice and 'Procedure Acts Amendment Bill (Hon. Dr. Finilay) .was read a.third, timo and passed, i COAL MINES BILL. ....PASSED AT LAST. > The . Coal'MineS Act Amendment .Bill; Was further considered in committeo. The Hon. J.'E./!Jenkinson (Wellington); who had chargd of'tho measure on behalf of the.Hon; T. Thompson; declined : to accept an amendment moved by tho : Hon. G. J.' Smith (Canterbury) to mako tho award under which certain West Coast miners are debarred from ' the. 'advantages, of the 'eight- hours '.bank 'o bank clause terminate on February 23, .1908. Tile Council divided on -the amendment, which was'defeated'by 20-votes to 8. - i

.How/the Mines are Working. < The Hoii. G. J. Smith had supposed that all. the,'-coal., mines/' except one, wero working under tho eight hours bank to bank system. , He had now.'received authentic information that seveh minqs' worked, til hours bank to bank,' six mines 8i hours bank, to bank, .ond 8 hours and ''.ono 7$ hours bank to bank; m.thecase of six mines the conditions .'were .not specified,'.four worked R hours without tho bank to bank clauso, and one 8 hours with nominal'payment-forover-time. ' ''' ." ' ' ' ' . ' . The Hon.. J. Barr (Canterbury) said the last speaker's figures had omitted to tako account of overtime 'payment, "but the men preferred the eight/ hours bank .to hank 'clause,' and had long asked for it. The Hon. C. M; Luke'(Wellington) again '..insisted.' that ''the'; matter' was one; for' the Arbitration.Court.'' After some further discussiori,"the clause was. agreed to',on the'voices .without amendment, and the'passage of the Bill through committee'was rapidly completed. ' '

Explanations. •" . The third reading was then moved. Tho Hon. G. J. Smith, in seconding the motion, • explained that,/he was not. against tho bank ,to bank-clause, but the .way .in which it was proposed to introduce it. Tho •Bill was special legislation for a , special case, and . would . interfere. with , tho rights. of a Court.of Justice. 1 : •••':■, ,•. The Hon. C. M. Luko made a. similar explanation,' and protested against tho inunendoes that he. and others , wero' unfavourable to Labour legislation.Ho.wished an.extension. of tho, concessions to . The Hon. A. Baldey (Otago), who had supported ,the": Bill, deprecated, the .assertions that there had been, an attempt to bolittle a Court of .Justice', ,/.,y The Hon. J. ;T: Paul (Otago) quoted from parliamentary records, .to justify ' his statement (which had been'questioned) that, tho Arbitration Court,had, refrained from\ fixing the hours of labour in mines on the, ground that. Parliament ..was about to legislate on the subject. . Ho added that lie .was proud to .have taken part in the, passing of tho . first Labour Bill that had come before the Council since his appointment, and ono which dealt with a question witli which ho had long been concerned. Ho hoped it would be the first of many similar measures. Tho Hon. G. Jones, referring to tho opposition to the Bill, said that tho truo . friends of tho workers were tlioso who not only said nice things about them, but took action to benefit them.' ' _ : The Bill then'passed on the voices.'

ANIMALS' PROTECTION BILL. The Animals' Protection Bill (Hon. Dr. Findlay) was further considered in committee. ' At Clause 10, the Hon. J. E. Jonlunson moved to reduc'o the feo for a license to kill imported''game from one pound to ten shil- '' The Attorney-General declined to accept the amendment, 'which had not been put at 4.55, when, on tho motion of tho' Minister, progress was reported, and the Council roso.