PARLIAMENT.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1932, 15 December 1913, Page 6

PARLIAMENT.

A BUSY BAY.

SIX-DAYS-A-WEEK BILL MOTOR-BUS PROBLEM. :^ DISAGREEMENTS WITH UPPER HOUSE. -'■ :^;:. The Legislative Council sat st 11 a.m. The Stock Amendment Bill ahd the Apiaries Amendment Bill were- put through all stages without amendment and passed. The Hon. H. D. BELL stated that the House of Representatives had held over consideration of the report of the managers on the Municipal Corporations Bill, and might refuse to affirm the report of its managers. If this happened the result would bo, ho took it, that the Bill would be lost, and hi felt certain that the Council did not desire such a thing, because of a petty disputo about Auckland tramways. If this untoward contingency arose, lie would ask Mr. Speaker to rule that the Council would be iir order to rescind its previous resolution of affirmation of the conference's report, so that it would bo free to bring about another conference on tho contentious proposals. There was, lie added, a very slight precedent—a ruling of the late Sir Arthur Guinness on amendments to the Gaming Act years ago, when managers from both Houses disagreed on the amendments, and Sir Joseph Ward raised the' constitutional point. Later' a Message was received from tho House that a third conference was desired on the debatable clause, 22, and the Hon. H. D. Bell moved that they rescind their previous resolution agreeing to the report of tlio second conference, and that the Hons. C. J. John-ston,-Dr. Collins, and. the mover he tlio managers for the Council in the conference. The motion was carried. A Message / was received from the House of Representatives ' disagreeing with the Council's amendments' (two new clauses) to the Native Land Claims Adjustment Bill. The new clauses referred .to Native family lands, over j which there had been litigation, on which decision had been arrived at years ago, .and which it was desired to reonen, wliich would mean a tying-.tip of tho particular lands. ' ' The Hon. IT. 1). BELL moved that the amendments bo uot insisted oil. The. Hon. ,T. JUGO moved as an amendment that the Council insist on its amendments, and that tho Hons. J. Barr, _ G. Jones, ami the mover he a committee to draw up reasons. This was carried by 10 votes to 7.

Later a report was received that "ii agreement hod been errived at, Irv which the elauso moved bv the Hon. .1. Rige. containing the. petition of Erehma to Kiretaako was left,in, mid the new elauso moved by the Ho'i. .T. E.arr. containing the petition of Ngamiko to Roi'igo, was struck out. The report was agreed to. LAV.' PRACTITIONER?- BILL. The Council disagreed with the amendments of the House of •'Representatives to the Lav/ Practitioners Amendment Dill, and the Hons.. Vi'. C."l'\ Girncrnfs, W. W. M'Cardlc, and 11. T). Bell wore appointed a committee to draw u;> reasons. The Council adjourned at 8.15 p.m. till 10 a.m. tb-'dav.

THE HOUSE.

EILLS FROM* THE GOUiMGIi. After The Dominion went to press on Saturday morning the House of Representatives continued its sitting until 3.55 a.m. Tho Hon. W. H. Hcrries moved that two new clauses inserted in tho Nativo Land Claims Adjustment Bill by the' Legislative Council be disagreed with. The motion was carried bv 32 votes to 20. Tho amendments made by the Council in tho Mining Amendment Bill were agreed to. | IN COMMITTEE, ALL THE BILLS THROUGH. The House went into Committee at 2.40 a.m. on the Stock Amendment Bill, the Law Practitioners Amendment Bill, the Apiaries Amendment Bill, the Divorce and Matrimonial Causes Amendment Bill, and the Labour Disputes' Investigation Bill. On the Labour Disputes' Investigation Bill, • ' Mr. J. Robertson moved that tho definition of "worker" in tho interpretation clause be tho saino as in. the Arbitration Act, the object being to prevent men from contracting themselves out of the bcnofvts«of the Act. Tho Minister accepted the amendment, which was agreed to. On a suggestion by Sir Joseph Ward Mr. Massoy promised to havo a clause inserted in tho Bill in another place to provide for the taking of a secret ballotof employers in a labour dispute. Tho Bill was in Committee for fifteen minutes, in which time several amendments, mainly formal, were made. DUTIES OF TRUSTEES. THE AUDITING OF ACCOUNTS. ' Tho Law Practitioners Amendment Bill was next considered in Committee. Mr. E. H. Clark, for the Hon. J. A. Millar, moved to add a new clause to provide that every solicitor should at his own cost and expense causo any trust account kept by.him to bo audited by a registered accountant orsco in every year, and that tho report of the auditor should be forwarded to tho At-torney-General.

