THE HOUSE.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1590, 6 November 1912, Page 8

THE HOUSE.

.LOCAL BILLS. The House of Representatives met yesterday at iiooii to deal "with local Bills. The PKIMJJ MINISTER suggested that two contentious measures, tho Orakei Model Suburb Bill and the Taieri land Drainage Bill, should-'.bo postponed until "the House'had dealt with other local Bills. This was agreed-to. The Opunake Harbour Amendment Bill and the HawkeVßay Rivers Amendment Bill were react a second time on the voices and without discussion. Tho AVanganui Harbour. ; District and Empowering Bill and the Wauganui Har•bour District and Empowering Bill, No. 2, were discharged from the Order Paper by consent. The two Bills read a second time were passed through Committee with " amendments approved by the members in charge. On the motion that the Opunake II arbour Amendment Bill be read a third time, Dr. TE RANGIHIROA' (Northern Maori) objected to Clause 4a in the Bill, providing that the Public Trustee may make .certain payments to the Harbour Board on 'account 'of - Natives .'reserves, benefited by the harbour improvement works. ; Air. 11. G. ELL (Christchurch South) contended that the Natives had been singled out in this case for exceptional ment.The Hon. W. H. HERRIES said that it was strange that tho members who were now objecting had not made their objections in Committee. Since paying a visit ;to tho district .affected by this Bill the member for Christchurch South had posed as a tohunga and a great authority on Native affairs, but he was always exposing, his ignorance. This clause would not ;mjuriously affect the interests of the Na- ' Kv.es.'' Ho considered .that the member for Christchurch South had made a covert attack on the member for Western Maori. Tho Hon. Dr. POM ARE (Western 'Maori) .said that lie represented the Natives' of the Opunake district. He did not think that tlio member for Christchurch South had been serious in suggesting that lie did not look afler tho interests of his own people. He had carefully studied this Bill," ainTthe clause under discussion, and was satisfied that it would not inflict any compulsory hardship on .tho .Maoris. Mr. C: A. WILKINSON (Egmont), who was in charge of the Bill, pointed out that' the clause which had been discussed left it at the option of the Public Trustee to. make payments or not as ho thought fit. Eleven-sixteenths of the lands, affeoted by this Bill were Native reserves. No harm could accrue to the' Natives from the inclusion of this clause. The Bill, was read a third time on tho voices and passed. • The Hawke's , Bay Rivers . Amendment Bill was also read a third time. THE ORAKEI MODEL SUBURB. STRONG OPPOSITION BY DR. POMARE. The Orakei Model Suburb Bill was not called upon'until nine minutes to one o'clock. . Mr. A. M, .MYERS'(Auckland East) said that this was a .most important Bill. The whole.of the people of. Auckland desired authority to liy out a model suburb, and Orakei Was very suitable for this purpose! The matter had been fully discussed, and the Bill before the House had been carefully reviewed by the Local Bills and Native Affairs Committees. As a representative of the city 'of' Auckland,. ; he hoped that members,, before recording their votes, would recognise their'responsibilities. All the members of the Auckland City Council, wiili the exception of the member for Parnell, favoured the proposal, and the members of the Reninera Bead Board (eicopt Mr. Dickson, who

was-chairman)-also approved tho proposal.' ' "" '" ' Mr. Dickson: That is-not correct. Mr. Myers'said that in the membership of fourteen local bodios he had only heard of tho member for Pnrnell and one other, as dissentients. The Hon. DR. POMARE said that when the Bill was last discussed an impression had got abroad that he was in' favour 01 the! speculator'getting all theso lands. He was just us much against the speculator as ho was against Auckland talcing this land compulsorily. The Bill was a violation of tho Treaty of Waitangi, and a violation of tho Constitution Act ot loo— As a representative of tho Maoris he was against it. ■ ; Mr. Mvors begged the hon. gentleman to let the House go to a vote, on the Bill, instead of stonewalling it by.bringing u l' ancient history. . Dr. Pomare said that he was not going to allow the hon. momber for Auckland Bast to dictate to him as to what ho would do or should do. He was going to speak against this Bill, and take his lull time'if he could get it. Mr. Myers: You won't get much! Dr. Pomare: All