THE HOUSE.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 904, 25 August 1910, Page 5

THE HOUSE.

I PROPOSED NEW BILL. When the Housb resumed its sittings yesterday The Hon. 'J. A. MILLAR gavo notice of his intention 1 to ask leave today to introduce the Workers' Compensation -Amendment Bill. THE GAMING PROPOSALS. . Replying to, a query put by Mr. Buick. . : ' -The'PRIME MINISTER stated that the .proposed gaming legislation, was at present' being drafted by the Crown Law. Office. As soon 'as it was prepared and considered by. Cabinet it would be introduced, but he, could not tell exactly when. ..-,'■■ ■'' THE TRAMWAYS BILL. Mr. ARNOLD (Chairman .'of'the Labour Bills Committee) .asked that the Labour Bills Committee should be allowed to sit during ; the sitting of the House. He explained that therei were a number of witnesses from Auckland, Dunedin, and Christchurcli in"' town for th'o.piirpose of.giving evidence on tho Tramways Bill. Besides studying the convenience of. ( the -witnesses . the granting cf the application 'would enablo the committee to; report as early as. pdssible. ; . The request'was, after a- : brief discussion, agreed to. . .:.'.. . • WAIAPU COUNTY COUNCIL BILL. A Bill to .enable the Waiapu County Council to-undertake certain harbour, works iii .Tokomaru . Harbour was, upon the motion of Mr. Maedonald (Bay of Plenty), read a first time: , .POST-AUDIT PROPOSALS. The Government measure providing for. the .establishment 1 of the post-au-dit system in \comiection with tho State "accounts was introduced and read a EfsE. time. Replying to a question, Tho" PRIME MINISTER stated ' that lie intended to ask that, the Bill should be referred to the Public Accounts'.Committee 'after it, had been read a second time, pro forma. ■■■'.••. LEGISLATURE AMENDMENT BILL. Tho Legislature Amendment Bill (a summary of which is given .elsewhere) was then , '■ introduced and read' a first time, u ;.,. ; .• ■' ... . THE EDUCATION QUESTION. CONTINUATION CLASSES SCHEME. In moving the second'reading of his Education'Bill- . .-?■': •■■ ■/ Mr:: SIDEY : (Dunedin South) said the reform proposed would - mean a further appropriation of public money, but it was justified. The Bill provided for free ; and compulsory ; education for young people- from :14 to 18 years of.age. Tliis only meant.tho extension of a principle already. on the Statute Book. Tho alteration was the increase of the ■age from 14' to 18. .The Bill'provided for -the establishment; of three 'classes of continuation- schools—general, .trade, and industrial, and, rural schools.'Tiie Bill sought to. force every 1 employer"(to" permit an employee's attendance at a continuation: school.. The management of. the: schools will, be,left to : a .board which would-fix the; hours to' suit the local conditions. Over half of, ■Qβ, pupils who .went to the primary schools : went ; through the full number of standards, and what, he asked, became of them',after, they left school? From figures. he had secured there , were 3-3,000 to 40,000 . young ■ people who never received any further instruction after ; they left. school. Ho quoted various reports and additional figures in support of his -measure.

Views of Mr. Fowlds. ; V The Hon. G. FOWLDS said that ho was very heartily in sympathy] with most of the-objects of tho Bill.' Ho hoped to introduce a number of :.imcndmeuts to the education law within a few days. These would go, he believed, as far as Mr. Sidey could expect iii view of .all the circumstancos. Ho realised that continuation : classes would 'be a. great benefit ,in making permanent what had been' taught, in the ordinary schools. We could go "a long way towards securing the defence of our country if provision wore made for the further education of children between 14 and 18. He- presumed, that after tho second, reading Mr. Sidey_ would move that it be referred to the Education Committee/ If that were done he would not raise any objection.

Mr. G. M. THOMSON' (Dunediu North) supported the Bill. Most of tho technical schools of .New Zealand were really continuation schools except in the trad© classes. One of the first essentials, was that discipline should bo enforced. Hitherto we had been dealing with free pupils, but this would mean dealing with a class who did not wisli'and had no desire for the education,- and the. troubles already. experienced " would: bo , increased. It was grounding in the elementary .subjects that should be kept'up. He thought-it would be a mistake to limit the hour of. closing to 8 p.m. . Employers'were feeling harassed as a result of tho legislation of '■ the past ■few years, and he thought that the proposal to take time out of the work the youHg people gave to their employers would.lead,to further complaint. ■ ■/.•■•■' Mr. HANAN (Invercargill) supported the Bill,, and urged the importance of encouraging the youth of Now Zealand to fit them selves in tho fullest possible manner for the battle of. life. . .Ho trusted that - the Government would bring in a measure which.would meet tlio ends aimed at. .'• Mr, Russell en Technical Education; ; Mr. G. W. "RUSSELL (Avon) thought the Bill was utterly wanting in a definition what constitutor!-a continuation scholar. An improvement in the education system was wanted, but at the present time ho was of opinion that a. large amount, of money was, being wasted on what is called. technical education. ■'An ■ extension, of the primary system by utilising the seventh standard could lie made which.would save a a large amount pf money now expended on technical education, and the instruction would bo moro general. Ho would support the second reading of tho Bill, because it affirmed the principle of education in a practical direction. Mr. LUKE (Wellington Suburbs) defended the technical school system at some length. Tho continuation school idea was not a new one, liufc wo woro not in tho same position. to carry it out as some of the older countries. Ho was opposed to the compulsory clause in regard to the employer: ■ In . his opinion not only tho House but tho whole country would object to it.

Mr.. MALCOLM (Clutha) thought that the. adoption of the proposals would lead to the breaking up of tho homo,life. Wherever there wero signs of exceptional ability no pains should bo spared to develop it. He thought tho education system should bo amended so as to keep our brilliant men. Ho thought education was compulsory up to too high a standard at present. Tho attempt to educate somo children after the third standard was only an injury I to the scholar and a loss to tho State. I In lii-s opinion youths should bo taualit

trades, but certainly not compulsorily. The proposals made would not, he be-. Heved, conduce to the best interests of the Dominion. Mr. E. H. TAYLOR (Thames) did not think the night classes would have a disastrous effect on home life, but it would be impossible to force children from 14 to 18 years of nge to go to tlie classes. Ho did not wish to see tho present Bill become law, but it would be most useful if tho Minister for Education would take notice of the discussion with a view to bringing down legislation. Remarks by Hon. T. Mackenzie.. ■ The Hon. T. MACKENZIE congratulated Mr. Sidey on his energy in introducing legislation which showed evidence of industry and research. The Education Committee would go into the Bill, and let the House have their views for guidance. Wo should encourage young'people to go abroad and to return to this country when they had gained an experience and efficiency such as wo could not give them in this young country. ■ The difficulty in Now Zealand was that all the cities wanted schools of the same kind, instead of all combiuiiig and getting one excellent school. Tho second reading was then agreed to, after which Mr. Sidey moved that the 'Bill be referred to the Education Committee. The House then adjourned, it being 11.25 p.m. . '