HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 38, 8 November 1907, Page 7

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

BILL REPORTED. ; The Industrial, Conciliation, and Arbitration Act Amendment Bill was reported from the Labour Bills Committee with amendments.'. Mr. Mnssoy said ho would liko to havo an assurance that the' evidence would bo laid upon tho table prior to tho Bill being talton in Committee. ' Tho Minister for Labour (Hon. J. A. Millar) caid that tho whole of tho evi'donco would ho laid on tho table. AGRICULTURAL LABOURERS' ACCOMMODATION. The Agricultural Labourers' Accommodation, Bill was recommitted to enable tho Ministor to move a new stili-olaui;o as follows:—"In any case whore agricultural labourers are employed by contractors, suoh accommodation aa may be proscribed by regulation shall be provided by the contractors." Several members impressed on tho Minister tho necessity for care in the framing of regulations and in tho appointment ol inspectors, and tho clauso was passed.. Tho Bill'was then read a third time. THE MEIKLE CASE. Tho Premier road a lottor forwarded by him to the Chief Justice on the Meiklo case. In that lottor tho Premier asked the Chief Justice at the next sitting of the Court of Appeal in March to havo prepared for .submission to Parliament legislation of a general character that would best meet tho case • also to ask tho .judges to assist Parliament by recommending as regards compensation, a measure which, based on broad and equitable lines, would do substantial justice to the claimant) or in the alternative, and preferably, to recommend to Paiiiamont what sum of money they thought, under the cir-

oiimstnncos, should bo pnid. Tlio Premier also road a reply from tho Chief Justice! agreeing to do as requested. Course to bo Followed. Continuing, the Premier said he intended to follow tho conrso indicated in his loiter. Ho did so because a number of member:; of tho House had informed him of their views and that thoy were determined to oppose tho Bill on account of its special application. The Government had mado the Hill apply only to Moiklc, knowing that general legislation would be difficult to frame. Hut members of the House had determined it should not go through. Ho had boon informed that attempts to proceod with it would result in protracted delays. He hoped that as tho outcome of the intention outlined in the correspondence the muttor would bo settled definitely next session. Tho question of compensation could not very woll ho submitted until the judge's report was received. • Continuing, tho Premier said ho was bound to defer to tho wishes of thoso members who wanted general legislation. Ho thanked the Chief Justice for his promptitude in replying, and hopod that next session a measure would bo ulncod on tho Statute Book which would give full effect to tho recommendations of the Royal Commission. .. . Mr. Masscy Expresses Surprise. ' Mr. Masscy said ho had listened with sonio surprise to tho statement of/tho ?'remier. Ho'had understood that tho Committee which had boon sot up by the Houso to enquire into the caso would have had an opportunity of doing so. Mr. Hornsby: Tho Committee has not boon Set up yet. - Mr. Massey: Well, it was proposed to bo' sot up, and a motion to thai effect was 6n tho Order Paper. He thought a wrong conrso was proposed. Government was giving; away its functions. It was the duty of the Government to prepare legislation and bo responsible for it to Parliament. \ ' • A Question of Firmness. .- , - . If tho Government had shown as. much firmness 1 over this matter as they had over other legislation tho Bill would havo boon quickly passed, so far as tho Houso of Representatives was concorned. One of the Oppositionists. Mr. Hornsby concurred with tho statement of the Prime Minister. ' Ho desired to say that there had boon an attempt made in tho country to, attribute the opposition to the Bill to personal.motives on the part of members. This was incorrect. Thero had been no.personal feeling whatever. What they had objected to was tho endeavour to mako this measure particular in its application. They wanted a: general nieasuro, as suggested by the Commission, for the public weal of tho Dominion. . Mr. Fisher Sarcastic. ; '■ : Mr. Fisher said that qvery, member of > the Houso was fully awaro of tho patriotism and high seusQ of duty which had imbued the hon. gentlemen Who opposed tho Bill. (Opposition laughter.) He rogrottod that tho position of the Premier was due to this fact and was a-concession to half a dozen members of tho House. A.Member: Not half a dozen. Mr. Fisher continued that tho position was tantamount to saying that if half a dozen members wont to <tho wbolo House and declared that thoy.wero. opposed to a'Bill, that it would bo postponed. (Laughter.) Next year ho believed tho Premier would find himself in exactly tho same position over this. Bill. '. Ho- was glad tho judges and not members of tho Houso woro to deal with tho case. Ho hoped tho Promier would yet got a measure.,through this, sossion and thereby fulfil his promise to a Wellington deputation. Ho regretted that the Leader of tho Government should have been forced into his present position by a few members of tho Houso.

