LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 45, 16 November 1907, Page 7

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

i, THE FEEDING OF CHILDRI-N. The Hon. S. Thome George asked the hon. the Attorney-General whether the Government swill consider tho question of publishing in each issue of tho " School' Journal" a chapter on tho feeding' and upbringing of children; also, whether they will givd instructions .that' copiee of tbo journal shall bo forwflfded>to members of tho Legislature. ■ The/ Hon. Dr. Findlay 'replied that the journal'would contain lessons onhcalth,' arid stich as was referred to would be given- as opportunity arose. Thoro was no objection to the journal being sent to members of tho Legislature. .'. , ... _ ; J, f - r THJE AmoKURA. >. The f Hon,iCaptain Bailjio moved fora return in! rejation-tq the Amokura,- showing— (1) Th6;;number. and'..status-,flf- air officers, warrant; officers,; other.employees, and, boys; their Ipay;.and emoluments;. (2V the co3t per mensem, of (al ; upkoep. of-the ship, t (b)- food, (c) stores,,; (d)i;ooaly:and (e) incidental expenses;" and-(3)-the total of all expenses incurred in. relation.to < the ship since the date of tho, last return—namoly, September 10; 1906/. : ,-. ~ ,■■„. - '

The-mover, said he believed tho training ehip was a.desirable thing; but he thought it was costing more than was anticipated. The Attorney-General' said there was no objection to-furnishing the information. V FROM THE LOWER HOUSE.' , The.Taicri Land-.Drainage Bill, Fisheries Conservation Amendment Bill, Canterbury College.; Endowment: Bill," Education ' Act Amendment Bill, Public Health Act Amendment -Bill," Post and" Telegraph Classification.Bill, Otago Presbyterian Church Board of Property .'Act ! Ainend'mont Bill, , Parliamentary.:, and:■ Executive Titles Bill, Public Bervico Classification Bill, aiid the Beer Duty Act Amendment Bill were received from the Housoof Representatives and read a first; time.'/; _ The,: amendments made' by the House of Representatives in the Statutes Repeal Bill and'tho , .Infant Life Protection Bill wero agreed to. • '• < ' ' ' THE HIGH COMMISSIONER'S STAFF. The' Hon. T. Koniiedy Macdonald moved to &ave ; the ..return in connection with the g l e?;V ( W m ' 3i "9ner , s office printed forthwith, iicsaid that in this : return they had, for th ?.7! rs V.> me .,ftn accurate statement con- £ e ™ n^V he - st ? ff nnd expenses of tho HiVh Commissioners.office in London. ,lt showed ttI ?P.. J%. High. Commissioner had twentyf? v l n # er ? 0 ?? on. his,staff, yet probably any Ne . w ..v z p. a !? n der who had visited the'office woiildh .think: there were only six or soven. Only .four of the gontlomon in tho office had ever resided in New Zealand. IVo of these , belonged, to the dairy, branch, and those were, practically; new to .tho staff. Apart g°™;™ e ;> e >. % ..two. chief officers under the High Commissionorhad been away from the Dpmimp.n , : years and" fifty-two yoars 'respectively. The. subject was an imP°r|? n .t ,pne and it would come before tho on the motion, to be moved by him on Monday: '~.[_■].'..' _The-' Attorney-General said the" printingoffice, was at present blocked with Bills which, were urgently needed to be printed! subject to this necessity, the return would 6e printed' as, soon-as possible

":;■.._;.>. TrIE LAWAOF LIBEL. ! H ??; rJ -" A - Shlclair "gave -notice to ask-the Attorney-General'if the Government would introduce legislation to bring the law o libel .-into lino with English law, especi-ally-m regard'to tho consolidation of actions •gainst newspapers: • . ■■• ■■ ■■ -■■■ l;HE r 'cMINESE QUESTION. >• ;SFACTORffiS BILL PASSED. Consideration of the Factories Act Amendmcn.t: v ? 1" was resumed atclauso 16, which prohibits the registration as a factory of promises occupied by Chinose unless tho occupier is in occupation at the timo of the paMing of this Act.. ■:.*:• AttorncyGenoral said , he had discussed the .clause with tho Minister for Labour, who■ considered it was too drastic He. therefore moved to amend it to read as follows:— "No promises, the occupier or intended occupier of which is a person of tho Chinese race, shall hereafter be registered as a factory under the authority of tho.principal Act. : This section shall not apply to any person of the Chinese race who is a resident in' New Zealand at the timo of the passing of ■this" Act." The /Hon. J. Rigg 'regretted that the clause,.should bo rendered any less drastic The Hon. G. J. Smith suggested that, in new of the additional restrictions that were now being placed on Chinese, the amendment'might be accepted. The Hon.T. Kelly objected to the clauso on/.tKc"grounds, of fairness. The, Hon. J- T. Paul opposed tho amendment'. ;• He thought,the Labour Department would havo difficulty in determining, a few years hence, the date when a Chinaman had landed. The Hon. T. Thompson said that, when Chinamen were naturalised, it *vas not fair

