QUESTIONS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1543, 12 September 1912, Page 6

QUESTIONS.

y: ."'.' HOURS Of PARLIAMENT. I','.' OBJECTIONS TO LATE SITTINGS. : -'"".In reply-to the query of Air. T. H. ..;,. j a vey (Christchurch East), as to whether ' '.ho Government would fix new sitting hours for tho House, commencing at 10 a.m. instead of 2.30, and finishing at 6 , .' p.m., leaving the evenings free for Committee work, the Hon. W. F. Jtassey (Prime Alinister) said -.—"Some years ago • dhe system suggested by the honourable member was given a trial, but it was not found to work'well, and was consequent/ ■ .-ily abandoned. Except under exceptional ~;.'circumstances, the Government do not intend.to go in for more late sittings, ,-.-and if. the present rate of progress-with • the business is maintained there will be - no necessity for long hours during ,the present session." Mr. T. H. DAVEY was by no means satisfied with the Prime Minister's reply. He thought the trial that had been given to.the system of morning sittings' had not been a fair one. He thought the House should aim at doing its work in daylight, for, sitting late as they did now, lit was impossible for tho strongest men to do •J their best for the country and to give all proper consideration to legislation under review. , Air. G. LAURENSON (Lyttelton) sup- '■ •'■■ ported Air. Davey in his objection to late hours. He thought late sittings should not be necessary even if the session were to bo longer. He stated ""that tho deathrate for members of Parliament was higher than for, men in any other walk of life. Mr. G. W. FORBES (Hurunui) supported the proposal to have the hours al- • : tered, and he suggested also that Parliament ought to be called together earlier than the end of June. It was inconveni-""■•'ent-for farmers to bo away from their farms in tho spring and early summer months. - Mr. G. J. ANDERSON (Alataura) remarked that the three members who hud • Bpoken all belonged to the party which .. had had control of business for many years. He saw that tho scheme to sit only in the morning and the afternoon might not woTk very well in cases where ''■ a Bill was to be talked out. . ..'-,- The Hon. R, M'KENZIE (Alotneka) ' paid he-had no hope of early closing hours ' being worked successfully. Mr. 6. V. ■PEARCEJPatM) thought with the'jnento = |pji(_guflrnjiijiatjhft.

House ought to be called together earlier in the year, probably about Alay. Jlr. J. H. BRADNEY (Auckland West) thought there was no need for change. If members would come to the House with a sincere desire to do tho business of the country expeditiously there was certainly no need for the House to sit after midnight. As things were now a member's day was always fully occupied, so that no time was lost by the meeting of the House at 2.30 p.m. Air. G. WITTY (Riccarton) said he was opposed to the House sitting in the morning. It would be difficult to get witnesses to attend at Committee meetings in the evenings. But he did agree that tho House ought to be summoned earlier iu the year. The question was referred to by several other members, mostly new 1 ! members who favoured Air. Davey's proposal. , The Hon. W. P. MASSEY (Prime Alinistcr) said he had been amused to hear tho suggestion coming from tho other side of the House. When he was in Opposition he had had occasion to ask-for early closing, but he had met with but little support; Aleeting in the morning would not, however, be a workable method. It had been tried and had failed, and business had been done altogether too slowly. Ifxwas absolutely necessary that Alinisters should have the forenoon freo for Departmental work. He was of the same opinion as he had been formerly—that there should not be too many late sittings. Bat-'members who had complained of the late hours of this session had no experience of the late hours of past years when members frequently went home with the milk. If the present pace was maintained there would be no need for late hours. Mr. Wilford: When do you expect to finish up? Mr. Alassey: If to go on as we have been doing we shall.be finished before October 20. And then we shall have done a fair session's work. On the question of calling Parliament together I earlier he said that the Public Revenues Act evidently, did not contemplate Parliament being called together earlier that the end of June. But if anything could be done to enable Parliament to be summoned earlier he''would' do it. (Hear, hear.) . CONTRACT OR DAY LABOUR? Mr. J. COLVIN.