THE PREMIER ANGRY

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1261, 17 October 1911, Page 7

THE PREMIER ANGRY

RAILWAY PETITIONS. MR. HINE ASKS A QUESTION. ABOUT A.TELEGRAM PENT TO CHKISTCIUJECH. lii tho House of Representatives lust evening Mr. J. 13. JTiue. member for Stra,tford, drew attention to u, telegram purporting to originate with Messrs. Witty, JJavey, ami latt, and which lijul appeared in a Christohiircu paper, slating that the Government had changed its mind in regard to the petition fuin the second division of tho Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants, and that it would now bo heard next week (this wrek). Mr. llinn asked whether thoe mciubors had been authorised to send such a telegram, and if so whether the Government was likely to change 'ts mind again? Mr. Witty Grayed to reply, but ho was forestalled "by tlie Primo Minister, who opened by declaring in an angry tone tiiat in his opinion the hon. gentleman (Mr. Hine) had no mind to change! Ho followed this up with a statement that people who had been fed up with information by tho Opposition ivcto deliberately Ivin'jj, outsido the House. Mr. "Jas Allen: What is that? The Prime Minister repeated his statement about lying. Mr. Allen remarked that this was a peculiar statement to make, and added something to the effect that nioro should be heard of the matter. Tho Prime Minister said he intended to refer to tho matter later, and reiterated that li&s were being told, and that it was being done deliberately. The members who had been mentioned had boon perfectly right in sending tho telegram. They had sent only what was true, so far as ho was aware. The Government were not responsible, for the time taken up by tho committee in hearing petitions. A great deal of evidence had had to bo taken on the first division petition. These men of tho second division were fully entitled to have their petition considered. Some members of some of the committees seemed to think that it was their chief business to go electioneering through these committees in order to got votes.

"Government Had Nothing to do With It." Mr. Witty stated that it was the committee that had agreed to hear tho petition. The Government had had nothing to do with it. The message had eoine through from only ono paper—Christchurch—a Tory paper. The message sent by tho Christchnrch members had not said anything about , the Government having changed its mind at all. Mr. Jas. Allen said he was glad to hear that the second division petition was to be heaid. The matter bad been brought up in the' House only a fow days ago and it was then pointed out by the Minister that a second Petitions Committee could not be set up, nor tho present committee divided into two, because the presence of the Minister was ncco.isary. Ho did not understand exactly now the position of tho hon. gentleman who had just sat down. He hnd said that the Government had nothing to do with tho matter so that presumably tho committee had arranged to hoar the petition. Tho Prinio Minister: No. Mr. Allen continued thai' apparently the Minister for Railways had given some intimation to Mr.'Witty. Mr. Witty: And tho committee. Mr. Allen concluded that he did not know how the ovidenco was going to bo heard unless they were going to'reemin there longer than next Saturday and they shcjld remain longer than nest Saturday if this petition was going to be hoard. Jlr. Davey said it appeared to him that the member for Stratford was intent on deprecating the Government. Tho ti-lc-Brani which he had signed had not said anything about the Government having changed its mind. He did not know who had murdered tho mefeatfa, but assumed that Opposition tactics—to which tlicy were welcome—explained the alteration The Christchnrch members had not sent the message attributed to them by the press in Christchurch. Mr. M'Laren stated thnt as the member who presented tho petition, lie thought the Christchurch members were rather to bo commended for their nctivitv in regard to it. He took it that a "member had a perfect right to get all the information he could upon a matter in regard to which his constituents had communicated with him.

Tho Promised Increase in Pay. Mr. Arnold said the committee had been sitting now for twelve days in connection with tho petition uf tho first division, and there was a necessity for tho committee going as fully as possible into that matter. It had been stated that there was considerable discontent right through tho railway service. Tho Minister hid stated that there was to be an increase in pay of i' 50,000, antl petitions had been received from both divisions, and each asked that as much of this increase as possiblo should go to their divisions. He, as Chairman of the Committee, was of opinion that the greatest possible latitude should bo given to show whether there was any injustice being done, whether the pay was insufficient, or whether the men really had a grievance. It was also necessary that the Department should (five tho fullest information as to tho treatment it was metin,'' out to the men. The telegrams in the newspapers were misleading because it was not a fair thing to suggest that the Government had changed its mind. Onco the petition was presented it wan out of the hands of tlm Government to dictate to the committea. Mr. Millar said tho Government had not changed its mind. The petition of the first division was presented first, and so was heard first. He never interfered in any way with the chairman of the committee, nor with the business of tho committee. The Government were anxious that the officers should havo tho fullest opportunity of placiug their case before the committee. A lout! time had been taken in hearing evidence, and tho committee had not yet deliberated on tho first division's petition. They were ready now to go on with the second division. He hoped the committee would take the eecond petition, on the following day, and continue it until they got as much evidence as they could. It rested with the railway men if they wanted a report this session to get ono of their men—the secretary or president—to make a statement on tho claims. This could be done in a day or two days. If, however, they wished to call witnesses to give evidence upon every ono of their thirty-four demands, then there would be no possible chance of reporting this session, because to overstatement made by the men the 'Railway Department would give their reply. Tho Railways Bill. . •Mr. Wilford asked whether, if the petition could not be dealt with that session, the Railways Bill setting out the increases of the second division would be brought down that session? Tho Minister stated that the Bill would be brought down' in a couple of days. Whatever report the Committee might make, the petition would have to bu dealt with at a later fttage. Tho Government proposed to grant increases amounting to ",€OO.OOO, in addition to the ordinary classified increases whioh would bring the total up to something like .£93,000. Mr. M'Laron remarked that he gathered that the representatives of tho Amalgamated Society might be called by the Committee on the following day. Tho leading officers were not at present in AVellington, and he dosiral to be cKir upon the matter.

Tho. Minister stated that anyone duly appointed to renresont tho socintv would be hoard on the following day. ' If Hi<n others were not present Parliament eoulij not bo held over to meet the conv-eiiioncc of the general secretary, who was electionrorin". Mr. nine said ho was a me-mber of tho Kailway Committee, and 'having road tho teleqram in the newspapers lm was ptrfecUy justified in aslcins for information ns to whethov tho st.itpment was correct or not. .Mr. Millar paid he had authorised no man to send any telegram, and nuy nicmbnr asked a n;uostion bv his constituents had a rifrht to reply to it. Sir Joseph Ward said that only a. deaf man could liavo misunderstood what be liad said. If '.lie ho». weml.-iT Iv.ifl nslced the question for tho nurpo.-e of cettinj information it would havo bc-en nil richt, but ho wound it up with ono of those iisiio.l and alf.oln!cly iijijustifiable and insulting comments Mr. Speaker: T cannot allow (hat word to be used. Sir Josi'pli Ward: Von , well, sir, T withdraw that. With this the discussion ended.