I can get. Mr. Russell: You live in Wellington, don't you? We don't! Dr. Pomare: I wi?h the hon. gentleman would take a little of his own salt! Most of the talk this session has come irom the hon. gentleman, and a fine lot of talk it has been! ' ' Mr. Russell: You are better on pills than; on Bills. u. Dr. Poniare went on to contend that the Bill aimed at taking away the last remnant of land from Natives who had louglit for the paltchas. Orakei, he continued, was not such a model place. Why should not Auckland take the land-adjoining St. John's Lake. There Mr. Myers could liavo orchards running down to the water and gondolas on the iakc— — Mr. Myers: I want something practical. Dr. Pomare: Why cannot yon take that? Mr. Myers: You accept the principle then? - Dr. Pomare:- No,- certainly not. I a" 1 not in favour of taking this last remnant of land from the Natives. , The clocks now. standing at one o'clock there were cries of "Time," and the Speaker left the Chair. The Prime Minister intimated that when the House met again at 2.30 ordinary business would be taken. . I ■- LEAVE OF ABSENCE. When tho House resumed for the afternoon sitting,. Pour days' leave of absence;was granted to the Hon.-A. T. Ngata (Eastern 1 Maori) on account of urgent, private business. THREE BILLS. Mr. A. M. MYERS (Auckland East) asked the Prime Minister whether 'another opportunity .would be afforded the House of discussing the Orakei Model Suburb Bill. The Hon. -W. F. MASSEY (Prime Minister) said .this must depend on- the progress made with the other business of tho country,.; He-felt: in honour bound to give.- another'..opportunity" of -dealing-with the;-'r.aierj '.Land'.'Drainage- Bill, ahd'ho. wquld • the ■ member. .ill chargo of; the.'Bill should' l move that; amendments .made'-in another place be.; .disagreed-with' in order that there might be-, a-,', conference. ' - Mr'.-. J. , V.'BRO WN (Napier) asked the Prims "Minister.-.whether the Hon'se 'wou'ld be allowed to deal-with the Napier Har-bour-Board Empowering. Bill. On October 16 the Bill had been referred to the Lands • Committee,- but by' some- mistake it. had not conie before the compiittee. Mr. B. • NEWMAN (chairman of the Lands Committee) said the committee was prepared to deal with the Bill that afternoon. • 'The Hon: W, P. MASSEY said lie would allow : .one-hour, next (lav to .the' three Bills, provided that the Taieri Bill was placed first. Thi.t was a most important measure for the district. He agreed that the Napier Harbour Bill bo placed next, and the Orakei Bill tliiijd. MOUNT LYELL DISASTER. Mr. G. W. RUSSELL (Avon) asked the Prime Minister whether, in compiling the Supplementary Estimates, he would consider the desirability. 011 behalf of the people of New Zealand, of making a grant for the assistance of the widows and children of the men who lost their lives in the Mount Lyell disaster. The Hon. W. I-'. MASSEY (in reply) said the Government was prepared to do its duty ill this matter, and inquiries were being made concerning it. The matterwould be considered at a Cabinet meeting to bo held next morning. But he would like -to remind honourable members'that there were necessitous cases in our own country requiring the attention of the Government. A sum of .£IO,OOO had had to be transferred to the Golaminers' Relief Fund, which was practically in a bankrupt position. The Government also had to take over the mainten- ' ance of the Wai.bi Hospital, the revenue of which was practically stopped. He had overy sympathy for the distress of people in a neighbouring colony, but the -people of New Zealand must have first consideration. ' NATIVE LAND BILL. The amendments made by the Legislative Council in the Native Land Amendment Bill were agreed to on the voices. BARMAIDS BILL. REPORTED WITH AMENDMENTS. Tho Barmaids Registration Bill' '.was committed. ' Mr. A. E. GLOVER (Auckland Central) was the first to protest against the Bill. "I want to movo an amendment to this Bill," he said; "and then I think my work for this .session is finished." Tho Hon. W. F. MASSEY (in charge of' the Bill) moved all amendment to strike out Sub-clause- 2, of Clause 2, defining a private bar as meaning practically any room or. passage in an hotel into which tho -public might enter and purchase liquor. 