PARLIAMENT.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1822, 7 August 1913, Page 8

PARLIAMENT.

THE HOUSE.

COUNCIL REFORM. THE PAYMENT OP TEACHERS. WARM DISCUSSION. \ The Legislative Council met at 2.30 p.lll. The Hons. W. BEEHAN, S. THOItXE GEORGE and T. THOMPSON presented three separate petitions from Auckland, signed by over 800 ipersons, praying that the Shops and Offices Act be so amended ai to compel licensed premises to closo from 1 p.m. on the statutory half-holiday. THE REFORM BILL. SELECT COMMITTEE SET .UP. The Hon. 0. SAMUEL was granted leave to move that the following Select Committee should bo appointed to consider and report on the Legislative Council Bill:—The Hons. J. Barr, H. D. Bell, W. C. F. Carncross, J. Duthie, J. D. Oraond, J. I{. Sinclair, G. J. Smith, E. C. J. Stevens, and the mover. In moving this the Hon; 0. Samuel thought it was the general desire of the Council that an immediate step should be taken in the matter. .It was desirable also that members should indicate what steps snould be takon. If the committee was appointed he hoped they would meet on the following day. ■ The Hon. H. D. BELL seconded the motion. The Hon. W. BEEHAN thought that ten members should be appointed.' He, moved that the Hon. G. J. Smith's name should be erased, and that of the Hon. J. Anstey be inserted. The Hon. J. ANSTEY refused tohavo. his name substituted, and the Hon. W. Beehan agreed to withdraw his motion. The Hon. J. T. PAUL thought. that the matter should be made tho question for suggesting to the other House that a Joint Committee should be appointed. During the debate on the question he 1 strongly urged tho Norwegian system. To' "his idea that was tho best, but before that was discussed members of tho other House had to be consulted. There were difficulties in the way if they did not appoint a Joint Committee. It was idle to 9ay that because they were only discussing the Legislative Council that this did not affect the wholo question of Legislature. SIR MAURICE O'ROEKE took the occasion to oppose thie present system of Legislative Council election. It was a disgrace, he said, .that members could be got rid of if they did not 'obey tho Government Whip. It was right in a young country like this that the people should have a say in electing members to the Council. There should bo a dis-

tinct vote for an individual member, and not a block vote. Ho suggested that tho big electorates should be reduced. He would submit his suggested areas for individual members to the Select Committee. . -The Hon. Mr. SAMUEL, in reply, said that tho Hon. Sir Maurice o'Rorke ! s suggestion would be carefully considered by any committee appointed.' - The Select Committee as named by tho Hon. O. Samuel was appointed. • A RETURN REFUSED. The Hon. J. EIGG moved"That there'be laid upon the table of the Council a return showing all complaints, made to the Labour Department in reference to breaches of awards or Acts, from April 1,-1911, to March 31, .1913, setting forth: (1) The district; (2) the name of magistrate or judge who heard the case; (3) the name of prosecuting inspector; (4) the number oi cases in which complaints were first made by trade unions; (5) the number of oases in which the inspector discovered the breach upon. Ins own inquiries; (G) the number of cases in which other persons made the complaint; (7) the number of letters of warning sent; (8) the number of convictions; (9) the number of cases withdrawn; (10) the number of cases in 'which the inspector was nonsuited; (11) the number of cases dismissed; and (12) the total

number of cases." In moving the motion, the Hon. J. Rlag sai'cl he asked the return on behalf of" ilie " New Zealand Federated Drivers' "Union, but ho did-not. know the intention or purpose of the union. ' ■ The Hon. J.'T. PAUL seconded the "Tho'lton. H. B. BELL opposed tils motion. He said a motion for the same return had boon asked in the other 'House and opposed. Now the same return was 1 being asked in tlio . Council. That process would lead to an inevitable conflict between the two Chambers. In this case, he would give special reasons why lie opposed the motion, and ask tlio Chamber to refuse the Tequest.. It .was against the public interest that the return should be granted He made tins statement as a responsible Minister. It would open the Labour Department to misrepresentation. The object of the return was to get in schedule a great deal of matter which was iflrcady open to Labour Unions in the Labour Journals. A certain part of information was not published in the labour Journals, because of reasons appearing entirely satisfactory -to the Government of the da). It was undesirable .that all the informa-. tion asked should Ivi made public. ,• • The Hon. J. BARR opposed the motion. There were many members in the Labour movement opposed to arbitration, -and when he thought they were fuming ,<u anything detrimental to the Department he was going to oppose-, them. the Hon. J. Riffg had said lie did'not know tho Drivers' Union's purport in asking the return. It was unreasonable to ask that such information should bo »"« n - The Hon.-Captain IUCKER thought the Ministry of the day'.shouldl.bo SU P" povtedi unless it was shown they weio j wrong jj on ,f. BIGG said that whan he moved tho motion he was not aware that it had been beforo the other branch -of the Legislature. Had lie known ho'would havo left it to the other House. He would let tho motion go, however. It had been, blocked in the other The motion was lost on the voices. BILLS READ. The Copyright Bill, the Magistrate's Court Amendment Bill, and the Old Age Reciprocity Bill were read a nrst time. The M'f)ougall E5 t tate . the Commercial Bank of Australasia (Ltd.) Bill were read a third time. The Council adjourned at J.Jo p.m.

The House of Representatives met at 2.30 p.m. Oil the motion of the Hon. F. M. B. Fisher, Mr. P. C.-'Wobb was substituted' ■for Mr. A.'S. Malcolm as a mem Dor of the A to L Petitions Committee. SPECIAL COMMITTEES. Mr. G. W. RUSSELL (Avon) asked when the Special Committee. set up to consider defenco questions would meet. The PRIME MINISTER said that the Committee was to be a joint ono of both Houses, and the Legislative Council lind not vet appointed its quota of members. Mr. T. M. WILFOiID (Hutt) asked when the Committee set up to inquire into statements by Opposition members about the appointment of Mr. Eoyd Garlick would be set up. The Hon. A, L. niiRDMAIN: The Committee has been already set up. Any othor questions tho hon. gentleman desires to ask he had better put upon the Order Paper. Mr. Wilford:' Why don't you call it together?

FIRST READINGS. The City of Nelson Loans Conversion and Empowering Bill (Mr. H. Atmore), the -Patea Harbour Bill (Mr. G. V. Pearce), and the Timaru Harbour Board Empowering Bill (Mr. J. Craigie) were .in- [ troauced and read a first time, ,