(BuIIer) asked tho Hon. W. F. Massey what were the. intentions' of the.Government in the matter of. hav-ing-public works: done by-'co-operative day labour or by contract labour. Air. Alassey replied that the intentions of.the Government would be laid before Parliament in the Public Works Statement. STATE MORTGAGES. AND FIRE INSURANCE. Air. G. J. ANDERSON (Alataura) asked the Government whether it-is-a, fact that mortgagors of the Government,' Departments which lend money are compelled to insure their property with the State Fire Department; and, if this.is the case, will they have such alterations made in tho regulations as will enable mortgagors to insure their properties with other approved insurance companies? The Hon. J. ALLEN (Alinister in Charge of State-guaranteed Advances Office) replied: The State-guaranteed Advances Office does not compel the mortgagor to insure with the State Fire Office, but it does give every facility to the State Fire Office to secure the insurance. The reply was debated at length, members covering tho ground of the debate last week on tho subject. One or two members, however, said that they had had experience of the State Office, and thev said that the State Fire Office -sent peremptory demands for the fire cover of any property against which the Advances Office had lent money. ' . DEFENCE OFFICERS. ALL APPOINTJIENTS KEGULAR. Air. F. AIANDER (Alarsden) asked the Alinister for Defence: Whether he could explain why only about three sergeant>majors out of about twenty-eight were appointed under tho new defence scheme to a higher commission, the others being appointed from civilians without any previous experience? Tho Hon."J. ALLEN (Alinister for Defence) replied: The reason why only three sergeant-majors were promoted was because they were the only ones who fulfilled the necessary conditions, and had the necessary qualifications, for appointment to commissioned rank of the nature required. Tho statement that the others were appointed from civilians without any previous experience is incorrect. Of tho forty-one others appointed, twenty had seen active service in the field—all except ono with New Zealand contingents—in the South African war, fifteen were specially selected from the old Volunteer Force as a reward for particularly good service performed in it, four had served'in tho Imperial Forces, and two had previous 'service, in the New Zealand Cadets, one of them (a New Zealander) .having, in addition, had service in a volunteer artillery company end an officer's training corps_whilst studying at college in Great Britain, and the other five years' service in the New Zealand Volunteers (Mounted Rifles). VILE LITERATURE. NEWS-RUNNERS IN TRAINS.' r- J[ F,\ G J , M ; THOMSON (Dunedin North) asked the Alinister for Railways whether he, would take the necessary stops to alter tho present arrangements by which newspapers and books were hawked through trains and to substitute some method by which onlv - one trustworthy person would bo eniplovcd or licensed. He added that apart from the niconvcnienco nnd discomfort to passengers, objectionable literature was frequently offered for sale. Tie Hon. W. H. HERRIES (Minister for Endways) replied: It has been decided to let the right of selling newspapers on trains by tender. Under this arrangement the number of news-runners will be restricted to one on each train', and the present arrangement under which newsboys' tickets are issued to newsoapers will bo discontinued. RAILWAY FREIGHTS. CARRIAGE OF FERTILISERS. Mr. F. H. SMITH (Waitaki) asked the Minister for Railways whether he would put manure on tho same footing as lime carried on 1 the railways for agricultural purposes. The Hon. W. H. HERRIES (Alinister for Railways) replied: I regret I cannot extend the free carriage of goods on our railway lines. Alanures are*already carried at a very low freight, and the minimum has been reduced to scwt. A ton of manure; is, carried fifty miles for Cs. 9d., and a hundred miles for 9s. B<l., anil scwt. would be charged a quarter of these rates. It must, I think, bo admitted that such rates do not press unduly hard on tho agricultural community. MARRIAGE VALIDATION BILL. DISCUSSED IN COMMITTEE. When the House resumed at 7.30 p.m., it went at once, into Committee of Supply upon the Marriagp Validation Rill nnd the New Zealand-A[e,in Time Bill. As regards the Marriage Validation Bill, aJimoioji was, at once, taken on the, re-J[

' tention or otherwise of the first clause— the short title. This was retained on a division by the casting vote of the Chairman of' Committees, the voting being i!(i to 26. Mr. H. J. H. OK'EY (Taranaki) suggested that Mr. Al'Callum, who was m charge of the Bill, should himself move to report progress. Tho advice was not taken. Air. J. B. HINE .