The Minister said ho would accept the clause. Tim clause was agreed to on tho voices. All the Bills, with the exception of the Labour Disputes' Investigation Bill were read a third time. Tho House roso at 3.55 a.m. to sit again at 11 a.m. THE EPIDEMIC. When the House resumed at 11 a.m. on.Saturday tho Hon. It. H. Rue-dps presented a statement on the subject of the lato epidemic, and'a discussion took placo MONOPOLY LAW. Tho Hon. AY. F. MASSEY moved tho second reading of tho. Monopoly Prevention Amendment Bill, which is required to keep in operation the existing law. The second rending was agreed to without debate. . WEST COAST RESERVES. The AYcst Coast Settlement Reserves Bill was returned from the Legislative Council with one machinery amendment, which was agreed to. SIX-DAYS-A-WEEK BILL, AN AMENDED PROPOSAL.-! ARBITRATION COURT TO DETERMINE. ' Tho PRIME MINISTER moved the «roiid reading of the Shops and Offices ■

Bill (No; 2)..: He'said that it was part ol a Bill introduced ■earlier in 'the session ::. to ■:■ lieui.- with-, /the -*whulo question ,:; s - or ■;, shops?:- ■\ K ri -'iit„ deal oi ,;evidence 'had'-'been ta7icn: \up»n: v ;.thu;fe;briginai./rJili'i-(aii ■ -. 'meusuie;. 1,10 .■^; K -— - Wot,!U ; ,.;i,a "printed, ftu'iiu ■would-ma(le?n;possiiilWui,igoJo!K-\vit!i.ti>e'lii|l. lne.small,l»iiiH.be'iore ih'o/fkmse rectified spnio.. : auonKiiies7iJJne::.cl;HiseTproliibite'd the sale i by-;Jj.».tVlic-i-'s;^ n"Jio s.wcWallowcd to. kcep'opo.-i -on' "days": \vliohto'Uier\.tnwicrs wcro compelJcd.lto'J'Dlose.i'bi/goods .winch,. tnose,;otiier■.tradc'rs;.wofo&io't,'ailowed; to' ;si'll on :the/said' ■'day's jft>i AhS other clause, provided -t'lsat;i'iotel" must go ; t 7 ti!eir.wholc:day:-holi(lav.'<!ir aii' .ordinary.working tlay.-.aml not-oiua- Sunday. week.';; They: wpro all. agreed on'the:priii-cipls'of-the-six-day^week'ySHe::did iibt know_anybot.l;:"w'h(/-:was-''oj)i)psecl.-'to>it, ; ) but liis- impression :\vas,that it. c-otski not* be graiited'i,nievery. l'caso--,w"itliout'-'.inij)os-ing considerable hardships. :■/»*;.' - .;%;:■. ■ Mr. Davey:.lt is Alone in other places";. Mr. Ma3sey:'l.::.\vould like the hoii. gentleman to tell me. where-it is donc.v4 . Mr. Davey:' it' is done' in-; Victoria' ■",'.■ Jlr.' .Vlassey said that.'it was doho'ih, Melbourne .and Sydney,- bur/-:'not Hn' smaller centres. He confessed that tho six-days-a-week' proposal 'appealed .-'to'' liim. Evidence given by a private hotelkeeper in: Wellington was-to the effect that the introduction of the six-day week would, mean ruination to her and to others, engaged in the same trade. Similar evidence- was given by other private hotelkeepers and boardinghouse keepers, and it was "demonstrated that the universal enforcement-'of a six-day-a-wcek law. would in many cases give rise to a great deal of 'hardship. As the Bill now stood it provided that- the holiday -once a week must he granted by the Arbitration Court unless tho hotel or restaurant keepers concerned could show that the demand was not equitable or practicable.Mr.T. H. DAVEY (Christchurch) East) contended that it was unfair that hotel workers should have to work sis and a half days in,tho week while other workers almost invariably laboured on only five "and a half days in the week. It was quite possible, in his opinion, to pass on the cost of the weekly holiday to the consumer just as tho cost of the weekly half-holiday had been passed on. HotelKecpers, at any rate, should be able to make tho concession, although no doubt some difficulties would bo imposed upon private hotel and hoardingjiotiso keepers. He asked the Prime Minister to adopt a proposal, made in tho Labour Bills Committee, that tho six-day ivoek should apply in all boroughsliavjng a population »y excess of six thousand.-

