THE HOUSE.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1907, 15 November 1913, Page 8

THE HOUSE.

TEMPORARY CLERKS,

"DELIBERATE OBSTRUCTION.. , :

MINISTER IN REPLY.

I'he House of Representatives sat at 2.80 p.m. Mr. H. ATMORE (Nelson) gave notioo to ask whether tho Minister of Justice would permit Mr. .Justice Sim to givo evidence before the Labour Bills Committee on the Industrial Concilia tioli and Arbitration Amendment Bill.

Tire Temporary Employees Bill was received from the Legislative Council and read a first time. BANK OF NEW ZEALAND BILL. The Bank of New Zealand Bill {the Hon. Jas. Allen) was reported with amendments. When the third reading came on, t>r. A. IC. Newman asked tlic Minister of Finance if b<? would consult with the directors of the-bank'in reference to the position of the clerks and messengers. Dr, Newman thought that if those clerks and messengers were not on the same footing as Civil Servants in regard to' salaries., holidays, and chances of promotion; that tlio Minister should use his influence to have them placed on such footing, Mr. It. G: ELL (Christchureh South) asked the Prime Minister and th© Minister of Finance to consider the case of bank clerks, who. were prohibited from marrying -unless they wer-o in reeoipt of a salary of not toss than £200 per year. He thought. it was tiino something was done to prevent banks from making such-a regulation. Advocate of Purchase. SIR JOSEPH WARD (Awarua) said that now tho House had confirtned in almost every respect what the Government and the directors had recommendi ed ho was of opinion that they had . doiie what was in every way safe. For his own part, however, he would have preferred to fnako proposals to the shareholders to buy them out altogether, though he would Hot have favoured anything being done in that direction unless the shareholders themselves agreed. He- suggested tho price, at which their interest might have been secured, as a couple of millions—something like £18 or £14 a share. He pointed out that, as tho country was now undertaking to find the bank a million of money, the difference hetween tho present schemo and the one ho suggested would liavo only been a -million, while the -result, he contended, would he greatly., in favour of the country. Somo peopte'wouM tell him that the State should not own the ba.uk, but what was tho difference from a dommou-senso point of view between owuership and tho present position where the State had—by its majority on tho Board of Directors—almost entire control? Sir Joseph Ward went on to paint a-very glowing pfcfcuro of the •successful business that eonld bo carried on by the bank if it were acquired by the State*, placed under non-political control, and given the support, of tho several important State Lending Departments, using tho branch in London for the purpose of raising loans. He made these observations from a sense of duty, he said. He opmmentc.d on the present satisfactory position of the bank, which was -now in such a sound position that there need bo no apprehension about discussing its affairs in Parliament. They could look forward with complete confidence to the attachment of the country to the bank. The Marriage Income. Mr. W. A. YEITCH <WaJiganui) regarded as most objectionable tho bank regulation that clerks should Hot marry unless they were in receipt of a salary of not less than £200. Perhaps now that, tho directors had heard the protest of members this blot would ho removed. But if it wero not ho thought tho House should tako t jio matter up. Ho agreed with Sir Joseph Ward that it wq'ttld hare been better to buy out the shareholders. He- thought a golden opportunity had been Jost. Mr, L. M. ISIIT (Chmtchurch North) spofce o£ tiio hard lot of the j underpaid bank clerks. He did not disj approve, however, of the rule enforced by u-iost banks against clerks getting nisirried on a less salary than £201} a Ilr. H. ATMORE (Nelson) urged that (Tie Sl-nte should exercise its power in .tho uircctraii of making Jinking services cheaper. He was one of thoso who regretted that the- C4ovonimei.it hnd not soizpfl tho opportunity offered them of buying out the bank and making it a Stale institution. This would have had tho very desirablo effect of breaking up tho great banking monopoly.

JUSTIFICATION OF THE BILL. Tiro Hun. J. ALLEN (Minister of Finance) said he could congratulate all j honourable, members on having avoided I discussion of the question from a party point of view, except one, aad that ono was tho wember for Nelson. The member for Nelson was, like all. poi'rais. extremely vindictive. Ho was suffcrinp? from political gout, seeing all kinds of things, and such _ like, and ho saw nothing hut rlovils oil tho Government bwichcs. Arguing against, jiroposiii that tiw State should buy out tha bank, ha wiatect oui that there

