THE COUNCIL.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1563, 5 October 1912, Page 6

THE COUNCIL.

CONTRACTORS' AND WORKMEN'S LIENS. Tho Legislative Cotincil met at 2.30 yesterday bi'ternoou. Tho Hon. 0. SAMUEL asked tho Minister for Internal Affairs whether the Goverinhcnt will take into consideration the advisability of introducing legislation to amend the consolidated statuto of ISOB, intituled tho Wages Protection and Contractors' Liens Act, ISIOS, by restoring tho meaning ascribed to the word "work" in tho Contractors' and Workmen's Lieu Act, 18112, tho substitution of the word • "means" in the later Act for "includes" in the earlier Act probably resulting in depriving somo classes of workers of the benefits they prc'vionslv enjoved. I The Hon. Tl. P. BELT,, in reply. stat- | ed that if an alteration in the law had made in the prices; of ccnsnlida.

necessary to restore tha law to tho position in which it was beforo tho Consolidation Act was passed. What Jlt. Samuel had said would bo submitted to tho law officers of tho Crown, and if they advised that such an alteration as was stated had taken place, ail amendment would • be made by tho Government. PROVISION FOR VETERANS. The Hon. H. D. BELL, replying to some J remarks made by the Hon. Mr. Luke on tho Tcport of the Public Petitions Committee in regard to pensions for military veterans, stated that a Bill had actually been prepared and was in print, and under tho consideration of the Government, to carry into effect provisions for military pensioners. Reference had been made to this matter in tho Financial Statement, and he thought that perhaps before presenting these petitions tho veterans might have relied on the Government to carry out its promise. When tho Bill came down ho thought it would be found to bo highly satisfactory to the veterans. PUBLIC SERVICE BILL. RED TAPE AND OFFICIALISM. Tho adjoarned debate on the second reading of the Civil Service Bill was continued by ' Tho Hon. J. ANSTEY, who remarked that one great weakness which was growing up in the Civil Service was what he termed "red tape" or "officialism," which greatly impaired the efficiency of the Service. He would have liked to have seen some effort made in the Hill to cope with this defect. There should not, ho urged, be any means of promotion to the higher positions except that the one to be' promoted should have served a reasonable timo in the practical divisions of the Service. This was the more necessary conI sidering the undertakings the State was taking over, and would, he believed, take over in the future.

Contuumg, Mr. Anstey said he did not think there were at present any ghastly evils which needed reform. A certain amount of patronage must exist under any system, and ho was inclined to think there wojld be more under a commissioner than was the case at present. Jlr. Anstey thought that something might still be done to deprive tho Bill of some of its worst features. He agreed with a previous speaker that tho Bill violated every principle of democracy. Tho Hon. H. D., Bell: You mean tho democracy of the last tweity years. Continuing, Jlr. Anstey said the Bill was more autocratic than any of the other schemes which had been mentioned. It was an autocracy from end to end, and practice ally without appeal or let or hindrance. There should, bo thouglit, be some limitation of the great power conferred on the commissioner, and his term of office should bo limited to three years. .He was opposed to the appointment of an irresponsible autocratic head. The Bill, however, ■had passed tho House of Representatives by a large majority, and he did not think the Council should reverse that vote. The most they could do would be to delay tho Bill for a year. He would support the second reading;. In this Bill the Government were taking a big gambling risk on the chance of selecting an almost perfect man as commissioner. If successful, no harm would be done perhaps, but if the choice was an unhappy one, the result would be disastrous. He only gavo his assent to the Bill with grave misgivings. PAST POLITICAL PATRONAGE. RESPONSIBLE FOR PRESENT OPINIONS. / The Hon. 0. SAMUEL remarked that during the past six years there had been little or no complaint.in the way of political patronage or interference. Throughout the country, however,, there was a feeling that political partisanship had been shown in respect to the Public Service. In years gone by a most improper use had been made of politicat patronage. The Hon. W. Beehan: Are you. dealing with thirty years ago '{ The Hon. O. Samuel: No. I say previous to the last six years political patronage was used by the Government. Men, ho said, had been appointed to various offices who bad been notoriously busily interested at every election canvassing for the party that had appointed them. The actions of those in power at tho time he spoko of were responsible for the feeling that something must bo done now to prevent political interference. The mistake was that somo people confused tho Administration of the last six years with the one previous to that date, which gave rise to the trouble. The people of tho country had tho excuse be nad mentioned to justify them in somo measure in tho opinion'they held. Having said this he had said all he could in favour of the Bill. Personally, he was not sanguino that any good would result from tho Bill. In fact, he had misgivings that there would bo evil results following. In the course of a lengthy review of the Bill, Mr. Samuel expressed his dissatisfaction at the fact that the decision of the Commissioner was to be absolute, without any appeal, check, or revision.' In leaving the Commissioner to deal directly with the Governor, instead of through the Minister, the Government deprived itself of the privilege of taking: caro of the men in its employ. He was 6orry for this, and regretted that the Government had been forced by a want of confidence in its own capacity to propose such a measure. He was sorry he had to vote for the Bill, but it had been passed by the representatives of the people, and the people having expressed a desire to. prevent political interference, he felt that he must vote for the Bill, notwithstanding the faults he believed to exist in it. , THE HON, W. BEEHAN. AN IMPOSSIBLE BILL. The Hon. W. Beehan characterised the Bill as a wild, impossible scheme, which would be detrimental to the service, and proceeded to-deplore the attack made by the previous speaker on the Seddoii Government. He spoke strongly against the Bill.

On resuming at 8 p.m., the Hon. Mr. Beehan continued the debate, and expressed tho opinion that the Railway Department and the Government Printing Oflico should bo included in tho Bill. In his opinion each Minister should face his responsibility like a man. There had, to his mind, been' no demand by • the country for the Bill. It had been only an election cry, and he thought it was the function of the Council to lay the Bill aside. Tho Bill would centre all the patronage in. Wellington, and centre it In one man.. THE HON. C. H, MILLS., SUPPORT ON CERTAIN CONDITIONS. .The Hon. C. H. MILLS thought the aim of the Bill was good, and that the measure sought to improve matters, but ho doubted very' much whether it could attain its object. In passing, Mr. Mills said he was astounded to hear the Hon. Mr. Samuel fixing the blame for tlio charges of political corruption on the Seddon Government. There was no justification for this. . If there was anything to be found fault with it had occurred since the Seddon Administration. The lookeron saw a good deal of tho game.'and he was prepared to say that there-had been some very injudicious, moves, but not that there was political corruption. In the course of his further remarks, Mr. Mills urged that tho Government should takethe reins themselves, instead of handing the control over to a commissioner. Tho Hon. George Jones: They know their own limitations. The Hon. H. D. Bell: It is sometimes an advantage. (Laughter.) In conclusion, Mr. Mills Baid ho was willing at the present stage to abide by what those members who had Been before tho electors recently declared to be the wish of tho people. Ho would vote for tho second reading, but he would not support the third reading unless he saw some judicious amendments made in committee. One of those amendments must bo in the direction of shortening tho term of the Commissioner. THE HON. W. W. M'CARDLE.

A SUPPOTtTEft OF THE BILL. Tho Hon. W. W. M'CAHDLE remarked on tho liberal manner in which . the Lender of tlio Council had dealt with his opponents when introducing the Dill. Mr. M'Cardle added that things, wore not all they might bo in tho Civil Service. Ho did not altogether believe in the Bill, because of his experience of commissioners in tho past, but he would support the measure. At this stage the debate was adjourned; on the motion of tho Hon. .1. B. Callan. Tba. Council toss at 9Jj E.in..