and just to deny them the rights of citizens as proposed in tho clause. Ho wished they could be kept out altogether. The Language Test. • The Attorney-Genova) replied that the best class of Chinaman did not come to Now Zealand, and ho thought that practically all those who would otherwise come hero would bo prevented by ' tho language test, which would be imposed by the Chinese Immigrants Amendment Bill now before Parliament. Those who would. cprno would be educated mon, and not of a class likely to start laundrie3. Tho language test had been found, elsewhere to be tho most effective mbans.of oxclusion permitted by tho Imperial authorities. He yielded to no one in his aversion to Chinese immigration, but the amendment was a matter of justice. No More Naturalisation. Tho Hon. J. Bigg moved to further amend tho clause as follows: —"This section shall not apply to any person who is a naturalised British subject and who is it resident of New Zealand at the time pf the passing of this Act. , .' The Attorney-General, in declining to accept the amendment, said that the present Government had hot naturalised any Chinese, and did not intend to do so. Ho did not think that any future administration in Now Zealand would haturaliso Chinese. ' . Tho. amendment was lost on the voices. The 'Attornoy-Gcueral's amendment was carried by 24 votes t0,2. . , Monday Holidays. The Hon. Colonel Fcldwick had a new clause, on the order paper to give tho President of the Arbitration Court pow.er to declare, that any public holiday falling on a Saturday shall bo observed throughout the Dominion on the Monday following. The Attorney-General said he could ■ not accept the clause. It could only apply to one lioliday, the birthday of the Sovereign, and if such a change were to be mado for the whole Dominion it should be done by statute.. .....-'

The Hon. Colonel Feldwick then withdrew the clause.. The Bill was. reported with amendments, read a third time, and passed. BILLS OF EXCHANGE BILL. On the motion of the Attorney-General, the Council decided to insist on its amendments to the Bills of-Exchange Act Amendment Bill (which the Houso had disagreed with), and the Hons. J. B. Callan, C. J. Johnston, J. Anstey, and Drf Findlay were appointed managers. ' ; ! STAMPING MACHINES The Post Office Act Amendment Bill, which has passed through the Lower House, was read a second time, and put through its final stages. PUBLIC SERVICE CLASSIFICATION. SALARIES OF PARLIAMENTARY , OFFICERS. The Attorney-General moved the second reading of the Public Service ClassificationBill. ■ : ' The Hon. T. Kelly drew attention to the fact:that officers of the Legislative Council wore less liberally treated in tho matter of salaries than 'the officers of thei other '-'House. The Hon. J. Rigg said that the officers'of the Legislative Counoil were paid considerably smaller salaries than'those of'the Lower House, and this should be rectified. Hβ especially instanced the salary of' the Chairmart of Committees. ,Tho Hon. W. C. Smith referred to Clause 17,' which proposes to raise the salaries of the Clerk of the Houso and the Assistant Clerk to £650 and £450 per annum.respectively, whilo no proposal was made for similar increases in connection with this Chamber.. Yet they had in the Council'the Clerk of Parliaments, a higher office than any in the other House. This Bill would make the Clerk of Parliaments reccivo £50 per annum less than the Clerk of the House of Representatives. Moreover, the Clork and Assistant Clerk in tho Council had held office longer than the corresponding officer's in the other Chamber. Ho considered also that the honorariums of members of both Houses should be increased. Tho sessions were longer, the work was moro strenuous, and the demands on members were greater -tlian heretofore. • ;

Salaries of the Two Speakers. He also wished to draff attention to the salaries of the two Speakers. Last session tho salary..of the §peaker in another place was raised, but no increase was made in the salary of the Speaker of the Council, which (like that of the other Speaker until last year) had remained the same for about forty years. Yet the Speaker of the Council had the same responsibilities as tho Speaker of the Lower House, although thero were not so many late sittings,' and his position was supposed to be the higher one. Tho position was, however, 1 placed on ja level as regards salary.with that of the Chairman of Committees of the other House, whose salary, together with that of his two assistants, amounted to the same sum. as that of the Speaker of tlio Council. The Hon. W. W. M'Cardle said the salarios of ; the members of the Government ought to bo increased. i The Attorney-General said that when tho Bill was in Committeo ho would, at the first- clause, move to report progress, with a view t6 consulting his colleagues. The second,reading was agreed to, and the course indicated.by tho Attorney-Goneral was subsequently followed. • BILLS-PASSED. Tho following Bills passed their second readingt—Fishories Conservation Act Amendment, Public Health Act Amendment. Post and Telegraph Classification, Otago Presbyterian Church, Board of Property Act Amendment, Parliamentary and Executive Titles Beer Duty Act Amendment, Tnieri Land Drainage, Canterbury College Endowment, education Act Amendment.

With tho exception of tho Public Health Act Amendment Bill, which was hold back for further amendments, the ab'ovo Bills were put through Committee with little or no amendment, and were then read a third time and passed. THE PUBLIC TRUST OFFICE. The Attorney-Goneral moved the committal' of the Public Trust Office Amendment Bill, which, gives the Public Trusteo power to deal with uncared-for property. Tho Bill, as amended by the Statutes Revision Committee, is summarised elsewhere. Clause 2 was amended to give the' Public Trustee power to lease property administered by him under these provisions for a term not oxceeding 21 years (instead of five ytnrs). The Bill was further amonded by the Legislative Council last night, as roported elsewhere. FIRST READINCS. The Chinese Immigrants Act Amendment Bill, tho. C'o-operativo Dairy Companies Bill the Divorce Amendment Bill, and tho Rangitatau Block Exchango Bill woro received from the House of Representatives and road a first time. The Council rose at 9.15 p.m.