PRIVATE BILLS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1810, 24 July 1913, Page 8

PRIVATE BILLS.

SATURDAY HALF-HOLIDAY. STRONGLY OPPOSED. Tho Hon. D. BUDDO (Kaiajoi) moved the second Teading of tho Saturday Halfholiday in Shops Bill. He said he had been moved to introduce the Bill because of tho difficulty about getting traders in different towns to fix a half-holiday for themselves, and becauso he thought a definite fixing of a day permanently, would bo better than tho present unrest. Ho did not believo that it would bo possible to sot tic the question definitely by fixing any day other than, Saturday, and ho did not thinik trade would suffer by tho compulsory closing down of all shops throughout the Dominion. iTio Bill, ho said, was in ctl'ect an amendment of tho Shops and Offices Act. Mr. A. E. GLOVER (Auckland Central) said that if there was to bo an alleged universal half-holiday lot the trams stop, let the ferries stop, tho hotels close. and tho theatres close. Then there would bo indeed a universal half-holiday. Mr. G. WITTY (Riccarton) said the last speaker had put his finger oil the weak spot of tho Bill. Tho real effect of tho proposed measure would be to mako onehalf of tho people work for the other half. It was, in his opinion, impossible jo. give a half-holiday to all workers on the same day, and he would prefer to seq the sottloment of the closing day left with. tho people themselves as it was now. Mr. L. M. Isitt (Christchurch North) and Mr. J. Payne (Grey Lynn) supported tho Bill, and Mr. A. Harris (Waitemnta), Sir Walter Buchanan (Wnirarapa), and Mr. G. W. Forbes (Hurunui) opposed it. Tho Hon. R. M'KEN7,IE (Motueka) said that each locality should be allowed to determine for itself fclio day upon which ft half-holiday should I>© observed. He objected that the business of Parliament was boing lifelessly blocked. Mr. J. S. DICKSON (Parnell) said that ho would liko to see a compulsory Saturday half-holiday with no exemptions. Mr. H. ATMORK (Nelson) said that he represented a city that had tried tho Saturday half-holiday for twelve months, and had gono back to Wednesday. He thought that tho difficulty would be got over if tho people of the surrounding district wore allowed to vote on the qucsJioa as well as tho city shoppers.

Mr. G. V. PEAKCE (Patea) said that the Bill ought to to called a Bill to increase the trade of tho hotels and to build up the cities at the expense of tho small towns and the country districts. Premier Advocates Big Districts. Tho Hon. TV. F. MASSEY (Prime Minister) said that there seemed to be no pleasing his friends on the other sido of tho House. If, when a private member's Bill was being considered, a Minister got up at an early stage in tho debate and criticised the Bill, he was accused of doing his best to kill it. If lie held his peace he was told that he was assisting to put the Bill on the Statute Book. In either case, he was found fault with. The Government would not take up this Bill, and would not support it, because they were not satisfied that what was proposed would bo more convenient to the majority of the people than tho present arrangement. The present arrangement was not perfect. In theory tho Saturday half-holiday proposal was almost perfect, but he doubted whether it would work out in practice. Visiting Taranaki a few months ago he bad been very much impressed by the position there. Many prosperous country towns existed in the district some of which 'observed the halfholiday on Wednesday and others on Thursday—more he thought on Saturdiy. This arrangement caused a great deal of inconvenienco to residents in the country districts. What seemed to iiin to be wanted was that tho districts should be enlarged and that there should be a combined district, which would include a great part of a country district. He could see no objection to taking a poll of the wliolo of the people in a provincial district like Taranaki. so that there might be one half-holiday for the whole district. It was impossible, in his opinion, the Premier continued, to avoid exemptions. The Bill proposed to allow tho present exemptions to continue. Section IS of the Act of 1908 exempted: Fishmongers, fruiterers, confectioners, florists, refreshmentroom keepers, bakers, and railway bookstalls.

Mr. Isitt said that tobacconists were exempted, .and Mr. Dickson said that Chinamen were. Mr. Massey said that he thought butchers ou?ht to be exempted on account of tho difficulty in keeping meat during the summer months. Under the present law, he continued, a poll could be secured in' any district upon the half-lioli-day question if one-fifth of the electors signed a petition. Out of the wholo of New Zealand only seven districts had declared in favour of Saturday. He noted with interest that the first district which declared for Saturday was the city of Auckland, the second Cliristchurch, and the third the very important borough of Pukekohe. Mr. Dickson: Who represents it? Mr. Massey: It is a most progressive district. He enumerated the other places which had declared for Saturday, and remarked that , a great majority _ of tho people of the Dominion were not inclined to declare in favour of tho Saturday halfholiday. This being so, it would bo unwiso and improper to legislate in the direction of a compulsory Saturday halfholiday. Mr. J. HANAN (Invercargill) said that he considered Saturday the ideal halflioliday. Mr. C. A. WILKINSON (Egmont) contended that the Saturday naif-holiday would detrimentally affect the interests of country districts. He supported tho proposal to take the half-holiday referendum in the largest possiblo combined districts.' Mr. G. W. RUSSELL (Avon) also supported the Prime Minister's proposal regarding combined districts, and opposed the Bill. Mr. T. M. WILFORD (Hutt) said that tho existing law seemed to be fairly satisfactory. Ho detailed a number af ol> jections to tho proposal that districts should be enlarged.

