THE HOUSE.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 924, 17 September 1910, Page 7

THE HOUSE.

iCOVERNMENT RAILWAVs AMEND- . / MEMT GILL.

■•;'! Invthe.jHouseibf Represeritatives':yes- : xerday, '.. the Government ■ Railways Amendment Bill 1 , was v. considered !in Committee. • \

Tho.- Hon. , J. A. MILLAR explained that the . £225;000 , .be ex;pended;.under':ihe : i'or,'?Mbsgiel-Duriediii duplicatipn-;works. ■'; :againbrought undor. the ;'no'tice"'"W;!jtne';, Minister'.thev.neces- ; sity io'r. duplication 'jn * connection the Parneir tunnel.' ' '• ' • ■ Thc Hon..-, J. A. -MILLAR declared ihat the. matter was still in the; hands of; : the committep' of Auckland - business

,-: lis reply to a query, Mr: Miliar said : that; the cost bf^the,; Mosgiel-Dunediix duplication had,%been ;-,increased .by . claims -or property-owners. • ■ ' •'. " The.;;;. MlNlSTEß:;..;proposed . a new clause,' providing that iron machinists should be paid as-much as /wood Vin'a- ■ chihists. '■; V. rY ■■; / '-- ; ' : i'"' ■;/"Mr; PEARCE,'(Patea) :coinplained that the wages; paid to shunt-era were inadequate, for the work was the most risky in- the Whole Department.- , ;The :MlNlSTEß:'saidVthat , he. had now,' ; arranged- that ' ;twb Vmen. iii.each, gang should bo classified and paid as, shunters. ( Mr. HOGAN ■ (Wanganui). expressed the view 'that an officer should be put in /the . grade: for : which he was fitted, and -that the percentage, barriers should be abolished.' -/''■, v.-.:.;,,-.'■; -. ,- 1 , ■

The MINISTER said that theoretically Mr.'Hogan was right, but his proposal'could not be adopted;on. : the:,score of. expense.. ;■ •'■' ;■''."'/■ 'K; : . , Mr. ' BUCHANAN •; (Wairarapa)-: com-, plained of the rate, bf i.running of trains ,on" tie -Wairarapa . line. .' For; instance,' close to Feathferston, where there was -a/dangerouscrossing,; it -was a case of '"Let her go Gallagher;" .The Hon. J. A. MILLAR, in reply to :a. : question; -; said ;that..:;l)3; was. not yet; ready,;: but. he usually held it back ,asvpossible, so. that all .-.the, grievances forward , by. / the A.S.R.S. -might , bo considered... ;'• . ... Mrl, MASSEY said he would;regret;it if J)3 wer<vkept back so as to enable members of the House to make representations "on . behalf''of friends in tho service." If a man was a good mail he.'Vshould;be/ablei t'o ; get ,/promotion without-^iio-Assistance; of, members of Parliament.;' V'/i'-i-V-J-. . >:

■ The : MINISTER'- replied V that . there were ' not half a dozen; members who; made" representations. on' the question; of classification, and ho never gave effect , to ;any- suclv recommendation. . Tho new clause -was then agreed to. " IMMIGRATION RESTRICTION BILL. >'■ ih. ' on the Immigration Restriction-. Amendment -Bill: ; , The Hon. D.BUDDO stated that tho object/of clause 4 was to provide/more than one writing • test for aliens. ,In the past-, he said,; aliens bad practised writing tlie, single form prior to coming to - New Zealand.- ' -/ -To clause 5 the Minister, proposed an amendment fiat the suggested 'regulations "permitting tlie landing of Chin-; ese'Vunder: certain; conditions 'should;"bo extended to apply to any person. . lie stated that the clause would now apply .to tourists,' merchants, and students;,- ..'./" /."■.:. .' Mr. ALLEN (Bruce)' was'of opinion that-' the; clause;- would. permit -of : tho landing , of 'tuberculosis ■ patients,;; imbeciles, .etc. - .- ■ Mi-.; BUDDO stat-ed tliat such was not the case. .-z' :. ■'■ ■ " Mr. T. E. TAYLOR. (Clinstehurch North) asked whether the clause would apply.; to boy - immigrants. He noticed that since: he had returned Home, Mr: :Sedgewick had stated. that; he' was under contract to . send; out a contingent of-boys, to New Zealand. These boys'would become littlo wiiito slaves iij .some capacity. It was true• tliat the' Minister;, would- legally take up tho position .of "parent."; With the general . election coining on next year, he ventured ,to say that tho Minister would:''forget .all about the- boys. .(Laughter.) There should be a clause forbidding the immigration .of boys' under contract. .; .