1 • This amendment was agreed to. Mr. MASSEY then moved the addition of the following new. clause:— (1.) Every person who was, on tho passing of the Licensing Amendment Act, 1910, entitled 011 application ..to be registered as a barmaid, but who failed to make application within the time limited in that behalf shall be entitled to be registered as a barmaid under the Licensing Amendment Act, 1910, if application for registration is made by her in the prescribed manner on or before the first day of June, nineteen hundred and thirteen. (2.) On any such application the provisions of section thirty-six of tho ]ast-mentioned Act shall apply in the same manner as if application had been duly made, as provided by subsection four of that section. He said that a iiunibor of barmaids were now under a hardship through having failed to register, but he did not think the passing-, of t.ho clause would very largely' increaso the number of barmaids to bo employed. Mr. A. E. GLOVER said the amendment did not go far enough, and he would movo another amendment to the effect that all girls now employed, whether registered or not, should bo free to register now. Mr. J. ROBERTSON (Otaki) read a letter, signed bv, .twenty-eight barmaids employed in Auckland hotels, in which it was asked that no barmaids now unregistered should be registered. Mr. L. M. ISITT (Christchurch North) said that he would not oppose the new clause, but would ask for an.assurance that only barmaids entitled to 'registration in 1911 would be registered. Mr. MASSEY said that the head of the Labour Department could be relied upou to administer this legislation conscientiously: The new. clause was added to the Bill. Mr..A. E. GLOVER (Auckland Central) proposed an amendment entitling any barmaid to registration who had been- employed in that capacity for not less than three months within a y&ir previous to the passing of the Act. The amendment was negatived, on a division by 49 votes to 11. The Bill was reported with amendments. LAND AGENTS' REGISTRATION. The Land Agents' Registration Bill, orig-. inally introduced by '.Mr. Witty, and since taken up by the Government, was the next; measure considered.. The Bill was reported with a number of technical amendments, all of them approved by the Hon. W. F. Mas.-ey, Minister ill charge of the Bill. On the third reading of the Barmaids' Registration Bill, Mr, .Glover, repeated tke

f protasis against its provisions which ho had made in Committee. Tho Bill was road a third time. REGISTRATION OF PLUMBERS. The Hon. IJ. 11. KIIODES moved that the Plumpers' Registration Bill should bo committed. Ho stated that the Bill was approved by plumbers generally, both employers and. employees. It provided a uniform system of registration, under which a plumber, once registered, would be free to follow his trade in any part of the Dominion. The motion was agreed to oil the voices, after a brief discussion. lii Committee oil the Bill, The Hon. D. BI7DDO moved to add a representative of the master builders to the Plumbers' Board appointed under tho Bill to conduct examinations. Tho Hon. E, H. RHODES declined to accept the amendment, and Mr. Buddo did not. press it. ■ ' 'The Committee adjourned at 5.15 p.nu (a quarter of an hour earlier than usual), in order that members might join in the welcome extended to the cadets coming biick froin Canada. An amendment by Mr, T. IC. Sidey to the effect that tho local authority should bo consulted before regulations were drawn up was rejected on the voices. ■ At the suggestion of Mr. Stathain, the Minister accepted an amendment to make liable to penalty only, those persons doing sanitary plumbing, or ■ knowingly employing an unregistered plumber to do it. The amendment was in tho insertion of the word "knowingly." The Bill was reported with amendments. On tho third reading, I Mr. G, J. ANDERSON (Mataura) contended that tho Bill made unnecessarily severe demands in the matter of the examination of. inspectors of sanitary work so far as small towns ...were concerned. The effect of the Bill, as it stood, would lie. to drive, out a. number of men who now acted as inspectors- of works in small boroughs. The inclusion of these provisions would compel him to vote against the Bill, ' Mr. A. S. MALCOLM (Clutha) supported what Mr. Anderson had said, and moved to recommit the Bill in order that the clause relating to inspection might be amended. .. /> Messrs. Bradney; Ell, and Buchanan opposed the amendment. Mr. W. H. t), Bell" urged that the Bill should be allowed to .stand.'aver for ,-t year, . -The Hon.'l?. H. BHODES offered -to consent to "the recommittal of th.t Bill, and to accept an .amendment making the provisions relating to inspection applicable only to towns specified, by regulation, He'was still of opinion that'a borough of .any