(Stratford), at the first opportunity, moved to report Air. U. ANDERSON (Alataura) urged that tho House should at onco come to a decision. Air. G. LAURENSON (LytleUon) supported the Bill. Air. E. P. LEE (Oamnru) said that the Dill was vicious in principle. It proposed to legalise tho union of people who had attempted to marry years ago, but did not propose to make such marriages legal in future. The Hon. D. BUDDO (Kaiapoi) said that no sound arguments had been advanced against the Bill. If the member for Oamaru would move to insert a clause legalising marriage with a deceased wife's niece in future, he would second the motion. Air. J. B. HINE (Stratford) said that he would not withdraw his motion. He did not consider it right that the Chairman should he called upon to decide the fate of this Bill. It represented an attempt to tinker with the marriage laws of the Dominion, and cut away their foundations. . The next thin;: would be that a Bill would be brought in to permit a man to marry his stepson—(laughter)— or his step-daughter. , Air. .I,'. AI'CALLUAI (Wairau) hoped that members would take the Bill seriously, lie asked the House to negative tho motion to report progress, and go on with the Bill. He admitted that there j were arguments for and' against the Bill, but tho arguments against it were less cogent than those for it. Air. J. VIGOR BROWN (Napier) supported the Bill. . Mr. A. S. AIAIX'OLM (Clutha) said that Air. Al'Calluin had given him to understand that, in Committee, he would move to cut out the retrospective clauses and substitute prospective clauses. If this wore done he would support the Bill. Air. J. A. YOUNG (Waikato) begged the member for Stratford to withdraw his motion in order that the eloquent discourse on the law of Aloses, in which he had been interrupted by the Chairman, might be continued. Air. J. H. ESCOTT (Pahiatua) supported the proposal to make the Bill prospective. Air. AI'CALLUAI said, in'answer to the member for Clutha, that he would be quite willing to make the Bill prospective, but it was necessary that it should just go to the Council in another form. Air. HINE said that this Bill was a deliberate attempt to condone wrong done by people who had known perfectly well what they were doing. The motion to report progress was defeated by 30 votes to 27. Air. T..H. DAVEY (Christchurch East) moved an amendment intended to make the Bill both prospective and retrospective in'its operation. The amendment was-discussed at some length.. • ■ • ■ Mr. M'CALLUM said.that a Bill of this kind would have to be sent Home for the Royal- Assent. This obtained, the validation of marriages proposed in the. Bill would make these marriages' good throughout-the British Empire. Ultimately Air. Davey withdrew his amendment in. favour of another form ol words, to the same effect, proposed by Mr. Escott. Mr. AI'CALLUAI said that he would snipport the amendment. , . Air..HINE. said that the Bill.as a whole was repulsive to him. He asked what the words "otherwise lawful"•• contained In the clause were intended to mean. •• ■ Mr. AI'CALLUAI said that- the phrase might apply to a bigamous.marriage. The Bill did not propose to legalise a bigamous marraige. Mr. Hine: That may be the next step. Hej pointed out that under this Bill if a mam and his son married sisters and the son (his wife having died) wished to marry his deceased wife's niece, he would be proposing to marry his half-sister. . ' The Hon. A. T. NGATA (Eastern Jlaori) said that marriage with a stepsister was within the prohibited degrees of relationship, so that the reservation "otherwise lawful" would fully meet the case mentioned by Air. Hine. Air. AI'CALLUAI said that he intended later to introduce an amendment excluding other blood relations as well as nephews and nieces' from the operation ol the Bill. ' Another form of words proposed bv Air. Ngiita was substituted. tor Air. Es'cott's amendment. At 10.15 p.m. a division was taken on the amendment. The amendment making the Bill prospective as well as retrospective was carried by 31 votes to 23. Another division was taken on the proposal that the clause as amended should be included in the Bill, This proposal was carried by 31 votes to 26. ; The motion that the Bill should be reported with amendment, was carried on the voices. DAYLIGHT SAVING.. . THE BILL ABANDONED. When the New Zealand Mean Time Bill was committed. Mr. T. K. SIDEY (Dunedin South), the member in charge of the Bill, moved to report progress on it. He said ho wished to take the opportunity of thanking, honourable members, not only on the Opposition benches, but on the Government side of the House, who were assisting him in the passage of the Bill. He recognised that the position ol Government members became a little difficult after the statement- in opposition by the Prime Minister. Ho had had sufficient experience of the House to know that in tho faco of the opposition shown to the measure it had no chance of reaching the Statute Book. He had, therefore, no intention of asking the House to spend more time on it. Air. J. A. HANAN (Invercargill) thought the Prime Minister should not let, the statement go on record that although there was u majority in favour of the Bill it could not go through. Air. G. W. RUSSELL (Avon) thought the member in charge of the Bill was acting wisely in moving to report progress. Blithe thought the opposition to the Bill was caused through misapprehension, and when the people in the country districts learned tho true purport of it they would not strenuously oppose it. The Bill was supported generally in the cities, and as soon as the country people learned that nothing was proposed which