EMPHATIC PROTESTS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1227, 8 September 1911, Page 6

EMPHATIC PROTESTS.

MORE GOVERNMENT INTERFER. ENCE. PLUMBING LICENSES. Members, of the City Council last evening denounced in emphatic terms the tendency of the Central Government to encroach upon Ihe spheres of authority at present controlled by local bodies, as expressed in tho terms'of the Plumbers' Registration Bill now before the House. At tho council meeting last evening Councillor Trevor dTciv the attention of councillors to the position which would be created in the city of Wellington were tho Plumbers Bill allowed to pass in its present form, and urged that a- petition should be presented in tho House at the earliest possible moment, selling forth that tho Bill would prejudice the'enforcement of the sanitary regulations in tho city of 'Wellington, and possibly other parts of the Dominion; that the standard set up by the city i'oi plumbers would bo reduced by the proposd to vest in tho Government the examination and registration of plumbers, at present supervised by the city, with the additional objection that the local authority would be stripped of all powers of control and discipline of plumbers; that while there was no objection raised to ,1 scheme for Dominion certificates., it was desirable tha.t mutual consultation should be arranged between tho Government and the local bodies before legislation so farreaching ill character was placed upon the .Statute Book, and that a lull and careful inquiry should be made into the working of t.ie existing regulations at present in force in tho city of Wellington. .Councillor Barber thought that tho council should look further ahead. The Government was acting rightly in legislat-ing-for the control of plumbing work all o\cr the Dominion, for some local bodies were very lax in the matter. It was pointed out that the Mayor had instructed, tho council's officers to keep an eye on tho Bill and watch the interests of the city. Councillor Mlvcniie, after a vigorous denunciation of the system of government by regulation, said that tho Mayor should have taken the council into ins confidence in a matter of this kind.. "He is only one councillor, and has only ono voice, and although lie sits in the Mayoral chair he has only the same privileges as wo have." The Acting-Mayor (Councillor Smith) i&id that tho Mayor did not get tho information in time. Councillor ShirtclifTe moved "That the various local bodies of the Dominion should be communicated with at once, and asked to make such representations _to the Government in connection with this Bill as they may think proper, and the Government should be requested" to allow a deputation from the local bodies of tho Dominion to wait on the Parliamentary Committee before tho Bill was passed in tlio House." This move, ho suggested, could easily be arranged by telegram. Councillor M'Laron said there was a feeling in the House among representatives of Wellington electorates that they woro not being fairly consulted—in fact, that they were not being consulted at all —with referenco to Bills affecting tlio city. Tho whole of the members of Wellington should 1)0 consulted when local Bills went forward. He regretted to have to say this in the absence of tho Mayor, but ho was doing it out of a sense of duty. He thought tho petition should bo presented to the Houso next day. Councillor Fuller: "I protest against tho apathy of this council. We will be dubbed a lot of sleepy old men. Things aro done in this council in a slip-shod manner Here we aro at tho eleventh hour with nothing done, and we have to telegraph all over the country." Councillor Cameron said he considered that some Wellington plumbing work was s-iiiiply disgraceful. He could' shoit at least half a doz.en instances. Councillor Fitzgerald said Councillor Cameron was inconsistent, and as regards the Mayor's position in the matter, ho believed Mr. Wilford had done his duty. Councillor ShirtclifTe said councillors had been kept in the dark. Councillor Hindmarsh: "I should like to know who.is tho enemy, against, us—tho. Government, or who?" '■ j • . "' , ' . The resolution was carried, and it was resolved that. Councillor M'Laron should present tho petition tho following day.