size should have a properly qualified man as inspector. . Mr. Anderson intimated that the offered compromise was. not satisfactory, but • did not press the matter to a division.' . HAURAKf"PLAINS BILL. . A message was received from the Legislative Council intimating that it had amended-an amendment - mads by Ills Excellency the Governor -is the Hauraki Plains Amendment Bill. The general pnrpo.se" of the amendment' was -to 1 ex-. «nipt;-;certaih.. lands from. ■ payment -of country:, rates, whilo rates were levied upon them,by ther Minister for Lands;. Mr. H. POIiAND' (Ohjnemuli) opposed tho'mption that the-Couiicil's amendment be agreed-.toi .and .called\for a 'division;' ■ ..The. .iniendnicntsawerc.agfeed- to-by 34 votes t0.30. PU BLIC ACCOUNTS COMMITTEE. The Public Accounts Committee was granted one day's extra time ill which to report to tho House on State Guaranteed Advances. RAILWAYS AUTHORISED. , . LIGHT LINES. The Hon. W. ERASER (Minister for Public "Works)'moved tlio second rending of the Railways Authorisation Bill. He, explained that the authorisations were being asked for in order that'the Department might make ' surveys of ' proposed routes, and estimate the. cost of the lines. Some of the railways had been promised, ami there had been agitation about all of them,, but i so far nothing had been done. If he could next session ge't-the approval of the House to a .scheme of light railway construction, ho thought for most of these lines a light railway would be adequate. Ho explained the direction ami length of tho lilies in the schedule. 'i Sir JOSEPH WARD (Aivarua) congratulated the Minister for-Public Works '•on having introduced ,the measure affectI'ing so many proposed railways, and also on having announced that no money would be taken this year for expenditure on these lines. He thought that, ill view of this all those lines not yet commenced for which moneys liad been appropriated should be proceeded lvitll hcfore these new lines were embarked upon. . " Mr. Pearce: Nonsense; not if it's not a. good proposition, Sir Joseph Ward ivent on to speak of the probable route of the 0 ml Hake line. "Where was the junction with the main line to be? The member for Patea evidently had it from the Minister for Public Works that the junction was to fee in his own electorate. . He.,.urged, however, tliat the lines for which votes, had been taken sliould.be proceeded with . before any new lines were started; There were two Ministerial railways, one each in the electorates of the Prime Minister and the. Minister for-Finance, and if they got ahead of private members' railways, thelatter would have a pftpr show. He was prepared to support both those ra.ilws.ys, which he believed would'be good paying lines, but he wanted his line to come first. . ■ ' ■ ■ An lion, niember: Where's your line? Kir Joseph Ward: The Winton-Heddon Bush railway. It has Ijeen on the Estimates for a good time, and nothing has been done with it- yet., '. Mr. Eraser: I am going to visit the district this year. Sir Joseph Ward: I am very glad to heal" it. It is a very important district, too. I might say, Mr. Hine: You've got a hope now! i ■ - Cautjon Necessaty. Sir Joseph Ward contended that the ,routes should be more clearly defined before Parliament w4s asked to pass judgment on railways. ■ Hfi thought light- railways might pay very Weil in this country, but at the saint- time the policy ot building such,-lilies would have to be <1p- ! proached with caution. Be deprecated very strongly any proposal to allow pri- i vate people to construct such lines. It would bo bad to have competing with the State railways uiij* lines privately owned. .If ten lines'were tq be stopped, then it would ba .possible' to start all the lines, new ones included, tho year after next—electioneering year. He congratulated the' Minister for I'innnco on having shielded his expenditure for tins year against the enormous appropriations that would be necessary iiext year. . Mr. G. Y. PEARCE (Patea) said that Opunake had l»en treated as all the other railways iu New Zealand ought to have been treated. An independent commission had been set up to say along which route the railway would test serve the country. . An lion, member: Who set it Up? Mr. Pearce: I should have been pleased to acknowledge that Sir Joseph Ward authorised it, when he Was Minister, but it had been left for the Mackenzie Min■Mt. Hine: When be was member for Egmont. Mr. Pearce said tho line would assuredly pay, while thero were other lines under construction Which would never pay interest on the cost of construction. Dr. A. K. NEWMAN .