Other Speakers. .... Messrs. T. Mackenzie nnd Remington thought-the Premier, under tho circiunadopted the proper course. Mr.'Ban mo. saw iio roason why oxceptioh should boon taken to tho Bill; Jhe Premier in Reply. • In reply, tho Promior said tho Go.vornment ■ would not, bo abrogating its duties. When tho report camefrom the judges they would finally deal with' it and submit tho matter to Parliament. As to want of firmness' on the part'of tho_ Govornmont, from information ho had received after tho second reading of tho Bill, ho had no hesitation in saying that tho'Bill would not have gono- through in ten days. A largo number of' members wore in sympathy with the ten who had,opposed, it in ordor, to got legislation of a general character. Twenty-eight • mombers had mado a statement to that effect to him. Mr. Massey: Twenty-eight mombers.woro opposed to 1 tho Lolnd Bill, but you : know what happened. The Premior replied that if ho woro opposed to a system of legislation, and had twonty-cight members with him ho would oppose it for session aftor, session. ,Ho doalt further with the caso, and concluded 'that he thought the desire of those who had hold out for tho original measure would bo satisfactorily accomplished. Tho business of tho day was then proceeded with. CHRISTCHURCH DRAINAGE. The Christchurch District . Drainage Bill was'postponed from ..its committeo stages. Mr. Gray (Christchurch) read a telegram from tho Christchurch City Council asking for delay, stating that otherwise the Bill would become law before the Council had had an opportunity of perusing it. SEA FISHERIES BILL. Tho Sea Fisheries Bill was committed. At clause 2 Mr, Massey made a, general criticism of tho Bill, and showed tho necessity thoro was for careful consideration before schomes such as tho present woro undertaken. Ho roforred to tho loss over the schooner tho "Countoss of ltanfurly." This venture had cost tho Dominion a lot of money. He had objected in tho first instance, and ho had proved to bo correct. Insufficient caro was exercised beforo ventures were undertaken. •

The Hon. C. H. Mills said there had beon a-loss over the sahoonor', but.it was duo to tho Island administration.' It was not tho fault of the Government. Oysters for All, ' ■ Mr. Millar, replying to criticisms, said the Dominion possessed a most valuable asset in tho way or oyster beds, and yet the' public wore inadequately supplied. And the beds wero being depleted to such an extent, and in such a manner, that thoy would not last much longer. "I don't want to start oyster shops," said tho Ministor, "but I do want cho' peoplo to havo their oyster beds conserved to them, and to bo ablo to obtain oystors at a reasonpble price.'.' More Socialism. Mr. James Allen described' tho proposals as another outcrop of Socialism. Ho ridiculed tho Bill, and drew an amusing picture of tho Minister standing, opener in hand, and wearing a white apron, selling oysters in a shop. ' Tho Ministor furthor said his idea was to havo tho picking dono systematically under an inspector who would set apart an area to be picked each tide. Ono inspector could not look after all:tho boats when they wero working over a wido area as at present. Aftor tho dinner adjournment, Mr. Ell moved to amend Clause 2 (which directs that tho Minister may employ persons to pick oysters, and may purchaso'or. hiro boats for that end) by adding the words "and catching fish." The amendment was lost by 35 votes to 18. ■ Clauso 2 was then adopted. Tlio remaining clauses were disposed of lifter considerable opposition, and tho Bill was reported. INDICTABLE OFFENCES BILL. Tho Indictable Offences Summary Jurisdiction Amendment Bill was reported from Committee without amendment. PUBLIC SERVICES CLASSIFICATION. A Public Services Classification Bill was brought down by Governor's Message

FLOUR AND POTATO BILL. In moving that tho House go into committee to consider tho Flour and other Products Monopoly-Prevention Bill, Sir Joseph Ward said ho felt tho Hill would commend itself to all sections of the House. He said it held out an incentive to tho wheat-growers to produce fur the wants of tho people, if duty were mmnved, production would ho discouraged, nr-'i the Dominion would lie placed at the mercy r>f outside monopolies. There was a twideroy in other countries to go out of wheat-producing in favour of other industries, and if this country'were depending on prices ruling outside and not on its own growers, things might bo in a worse position than at present. Tho proposals of tho jiill would apply a system which would bo more effective, under'the circumstances, than tho sliding scale at first proposed. In tho latter case the price of bread would have to bo taken as the basis, and that would be difficult, because in different towns thoro were dijferont prices. The' Will would allow only a fair profit for tho wheat-grower, the seller, and tho bakor. The same provisions also applied to potatoes. Somo members might consider £7 per ton for potatoes too high a basis on which to start operations, but ho showed that, if it wore lower, potato-growing might ho affected. Tho Premier referred to other .provisions of tho .Bill, and pointed out that all sides had representation on tho Court of Arbitration that was to decide as to values. The.average price 'was to he taken over all Australia and New Zealand.

Tho debate was carried on by Messrs. Hogg, T. Mackenzie, Hogan, Ell, Reid, and I'latman, and tho Premier having vory briefly replied, tho Bill was set down for committee to-day.

The Sea-Fisheries and Indictable Offences summary Jurisdiction Bills were read a third tunc; and the House rose at 12.30 a.m.