An Overwhelming Defeat. Mr. Buddo having replied, n division was taken at 10.20 p.m. The second readin? was negatived by 4G votes to 14. Sir. J. H. BRADNEY (Auckland West) stated', after the division, that ho was : under the impression that tlio 'whole House had not voted. Mr. SPEAKER ruled that as tho doors had been unlocked nothing could bo dono unless the honourable member, pointed out any honourable member who had not voted. . } This Mr. Bradney did not do. RINGS AND TRUSTS.

MR. PAYNE'S BILL. Mr. J. PAYNE (Grey Lynn) moved tho second reading of the Commercial Trusts Amendment Bill, which, he said, was to increase tho scope of the Act of 1910 by adding to the scnedule of the Act,' bacon, butter, cheese, eggs, and milk, and so making it illegal for rings and trusts to be formed to control the sale of any of these commodities. Mr. G. \\". RUSSELL (Avon) supported the Bill, a 9 being an extension of the Act passed in 191 U. The Bill would not deal with the prices of the goods specified, except when the supplies of these goods were cornered, and the prices ranged abnormally high. No suck thing as the cornering of tho supply of articles of food should no permitted, and therefore ho approved of tho Bill. Mr. 11. J. H. OKEY (Taranaki) said he was opposed to anything that would increase the cost of foodstulfs to tho people, bait this Bill was being discusser as if it was proposed under it to prevent farmers from putting their dairy produce into freezing works. It would be held that the object of this was to shorten supply, by holding back the goods from the local market. He would oppose the Bill on the ground that if enforced it would probably have the effect of reducing the price paid to the farmer for commodities. Mr. L. M. ISITT (Christchurch North) said tho Bill was not aimed at • tho farmer. Tho Bill was so siniplo that tho men opposed to trusts and combines would have no difficulty ill supporting the Bill. Mr. C. A. WILKINSON (Egmont) said he would support the Bill. All that he had heard of the discussion convinced him that it was necessary for New Zealand to have a Board of Trade to administer the Commercial Trusts Act. Ho did not,. however, believe tliero was a monopoly iu any of the articles named in the schedulo of tho Bill. He did not believe that the Bill would do any harm to farmers. Mr. 'I'. M. WILFORD (Hutt) saw nothing to fear in tho proposal- contained in the Bill, and ho supported it. ! SIR WALTER BUCHANAN (Wairarapa) 6aid he was surprised that the Bill did mot cover a great deal more ground. Why did tho honourable member, for Grey Lynn not inolude everything in his Bill, all tho articles used by everybody?' He liad no objection to the Bill, but he thought it should have been, til© duty of tho member introducing it to show that tliero were abuses connected with the sale of the articles named. If the Bill went .to the vote, he would vote for the second, reading.

Case fop the Farmer. Tlio Hon. W. F. MASSEY (Prime Minister) said that if lie liatl been a stranger in tlie gallery, ho might have been puzzled by the parade of virtuous enthusiasm about the Bill, but as ho had some knowledge of the ways of members of Parliament ho looked down the Order Paper, and ho thought lie could discover why there had been so much discussion on this Bill. (Tivo items lower down was the, Gaining Amendment Bill.) To tho principle of tho Bill absolutely no exception could be taken. The House was unanimous on the Commercial Trusts Act, and this was an extension of that Act. The only possible objection to it was that it did not go far enough. Mr. Russell: You will bo ablo to extend it. Mr. Massoy said ho hoped to bo ablo to do so. Ho repeated' that the Bill could not possibly do any harm to tlio producers. He had heard that there was a butter ring in Wellington.' He did not know whether it was true or not.. Tho fact was that good prices had been ruling in England and in Vancouver. It had to be remembered, too, that the lnttor end of last season had not ljeon a good time for dairy farmers. As a conscquence supplies were short during the present winter, mid to that fact rather than to the existence of a ring the present high prices wero to bo attributed. In tho neighbourhood of Auckland some dairy-farmers claimed that they had made n serious loss during the last few months. They had been compelled to buy artificial food and had incurred other unusual expenses, and one and all said that they were working at a loss at present. Speaking as a farmer, lie did not believe that this Bill would make any dill'ercnco from tho farmers' point of view, and he saw no objection to it. Finally, tho Prime Minister sufi-

gestwl to members that they should take a division on the Bill if tlie.y so desired. He proposed then to move the adjournment of the House. .Mr. I'AI'NE having replied, the second reading was agreed to ou tho voices. PREMIUM BONDS VALIDATION. Mr. A. HARRIS (AVaitemnta) moved to refer tho Premium Bonds Validation Bill to a Select Committee of ten members. Tho motion was agreed to. Tho House rose at 11.40 p.m.