(Wellington East) said lie felt disappointed with the schedule. There Were districts in Wei-, iington which much better deserved rail* ,ways than any of those to be served. There was a large tract oi' country between Masterton and Waipuku-rau, and there had been an agitation for many years for a. railway between. Greatford and Levin. He did' 1 not believe in light railways. He thought, rather, that the railways should W fed by uiotor-bus and motor-lorry services. Mr. C. A. WILKINSON (%nont) said he had no promise of the railway in his pocket. He did not know where the terminal of the Opunake ( line would be, and there was no battle ot routes among the Tarannki members. Light Railways Advocated, llr. W. C. BCCHAXAN (Wairarapa) advocated the building of light railways. Surely it would be boiler to build a railway, . the capital co#t , of which would bear - some relation to the amount of traffic the line would carry. Unfortunately, ■ heavy -expenditure had been in-' curred on jowo lilies in Now Zealand,

am] tlio returns were iiot paying tho interest, Oil the Picloii line, for instance, half a million of moiioyhad been lost and on tlio Kelson lino the loss.not counting this jviirj had'been .£370,000. Tlio result had been that paying lines had had to have charges iliiyosecl upon tllcm much ill excess of what was justified by local con.ditions,. lie believed that there was a future before motor bus and motor wagon services, but ill some districts it would be impossible, owing to scarcity of good stone, to build a solid road lied on which these buses could mil. It would bo . much more practicable to construct light lilies'. Mr. W. A. YEI'fCH (Wanganni) said (hero was a good deal of disappointment in this district, because no provision was being made for tlio survey of a railway route between Wangamii and Raetihi, . which railway had been promised for ninny years.' Mr. \V. D.' S. MACDONAM (Bay of 1 Plenty) said lie would have liked to sea more progress made with tho lines under construction, and especially with tho. : East Coast railway. . He did not believe that tho Government should alter the policv of-railway construction by building; light railways. Even now our rail- : ways were .practically light railways, for on some of the lines where there were steep gradients, heavy . locomotives had to be used, and heavy rails Were therefore necessary. • Mr, G. J. ANDERSON (Matanra) urged upon tho Government the necessity for establishing a betterment system in connection with railway construction. This would considerably reduce the demands for railways in so many districts. Utller speakers in tho debate Wero Messrs. .T. H. Eseott (Pahiatua), G. \V. Forties (Huruuui), and J. G. Coates (ICnipara). An Ex-Minister's Views. The Hon. It. M'KENZIE (Motueka) said tlmt some of the authorisations were jus- , tified. Others were political railways of tile worst character. The Waiuku line, although it was in tho Prime Minister's district, was not a political railway, at all. The Opunake and Culverden-Waiau lines were also justified, but the same could not be said of Hie Featherston-Martiiibor-migli railway. He did. not think there iiad ever been a worse case.of a political railway than this line. . The railway to Tuapeka liioutli tfould not serve one hundred people who w'fcre not already within fifteen miles of a railway. If this line were ever built tlio rails arid sleepers, if they were not rotten then, would be taken up ten years after they had teen put there. Eight railways had been condemned itt nearly every... country hi. which to Ms knowledge they had been tried. . Whe.ro they had been tried in New Zealand) light railways had never been found satisfactory. Mr. M'Kxmzie detailed various ways in which tlio cost of railway construction could be reduced, and declared that practically all frf them had been, found unsatisfactory. It .would bo better to go in {or light vehicles drawing their motive power from overhead wires than to build light lines. Granted electrical installations in eacli island- sufficient cqtild.be obtained from the sale of current for other uses .to .gjhre. tho power required by the railways, for nothing. The last' speaker. was Mr. I<\ Mandfir, member for Marsden. The; Minister .di(l not speak in-reply." ' ■ The motion .to commit'- the -Bill' was. agreed-to on th® voices, ; FLAXMILL EMPLOYEES. , BETTERMENT OP • HOUSING CONDITIONS. The: Hon; W. P. JtASSEY- (Prime. Minister) moved the second reading of the Slioar-evs! and Agricultural Labourers' Accommodation Amendinent Bi.il. . He.stat-. C(l.thn.t. tlie.Bill, was iiitended.to bo general. in its. application, although" it had been drafted for the special purpose of amending the housing conditions of flaxmill employees in tho Manawatu district. Reports in regard' to'- existing conditions ,under which these employees lived haU been obtained from officers representing tin? Public Health and Labour Departments. Portions of these reports did Jiot make pleasant, reading. ■Mr. J. ROBERTSON (Otaki) asked that tho reports mentioned by tho Prime Minister should ljf> Jjwd.