PUBLIC SERVICE BILL.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1556, 27 September 1912, Page 8

PUBLIC SERVICE BILL.

—- i ; THIRD READING DEBATE. • i OPPOSITION PROTESTS & MINISTERIAL r REPLIES. THE DIVISION: GOVERNMENT MAJORITY OF TEN.

'• •, • { • i One, of the first discussions that devel- . oped in the House of ; Representatives when .met for business yester- : day. was on the subject of tramway control. Mr. Davey drew the attention of the Minister for Public "Works to the fact that tiro men working-on the foot-boards of cars in Wellington had been killed, ■ and asked the Minister whether he was v prepared to bring dawn legislation which ■ ■■■'. wonld compel owners of tramways to con- .. vert all existing cars to the centre pas- ' 6iige type. The reply of the Minister indicated that he had been going into the question in detail. Ho said that he did I no£ 'think legislation of the' character in- — dicated necessary, and added that he hop-ed-to be able to announce to the House, next year not only that new cars of approved pattern had been built, but that a \ good many of the existing cars had been ' converted. to centre-passaga type. I A non-committal roport was presented I by. the.Mto Z Committee upon the petij ' tion of the trustees of tho Macarthy estate for: a-remission of duty on publio i Inquests from the estate; and also -upon a similar request preferred by the trustees of the late Sir John Logan Campbell's, estate. A lwig discussion took place,, some members urging the Govemtrient to rek rnit the duty and others maintaining that 1 to, do so would ba to wrong the general The Prime Minister read reports from the Commissioner of Stamps . strongly opposing the requests advanced ! by the trustees.' The report of the com--1 s mittee was.referred to the Government. ;: At one stage in tho discussion Mr. T. j M. Wilford asserted that the Public Trust I. , Office was understaffed, and its officers | . .■underpaid.' The Hon..A. L. Herdman inj ' , terpreted this as a charge of sweating, arid defended his Department with a vig- • our and pugnacity which led to an ex- . change of personal' explanations. On the motion of the Prime Minister a committee was set up to combine with a similar committee set up by the Legisr" lative Council and conduct ah inquiry f- into..the subject-matter of the' petition ; for .redress presented by Mr. Joshua Jones, of Mokau, Taranaki. v At,4.45 p.ni. "the Public Service Bill was brought up-for third reading. Prominent : members-of the Opposition at : once proceeded, to make lengthy protests against , the passage of the Bill, using much-" the same' arguments as they had employed : in the'second'reading and Committee discussions. > "When' the House resumed at 7.30 p.m., the Land Bill was introduced by Governor's Message. The Prime Minister briefly explained tho principal provisions of • the Bill, and it was read a first time. The House then resumed the third read- .> ing 'debate op.-the Public Service positionists continuing to protest against its passage, and to describe Government members as "dumb 1 dogs." ~ The-(discussion was continued until !. 11.40 p.m., when the Hon. A. L. Herdman •J concluded.a speech in reply to his critics. A . division was then taken, and the third (reading was 'carried by 39 votes to 29. The' Imprest Bill and a number of minor measures having been received from the Legislative Council, the House rose at 11.50 p.m. ... ' The greater part of yesterday's sitting ' jf the' Legislative Council was taken up * by a debate on the second reading of the Imprest Supply Bill. About a dozen members availed themselves of tho opportunity of. stating their views. . The : Dunedin District Drainage and Sewerage Acts Amendment Bill, the Mokau. Harbour Board Empowering Bill, and the Births and Deaths Registration Bill were put through their final stages.

NEW BILLS INTRODUCED. The Hon. H.' D. BELL introduced tho Cemeteries Act Amendment Bill and the Divorce and Matrimonial Causes Amendment Bill, both of which were read a first time and set down for their second reading on Tuesday. FINAL STAGES. The Dunedin District Drainago and Sewerage Acts Amendment Bill and the Mokau Harbour Board Empowering Bill were both put through their committee stages and passed without amendment. The Births and Deaths Registration Amendment Bill was read a third time and passed without discussion. The Council rose at 4.45 p.m.