would revolutionise industry, they would withdraw their objections, fie hoped the Government would set up a committee vchich would hoar evidence on the Bill. This would clear up all misunderstanding. He regretted that a Bill which was supported, by a mnjorify of members of the House should have to be withdrawn. • Progress was reported. NEWSPAPERS AND POLITICS. A LABOUR AIEMBER'S BILL. The Legislature Amendment Bill (Mr. A. H. Hindmarsh) was called on at 10.50 p.m. Answering a question, Air. HINDAIARSH said that tho purnose of the Bill was to purify public life. To a question as to what the Bill contained, he replied: "Look into the Bill and you will see." (Laughter.) The PRIAIE MINISTER asked Jrr. Hindmarsh to give a more detailed explanation of his Bill. Air. Hindmarsh said that the Bill was almost an exact copy of an Act which had' beon in operation in the Commonwealth of Australia for some years. The first part of the Bill provided that organisations makinjj expenditure on behalf of political candidates should furnish returns in connection therewith. The second part of the Bill required that political articles mid letters during election week should be signed. It'll man had any criticism to make about another, he should not be ashnmed to put his name to it. Tho Bill provided that every portion of a newspaper which dealt, during , election times, with political' candidates should be signed. "Here I would like to speak about The Dominion - , which treated me exceptionally fairly," Air. nindmarsh continued. "A Dominion reporter came to me and said that whether I advertised in the paper or not a paragraph about my political campaign would bo published from day to day. But most papers will not pitbli-h anything you say about politics unless you adverti'p in their columns." Air. Anderson: Why should they? Mr Hindmarsh eajd that he did. not

- ask them to. He was only paying a i tribute to Thk Dominion, which did not ■ observe that rule. The Dominion was I a little above the principles of the memIt for Alataura. In Wellington, he continued, candidates at election times supplied their own paragraphs. 1 Air. Hine: Do they put their names to them ? Mr. Hindmarsh said that they did not. That was what he objected to. If a candidate wrote a paragraph he should put his name to it. During last election lie read a paragraph stating that 2.i0 people attended a meeting, a.nd that a vote of thanks aud confidence was passed unanimously. He happened to know that there were only ten people at that meeting. It was not his meeting. (Laughter.) If these paragraphs were written by a candidate they should be signed by the candidate, or by his age.'it, so that they could be verified. Why should not great parties collecting funds for campaign purposes be compelled to give a return of how those moneys were spent? "I believe," he said, "that this Bill will be thrown out. because I notice that the richer a man is the more cynical he becomes. If you want pure cynicism you should take the 'Saturday Review,' the great Tory organ of England. . It fticks up for the Church, although none of the writers believe in the Church. Amd they ridicule every proposal to improve public life. It is the quintessence of Tory journalism." Air. Hindmarsh went on to express his disgust with the "superior persons who try to damn you with a smile." Air. Hine: You are going to get beaten, anyhow. Air. Hindmarsh: I don't, carp whether the Bill is beaten now or not. I am not going to fawn on you. Do you think I am going to bend the knee to you? No, I am not built that way. Air. G. J. ANDERSON (Alataura) said there were other newspapers besides TnE Dominion which acted fairly by candidates. He would, by way of protesting against the enormous fines proposed to be inflicted on newspapers, individuals, and societies under the Bill, move to report progress. Air. W. H. D. BELL (Wellington Suburbs) said he had supported the second reading because he thought that it was in .the interests of pure public life that expenditure on elections should be curtailed. He did not believe in the Bill as it appeared, but he would oppose the motion to report progress because he. still hoped that something good might lie made of the first part of the Bill. The motion to report progress was defeated by 35 votes to 32. Air. J. B. HINE (Stratford) said the proposal to have all articles signed would •stifle free discussion. The clauses relating to returns of expenditure to be supplied by trades unions nnd other societies he did i not think objectionable. Alr.'W. NOSWORTHY (Ashburton) did hot think there was any need for the Bill. So far as he could learn, the press in this country needed no such control. A member of the advanced Radical faction in the House had attested to the integrity and honesty of The Dominion in its treatment of him—and tho House had heard a great deal of a different sort about The Dominion from time to time. He did not object to anonymity in journalism. Air. J. PAYNE (Grey Lynn) said