-oit;, the. ttt]# He;, described in -'detail : the eonditions obtaiii-' ing at the Manawatu flaxmills, and stated , that- unless tlieso conditions Were quickly amended a-virulent and widespread outbreak of typhoid might bo looked for during the coming sunimer. Mr. ft. M.'CALLtJM. said that, it was very necessary to regulate the ■] housing and living conditions of shepherds as well as of shearersTlio Bill was read a second time on the , voices. . ■ * — : PUBLIC SERVICE SUPERANNUATION. Amendments to the Public Service Classification and Superannuation Amend-; ilient Bill were introduced by Governor's, Message. The Hon. JAS. ALLEN stated the fiftst part of the amendment brought in certain teachers who had beeii' excluded from superannuation benefits. The second partextended superannuation: benefits to Xmiversity professors. . EDUCATION AMENDMENT BILL. The Hon. .lAS. ALLEN moved to commit tho Education Amendment Bill. Mr. G. W, RUSSELL (Avon) said that lie intended to move an amendment giving the Minister for-Education instead of an education board power to specify ilia secondary schools at which holders of junior scholarships should attend. The Hon. JAS. ALLEN indicated that ho-did not approve the amendment suggested bv Jfr. ftussell. He contended that tho board was better placed than the Minister or Department to select schools for scholarship holders, and -that the Minister would incur odium by making tlio selection. • . l ~ SUPERANNUATION FOR PROFESSORS. - The Hon. JAS.' ALLEN moved the second reading of the.Public Servico Classification and Superannuation Amendment B JIr. G. W. BtTSSELL (Avon) objected to the proposal to confer superannuation benefits oil university professors.. It should be quite enough, he said, to provide for people who were poor and had small salaries. Professors received large salaries and should be able to make provision for themselves. ■ . The Hon. .lAS. ALLEN said that lie questioned whether the superannuation of any one professor would reach the limit of .£.IOO a vear. Only a 'small annual payment from the Consolidated Fund would be required. Unless these men. were retired on .superannuation they would remain in the service when they really ought to be retired, Tho second reading was agreed to on the voices. SHEARERS' ACCOMMODATION. Tho House went into Committee oil Hie Shearers' 1 and Agricultural Labourers' Accommodation Bill. On the motion of the Prime Minister a new clause, was added to provide that in connection with the accommodation with which the Bill deals, a convenient, adequate, and wholesome water supply (to the satisfaction of the Health Department) must 1» provided. The Bill was reported.'

AN EDUCATION B)U. In Committee on tho Education Amendment Bill, Mr. W. A. VMTCH (Wonganui) proposed an amendment protecting teachers against any'loss of superannuation benefits as a result of the disestablishment of schools. The Hon. .TAS. AiLEN declined to accept the amendment. The amendment, after debated by several speakers, wfts negatived by 33 votes to lt>. Mr. G. W, RDSSBLL (Avon) proposed the amendment oi which he had given notice earlier in the sitting, giving the Minister, instead of the Education Beard, power to select secondary schools'to be attended by holder? of scholarships, The Hoii. JAB. ALLEN said that it would not he a wise or proper thing to :igreo t« the amendment." Mr. ilnssell reftallMl a case which oe- , curred at Auckland, when a Koniun Catholic boy to whom a scholarship had been a warded was refused permission b.v the board lo attend a liomau Githolie High School. He wauled to bring some powsr 'lo b#ar that would stand obov«. esetama icJiucac?i and tie otdt vray tc

do it was to leave tho matter in • tha hands of tho Minister. pn division tlio amendment was negatived by 33 votes to 15, Tho Education Bill was reported, and tho Railways Authorisation Bill was passed through Comiiiitteo without discussion. Tho Houso roso at 2;10 a.m.