might Imvo been some arguments in favour of buying tho bank bowo twenty years ago, but since tiicn tlio business that tho bank did in advancing money on land kid boon undertaken by the Government lending Detriments. Now ilie banks concerned tjieniscivrnj witli legitimate banking business, which was always a more .ephemeral sort of iinajice. It seemed to be supposed also by certain members of the House that.tho State .ought to oxsreiso rights o{ proprietors iti respect of the million of guaranteed stock. There was in fact only a contingent liability on the bank in respect of tho guarantee, but timt contingent liability was practically nil. Tlse bank could pay oft at any time, and indeed a. number of shareholders had wished to do so. He repeated his previously-made as* suranco that it was not intended to increase tho capital of tlio bank to tho maximum of t-jiree millions. Only about a third of tho proposed increased -capital would bo issued at once, but there were good ro.isons for increasing tlio maximum capital up to three millions. Tiiis was a young country, ami t'ho business of the bank was increasing, so that tho bank could not take all tho business that it was now asked to undertake. Another reason why the maximum should bo fixed above present requirements' was that it was not good i'o. , tho bank to have to apply to Parliament for authority to increase its capital. There was nothing in tho Bill to prevent Parliament from passing legislation to regulato the business of the Bank of iVew Zealand or any other bank. He was indebted to tho member for Wellington East for raising tho tjuestion of the desirability of increasing tlio wages of bank clerks. Ho wonkl have very njneh pleasure in discussing with the directors the position of clerics, toth with respect to pay and to tho fixing of a minimum uicomo'at wliieh they could bo married. Ho did not believe in restrictions being put upon young mew getting married, and ho thought that when an institution was making huge profits it was tut fair that some of these profits should bo distributed amongst the staff. Ho hoped that when the Bill was passed into law, and ilto capital of tho bank was increased, tlio jfosult uould bo the quickening of our industries and commerce in Net Zealand with which tlie bank was so closnly associated. The Bill was read a. third time on the voices and passed. POST AND TELEGRAPH. Tho amendments. made by the committed in tho Post and Telegraph Amendment Bill were agreed to. ,■ On the third reading, Sir Joseph Ward essayed to discuss certain grievances which, ho said, were cherished by members of the Post .and Telegraph staff, but a point of order was raised, and Mr, Speaker ruled that the matter could not bo introduced. "Whereupon Sir Joseph Ward said he would certainly discuss tho question this session, and in order that ho might do so, ho would more to introduce a Ml'l'll* debate was carried en until aft<>f 0.30 a.m., the hour fixed by the Standing Orders after which »0 new business can ho taken, and the debate apparei.ny. had no other object except to prevent; tho introduction' of new business, and possibly a late sitting. ' / Tho Hon. 11. H. RHODES in his reply congratulated members of the Opposition on having carried on tho debate until 0.30 a.m. by talking on all manner of subjects not concerned with the Bill. Replying to a. remark by Sir Joseph "\Vnrd advocating a Statu-owpcd Atlantic cable, he said that he was in favour of tho proposal, and lie had made representations on the 'Subject through the High Commissioner in liortdon to tho British Postmaster-General, anil personally he had interviewed influential members of *he British Parliament visiting New Zealand. Ho was ready'to co-opordte with Australia in tho endeavour to have a State-owned cable kid across tho Atlantic, Ho admitted in reply; to other members "fiiat it was quite true.that wireless messages were tapped frequently by private experimenters in diiferent parts of New Zealand. Some wore tapped neaf 'Wellington ho"know, bat lio had been i»ahl© yet to trace any of the sffenders. The Bill wa ; s read p. third time on the voices.

PLAIN TALK BY THE PREMIER. In moving the adjournment of the Hoxiso the J'lfiiio Minister intimated that ho proposed to ask Mr. Speaker to mako the announcement that oa and after next sitting day Bills jftiglit be put through all stages at one sitting. Mr. bI'JBIAKEtt said he would make tho announcement iiext sitting day. H. 6 iiad Been prepared to make the announcement some time ago, because ■ in previous sessions this a.niiouncoinoiat i had usually been snado much earlier. Sill JOSEPH WARD objected to this nrocedwo when tho House did not know what business was coming forward. I There were still to come the Naval Bill, and numerous other important measures, and tho Public Works. Statement was "not down ,yct. Again ho asked tho Prime Minister to sity what the Howe would be asked to do this session. Mr. Slassey said ho cauld not say what would be done.. He did not know how much obstruction would ba offered. Sir Joseph Ward said the Prim© Minister coiild not ©xpeet business to go ahead rapidiy unless members knew how long they, would bo required to stay. If tiio Prime Minister expected proper consideration from the Opposition, he should gay what Bills were to be dropped, for a. number of Bills would have to be dropped, everyone knew. If the Prime Minister would take the Opposition into his confidence he could rely on their assistance to put all Ms Bills through with tho exception of one important Bill. The Hon. W. P. MASSEY said itwas quite impossible for him to say when tho-session would end, because lie did not know Jiow much obstruction was likely to coino from the other side of the House. If it land not been for tho deliberate obstruction - from the Opposition, a taste of which they had had that evening, tlio session would have- optno to an end before now. Tho Public Works Statement would bo brought down ajcxt week, probably eari.y in the weok. Ho would tell tho House also next week wiiafc business io proposed to do. Mem- > bers might bo hoio witjl Christmas,' That was a matter of no importance to iiim, but it did matter to other members of the Houso. JJo had tried to expedite business, but he had been mot with deliberate obstruction, Si:ch as ho had never before known in his esperi* elite of Parliament. That night three hours had been wasted on a Bill on which not throe sentences had been said iu Committee, Sir Joseph Ward spoka again for somo few ■ minutes respecting what ho had. said before, when Mr. Massey said: I object to this, Mr. Speaker. I don't want to etay hero .vll wght. Mr. SPEAKER said that Sir Joseph, Ward was speaking with tire indulgence of the House; and objection hai ing been raised, h<s could not continue. 1 Sir Joseph Ward: Vefy weM. I Impo to be able to extend a similar courtesy to the honourable* gentleman The Houso rose at 1.20 a.m.