The. Hon. D. BTJDDO said that the Act did .'not apply to . immigrants wholly or partly brought out by the Government.

Mr. ALLEN (Bruce) asked whether there was any time limit within Which tourists,. merchants, and students' who *ook a/1 vantage of the clause might re-

main in Now Zealand. He, also thought we should not imposo: any unfair conditions on the shipowner. The "amendment was then agreed to. ■-. . BILLS READ A .FIRST TIME. A_ message was received, from the Legislative. Council, forwarding the Roman Catholic'.Archbishop 1 of- Wellington Empowering Bill. The Bill was' read'a first time and. referred to a Committee. ... Tho By-Laws Bill and the Oaths Bill wero also received from tho Legislative Council, and .were read ] a first time. The second readings of. both Bills were set down for Tuesday. 'THE ESTIMATES. In Committee on the Estimate's, Mr. HERRIES (Tauraiiga);,referring' to :the. item £250 v salary of ~the Native' Interpreter of the; House '-'-'of-' Representatives, pointed out that the, inter-', prater was doing the . work of two men, and -.lie.,: thought' something: should ' be. dono to increase his salary;/.. ■ Mr. T. K. TAYLOR (Christchurch North)/thought the linguistic powers of the Maori members of the House; were of so high an order .-'that the employment of an interpreter • was, a, farcO and a waste of money. The PRIME MINISTER said that a readjustment had been made whereby the interpreter, was only, to' give his services during the sessionj leaving hii n' free in tho recess. He could, not agree that/the.interpreter was doing the'.work •of two men. . As a matter, of fact, lie was there for the benefit of f two Native members, who could speak very good/ English indeed, .and to do Coininitteo work ; -and translate /Bills' and other documents. He would, however, look into the matter. - /-.'. -■' . ■ ' :

,/ Mr. HERRIES (Tauranga) made a suggestionthat a permanent staff of Committee clerks should be . attached to; the Committees' of the House. . /

The. PRIME MINISTER said';ho ,would;- look' :; into.:-the' matter, 'with a view.to' seeing -if he could legitimately make .'arrangements . whereby; the clerks to : the ; most-: important could bo: kept permanently.- . Mr. rRIISSELL, (Avon),! referring to' the/Library ;vote of -£2228, suggested that a ...branch should! .be established .for ;vthe "housing" .of records : relating to the; early history' .of Now Zealand. Mr.. Russell wont : on " .to' refer";.to the action i'taken';in this ;direction- .in; New South. Wales, whoro a highly-interesting and; valuable-: collection of records had; been;got together. Such, a branch .would be of priceless; value,:from whiclr future l historians, would be;'able to draw a largo, amount;of • material. By referring to tho families ' of deceased Premiers and; those, 'gentlemen.'who haii. taken an active.part in early!apolitical histbry;!,bfthe country,: .some records conld probably .be. obtained.-Mr..-MALCOLM (Clutha) pointed out that-such. a', library : as'suggested;;' by Mr. Itussell was! already in existence, at Duiiedin; ...He' thought -it would ; be' a .pity to divide the efforts in th'is:.direction;;;TheyV'should father . concentrate' in the direction ofi the; Dunedin library. The PREMIER said,;tliat-.he : would iike. ; to. see a-b'ranch.;sucli. as Mr. 'Russellhad described established.. It. would, lioweverj ;take: a lot of.'money,-; in view" of; the keen' competition of;.- private and; other collectors".; He. would /have", the' "matter thoroughly looked into. . V;J£r. ..RUSSELL; later- stated: that he;believed,for" .instance,that; Sir.;Geo; - : Gre.v had .. !presehtc'd; to : number of documents .which would he gi&tiy/-yaliied; ■.would;liko.to hear .that'the Gbvernmeiii' had .decided to ask.the, Hon'; .G. 'Eottlds. . to, .interview, the South African authorities during his coming trip. ?. ; , The PRDIE MINISTER said that he would be only too glad to ask tho Hon. G. Fowlds».!tovlbok';■> into,' the matter, which had not been; overlooked: It;:.was' . h'is: the , location of such a library as had 'been sug--; gested' should be decided by -Parliament'.. ■ ;'"When the first 'class; "Legislative Do-, partments," had .been the Premier. at .this stage-^l!5"; : a.m.—agreed' ;to. report,'- progress/ and' thei. Hpu'so ad-. jourr.ed. !-'■ :■