that he had had no such happy experience as the member for Wellington South. He had not been treated so well. Air. Nosworthy: Perhaps you were steering a rocky couise. Air. Payne said that this was not so. He had gone straight for a principle, but because he was neither Liberal nor Conservative he was misrepresented- and vilified. He thought newspapers were too dangerous weapons to be in private hands altogether; The time would come when they would have to be published under license, under such terms that, thefr would hove to publish the truth. He suggested that all reports 'of election speeches should be verbatim, or that the condensation should bo approved bv the candidate. The Hon. W. F. MASSEY (Prime Alinister) said that the member in charge of the Bill would be well advised to report progress on tho Bill. It could not possibly go through. Air. J. C. Thomson: Alove report progress. Air. Alassey: No; I want to give the member in charge every ccurtesy, and allow him the opportunity of doing so himself. ' , Messrs. Payne and Atmore both urged that Air.'Hindmarsh soould press for a division on the merits of the Bill. 'Mr. Hindmarsh said that before he took any action he would hke an expression of opinion from the Prime Alinister. Would he support the Bill? Air. Alassey: No; I will not. I 6hall vote against the Bill. Air. Hindmarsh: I expected it. I shall go on to a division. And I want no consideration or courtesy. I am going to do my best to push the Bill through.Air. A. S. AIALCOLAI (Clutha) moved to report progress. Tho motion was carried by 31 votes to 23. Air. Hindmarsh raised a question as to whether,the division had been legally taken, no progress having been made since the previous division. Tho Chairman said that the matter could be mentioned when the Speaker resumed the Chair. When the House had resumed, Air. HINDAIARSH challenged the ruling of the Chairman in permitting the last division taken in Committee to proceed. A second division on a proposal to report progress had been taken just after a similar division had been defeated, and without any progress being made. He had protested, but not until the bells had been rung. » The Hon. R. AI'KENZIE challenged the ruling of the Chairman. The PRIME MINISTER contended that the motion had been properly taken,, no protest having been made until it was too late.-' Air. G. WITTY said that the Chairman of Committees should have required progress to be made before the division was taken.' The Hon. W. FRASER said that the 'motion had undoubtedly been put because the bells had been rung. Was it competent after the bells had been rung to raise a question as to whether it should have been nut or not? Air. F. W. LANG (Chairman of Committees) said he had put the question in the ordinary way. It was put unchallenged, and he ordered the. bell to be rung. After tho bell had the member in charge of the Bill had drawn his attention to the fad; that no progress had been made. He (Air. Lang) had said that in such cases, although he would have been glad to take the Speaker's ruling, he had ruled that the opinion of tho Speaker could not be taken after the bell had been rung. The opinion of the Speaker could not be taken until the House resumed. He had no intention of taking advantage of any member of the House, but under the circumstances he thought ho could not have acted otherMr. SPEAKER said that the question was perfectly clear. Order-hi-Committce was settled by the Chairman'at once, and could not subsequently be questioned. If the Chairman gave a doubtful ruling,' the House could by motion ask that tho Speaker bo sent .for to adjudicate on whether the ruling was right, or wrong. In his opinion, although the Chairman's decision in accepting the motion and putting the question was not strictly in accordance with the rules, no objection was raised, and it was too late to raise objections after the bells were rung, a'id too late to ask the.Speaker's ruling. The only way to get a ruling was by motion of the House. The Hon. R. Af'KENZTE suggested that the-Speaker's ruling should be taken as to whether the Chairman of Committees should have put such a motion as had been put. He proposed to move that the Speaker's ruling be taken. The PRIAIE MINISTER: I understand, sir. that vou have ruled. The SPEAKER said that he did not know whether he should allow this discussion to proceed. Air. WITTY asked whether it was nbt the duty of the Chairman of Committees to have refused to put tho motion when no progress had been made. Air. SPEAKER: "In the language of the Speakers of the House of Commons, it is not my place to answer questions of that sort."- He added that he had pointed out the regular methods of procedure. The ruling cf the Chairman could be challenged by way of motion. The Hon. R. Al'Kenzie said that that was what he desired to do. The Speaker said that as exception hnd been taken the motion oould not be put ' without notice. This terminated the discussion, and the . House rose at 0.15 a.m.