THE HOUSE.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1542, 11 September 1912, Page 8

THE HOUSE.

LOCAL'BODIES' SUPERANNUATION. The House met at 2.30 p.m. The Hon.' A. L: HERDMAN moved for leave'to introduce the Local Authorities' Superannuation Amendment Bill. LAKE COLERIDGE WORKS. COMPLAINTS OP THE MEN. Mr.A'.'H! DAVEY (Christchnrch East) asked the Minister for Public Works (the ' Hon. W. Eraser), without notice, whether - ne'could givo the House any information as to the-.result of his inquiries into the complaints 6f the men employed.at Lake Coleridge,".: as to the/risks the men were required to run." He read a paragraph i from .a Christchiirch newspaper to the effect ; that ' nothing l had been done to make the' winding-gear boiler safe, to make.the shaft safe, and to improve the - timbering of "the tunnel. The Hon. W. ERASER replied that in consequence.of the promise he had made he had instructed the Department to send an officer to Christchnrch to inquire into the matter. :;The report was received, but it was" unsatisfactory, in.that in regard to it number of points tho officer stated that, he "understood" certain things. What he (Mrl'Praser) wanted was facts, and'he'had'sent the officer back to learn all the facts obtainable. There was nothing in the objection to the boiler on the ground that it was unsafe. The Government inspector, had certified that it was safe. It had been found too small for the work it was required .to do, and n new one was being ordered. . Whon he had received his second roport,-ho-would communicate with Mr. Davey. . . LEAVE OF ABSENCE. Mr.'L. M.'lsiJt. (ChVistchurch North) vas granted. thieejlaa^leaiT.eiOjijibseiicat.

AUCKLAND UNIVERSITY. Mr. G. V. PEARCE, Chairman of the Local Bills Committee, reported that tho committee had found that the Auckland University Amendment Bill was not a local Bill. The Hon. JAMES ALLEN (Minister for Education) said that he was prepared to take charge of the Bill if it wore amended in a certain direction. He understood that it,would bo so amended. COOK ISLANDS. Mr. H. J. H. OKEY, chairman of the M to Z Petitions Committee, moved, without notice, that the committee bo allowed tb sit in the afternoon to consider a petition relating to Cook Island matters. Certain witnesses were in town, and they wished to be heard. Sir JOSEPH WARD (Awarua) raised an objection. He would like to attend the meeting of the committee, but he could not be away from tho House that afternoon. He suggested that the matter could not at this stage of the session be one of great, urgency. Mr. C. K. WILSON (Taumarnnui), as a member of the committee, said that it was absolutely necessary if the reports were to bo presented that the committee should sit practically continuously. Mr. Okey said that the member for Awarua bad expressed no desire to give evidence before the committee. Sir Joseph Ward said he did not want to give evidence, but merely to attend the committee and hear what was going on. . . ' . Mr. Okey: The committee was sitting this morning. - Mr: SPEAKER. Is there'any objection raised to the question-being put -without' notice ?.'..'" . The Hon. R. M'Kenzie: Yes. y The objection having been raised, the question could not be put. ■ " ! ■ COUNCIL REFORM. -, BILL TO COME DOWN TO-DAY.-'The PRIME MINISTER stated that the proposals of the Government with,regard to the Legislative Council, and the difficvlty that had. occurred in connection (herewith, would be laid before tho House on the morrow, when a Bill would',be introduced. He wished to.make, it clear that tho Bill would not be upon the lines of the Bill which- was introduced in tho Legislative! Council.; It would be on different lines altogether, but would have the same object in view. , ' '.' Sir Joseph Ward: Will that mean that there wili be smaller electorates, for instance? Tha Prim* Minister: I am not going into details. .LETTER IN "THE,TIMES." "A. rTISSUE OF MISSTATEMENTS." The PRIME MINISTER said that his attention had been drawn to a letter published a few days ago in the "New Zea-land-Times." it was* to tho effect that with the advent of the Massey Government ono might have expected the "spqfils to the victorr' policy to be wiped out, but that in a. certain Department one typiste had been "sacked," and it had not been Intended to fill tho vacancy, but another typiste had come along with a letter from Mr. Massey practically directing that she should be engaged. The letter concluded by asking Mt. Massey to please explain his action and why "the other typiste" was sacked. Mn Massey said that ho was going to make the explanation how. The letter' •made definite statements. It said that tho services of a typiste were dispensed with. They were not. The typiste referred to, he thought, was promoted to a better position in the Public Trust Office. The letter said that it was decided not to employ another typiste. It was not decided. Since he hod been in office two vacancies for typistes had occurred. One was promoted and one left the service. One vacancy occurred in Nelson. In .regard to the other, he instructed the head of the Agricultural Department, in which the vacancy occurred, to make a selection from a number of local applicants, and that was done. In a report which he had . obtained, the head of the Department stated that so far as he was aware the letter in the "Times" had no reference to his Department. No typisto in tho Department had been dispensed with or 'sacked." The lady mentioned was not the bearer of any letter from Mr. Massey so far as the writer was aware, and no such letter could lie traced. The letter was a tiesue of misstatements. Ho could only conclude that some person who had heard of the appointment had drawn on his imagination. Mr. Massey stated finally that he had at first considered tho matter unworthy of notice, but several members had called his attention to it. He " could only say, with the head of the Agricultural Department, that the letter was a tissue of misstatements.