THE COUNCIL.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 912, 3 September 1910, Page 7

THE COUNCIL.

FIRST READINGS.

'-When -the : Legislative-Council,met., yesterday; afternoon the Public Debt Extinction Bill; the Christcliurch Tramway~District... Amendment I Bill, .the Nelson;! City Drainage Loan and Empowering feßill," and:Vtlie7r.Gisb*orhe'-%.Harbpur Amendment Bill- were ;r"eceiyedf roin the' 'Eeprescnliativeii,;. anduredd -a first; ihaeXy--y.' : M- i r. : --'.''i-- v: : ;- : .y;'^Y^-v-'"■ : INDECENT PUBLICATIONS; BILL: ■■'. liv moving; -the 'committal; ,of; the ' lii''decefit; Publications, Bill* ; .'','- ;■:;, .:.■':': ': :>Tb^^.AVfORNipy,GENERAL' ■ re-: : marked tlia't Vtlio Bill reappeared, before: the-'Council:\with only .a .;fewv;*.amendments%hichv had beeii suggested, ana approved;of by.: the:. Council.during the .secondDireading- debate.".;ln-two .places alterations '.had-.beeiv made difficulties; which would, lie ; in' the way of ? proving mens' rea, of that'the acts .complained . of v : were , ; done-'lihowingly; Tho alteration; which"would, he thought,; probably "find raost 'support in" the Coun-•cir-was,ono. making , theconsent of. tho Attorney-General'requisite in .every case, ■before, a;prosecution "was;.instituted, it .was that; the.police, 'ev.ei^iiifcd''fpr;.tlieir,wbitj;wOTe' ! ii6t-?the , ■persons! to decido .When*a -prosecution. '!shojild take • i placo < -; against. 'arputiliaher of'a. hewspaper:or a yehdoriOt.aV'book; It miglit : .hpt;'|be;'safb: to^leave^life i'de-' cisibii; df wither or not.'a.boiik. or : pa'pb : i-Ivras"mdecent";tp;thefppli.oo.i' Tho< discussions ■ iu fhd'lfeHvs'p'apfl'rßr.a'rid:.else- " where'all. went; to., show,/ that 'tho Bill ; had : not arrived , ,too.Boon,;-and' , that pi'o- ■ perly' adminis'tlre'd it would oppress no, : mani''but-yould.niako.iror.:cleanliness in : so.cials'jlife' , .::ahd-.:'forf tho ■ protection;;, of ,hoys andvgirlsj'who' had.'isuff.erediih the., past.''i.'l'Eo: alteration;in plaiise ; 3,,.which disposed of;;:t ; !)o'neceßsiiy :: for'.. proving. guiityV-.lcnowlddge on tlie; part-of per-; Bois'v .sending' : indecent vi dociiments through : the ..'post; might : be said, by, ■Bome;to. expose innocent;people, but he did'liot; think-. thatvwa's:'so/ as/there wae ..ample; protection. ■'I'hei.alteration would press ..0n.,h0 'innocent man... The. i .At-torney-Gpneral said: he : liad:beeiv:asked by,,a,-society'in Dunedin':.tb..givo. : eJfect. to ,a;suggestion;.which : had by.,.'.;th'e'...;;£[on. - J. .,-M*'Go\yan,;''and ' insert ii:.somef: .provision .. 'for.;' 'dealing With newspapers-which published'., the dirty;;details:of. court cases. ...In hi 3 (Dr. Findlay's). opinion,; "ahd; in; the opinion xof the'-. draftsman of tho Bill, this power was; already provided iu clause -4i ? -r-'-;He himself 'had not. had- the time to;go , fully into the : matter,' but he ; would {'give' it further.- , consideration,; ■and if "there, w'as'the faintest •doubt as , '■ to "whether'.clause' .4;. was sufficient' he; .would, suggest; that -, furthor. provision be niado inthe Bill iu .another place. •■ :■ The! Bill was reported'with., amendr ments and; the'third reading was made »n"order.'6f; the day for.Tuesday.next."

' ; '( 'iTHE MILK SUPPLY,'; 'v . When thp .adjourned'debate; on-the Hoii; Dr. CqUins'a niiUc supply motion waa'reached, '. "".'.■ : --':\: ~■■■■':■,'. '.Tho;: : ; ATTORNEY-GENERAL' ', suggested .that further debate would be . more 'helpful if. it -was: postponed until mext .week'.- Hβ. would go on if the Council so wished, but he had just received 1 , a.letter.'containing;figures as to fthelcost of i.niilk' supply, to' the city, .;and'.ys' the/figures were important he i would like time to: go into them thoIroughly; '/■'■■■: .;•; -:/'•■; ._•; ;Vv. :■' : ■ The "debate was set down as an. order ,ef tliefday_ for'AVcduesday.' ; : .■■'-"■'■ •■'

PHOSPHORUS MATCHES BILL. . .Theadjourned debate -on, tho. second reading of the Phosphorus, Matches Bill' wad ,, continued by - - .. ■ . Tho'Hon.;'J^;T. PAUL (Ofogo)i who . said the ...Bill was' welcome even if it !was 1 somewhat : ..overduo. - : ■' It: was before •the'.ppuucil.mainly.becausoof the'work, of :'.theV. International .Association . for iLabour,. Legislation .formed' in Paris in ;190p'..:: - Many .V. international : Labour treaties' had been the,direct.outcome of;].,tlie. association's iiiiluence, . whioh Bpread over the,most progressive of thp Cbritinehtal countries, Great.: Britain, The association had been unceasing in, its: attempts: to"prbm6te international-Labour treaties, aiid had been'.niost successful. One of theso was .an international-convention regulating -the night work, of women in industrial ■ 'occupations.' "Anotlier : .referred to the prohibition of white: phosphorus 'in the manufacture,of matches. He; contended that' the principle of in-, ternationai or intofcdlonial treaties for Labour, legislation..should be extended/ It .was in the' arrangement of these treaties owl: thp reinovnl of positive hardships that the Association for Labour-Legislation had done such great work.- ■ '.' ' ' '-."'"■ '"■' ,-■ ' : g!hfe;;ATTORNEy-GENERAL thought the roniarks of-'llr. Paul in regard to rcciprdcifcy between Australia and'Ncw Zealand were well timed. There was room for. increased reciprocity between the two countries. The Bill-was read a second time, and the Committee stage was set down for . Tuesday next. " . . COMPANIES AMENDMENT BILL. Tho Companies Amendment Bill passed through its Committee: stage without amendment, and the third reading 5-as; set down'for Tuesday. ■ I EXHIBITIONS BILL. lii : moving the second reading of the '(Exhibitions Bill, ' . ' • ''■ '. The ATTORNEY-GENERAL thought facilities should be given to hold exhi-

bitions which were an'education to tho people. Many of us, said Dr. 'Findlay, we're lamentably ignorant of the manufactures going on in our own country. Tho Hon. J.- I3ABR (Canterbury) urged that the power sought in relation to labour conditions was altogether too sweeping. Tho -Government should not bo permitted to negative laws, awards and.agreements' unless some other provision were to.bo made for the convenience, health, ancl welfare; of exhibition employees.- Things had. occurred'at tho Christchurch Exhibition "which : wore"not for publication," and care should botoken to avoid any possibility of a repetition. ■ .-.-•■'

The ATTORNEY-GENERAL (in reply) dealt particularly with the'remarks of Mr. Barr, and promised to confer with the. Minister:in charge of the Bill, ■who might' see' his way to concede some of tho points raised. ,•' ■..'■".' ' Tho second reading of tho Bill was then agreed to. ''