Mr. Massoy: 1 think we have a better proposal. 'air. Oavcy: The Arbitration Court will not touch holidays... It has said so'. Mr. Massey: The law. was not the same then as it is now. '. ] Mr. Davcy, The judge is the same. The Primo Minister said that he did not want to discuss the Judge Mr, Davcy replied that he could not avoid it. • lie maintained that the hotel workers would have no'chance of yetting the weekly holiday from the Court as at present constituted. Finally he declared that if pajrty considerations were, set aside, t'liu liouse would undoubtedly affirm Die six-day-wcek proposal by a large majority. He maintained that i r ao Primo-jMiniatcr had gone back upon his original proposal in this matter. V SIR WALTER BUCHANAN (Wairarapa) asked whether the Labour Bills Conimitts'f had considered the inconvenience imposed by reason of the limitation of hours upon travellers arriving at country hotels at seven or eight o'cloek in lis; evening. : . ''■ ■ Mr. W. A. vEITCH (Wangamii) ridiculed the attitude of members who approved the principle of the six-day-'' week proposal, bur were not prepared to carry it into effect • . - ■ Mr. 'G, W,/IUTS3ELL (Avon) said that tliu sis-day eUuu: 1 . as' ii. stood was it satisfaolo:''.' one. Mr. A. HARRIS (Waitemhta) ; also defended the'i-Bill H: ~ . ■ ■. SI IT JOSEPH WARD submitted a proposal to the Prime .M-inistcr which would., he said, facilitate the progress of the Bill. Some member."! a]iparently feared that a rigid application of the six-days-a-wcok scliemc would cause hardshi]) to small country hotels and restaurants; He agreed that 'in same cases there would be hardship. If an arrangement could bo made in which the small hotels could' bo exempt, then he thought the House would agree to it, and allow the Bill to go through—it the. Prime Minister would agree to limit the six-uays-a-weck' clause to hotels where five or inoro workers are employed.

'IV Hon. W. ¥. MASSM said a mistake had boon made- in the printing of the Bill, and a clause which had been intended to be: put. in the Bill had been left out., The effect of tha clause would he to make the Bill apply.to all workers Tinder' the Arbitration Act employed in hotels employing three workers or. less. This clause must yet go into the Bill. Ho would iiko to remind the House that the Hill was a greatadvance on the present law. Any body of workers to whom an.award of the Court applied could havo the ..six days a- week, and the Court would have to take cognisance of the clause in the Bill. Ho thought all workers in every district should be'under tho Court. Tho Eiil was the result of a good deal of direful thought, and he suggested that those members who wanted a rigid application of tho six-days-a-wcek proposal were asking for something that was distinctly, unreasonable. He was satisfied that if the Bill were placed on the Statute JJook in tho form in which it was introduced last year, or this year, a very serious hardship would lie imposed on a very. deserving . class of employees. ■ ■'' Sir Joseph Ward said ho admitted there were ilifficu.lt.i6s in the proposal, but it was a. fact that workers ■■ were making a not unreasonable demand for this whole holiday every week. If the Prime Minister intradural his exemption clause'which he (Sir Joseph Ward) had proposed, ■.the, difficulty insist be got over. ■:* "' "■ ' h'' . . ?

Jit". Massny said ho ..was quite willing to leave the matter to the.'House, but ho was not prepared to accept the proposal of the Leader of' the '■'Opposition. The debato was.. interrupted ■' for ■; a time by business from tho.Council,, and when it was resumed ' asain . the'second reading, was at once .agreed.:to on the voices.'. j : '-'.':- s -%Sjks};V ,: .>£ i"^;V : SUPPLEMENTARY Es?* At 2.30 p.nr: the ■Supplementary Estimates were: introduced by;;-Governor's Message. ■■ ■.'.■ i-'-.-~' '■&■'' In reply.to Sir Joseph .AA 7 ard the.Hoii. J. Allen said the■ total "amount on" 1 be Consolidated .Estimates : ,.v.-as'-<£320.000 and in . the 'Public.." Works v ; section .Col,00'). "; This amount "...was; .rather greater than, that estimated in,the Bud-- : '"'.\ "MORE A Mossngo was received■ from .tho Legislative Council staling: that it" insisted upon its ' amendments ■ in ;-■ tho Native , Land ■ Claims . Adjustment Bill. The Hon. AY. 11.. Merries and Messrs'. AY. D. S. Mac Donald and'-JL A. Young were appointed as managers ..to confer' with the' Council.' ;■ '" : --. ■•'■''" ■-. ' ..'The' Hon. A." : : L.' HERDMAN. moved' that- the; amendments:.:• made li.v. tho House of: Representatives ..in tho Law Practitioners-,.. -'Amendment Bill be insisted upon. and. that .-.a' 1 committee'bo set up to' ~ d raw., K up,,i:easons;;|or.Jso', : ., i ii-'i :>■■ .The. motion was-carriod?|lWJJ:»;.j:; ki-Fyg MOTOR' |1§ : /p AN AUCKLAND IMPASSE.^ft '"' The ".Hon".'' A;?L: UIiRDMANVt moved that ? tue,;. : House agree with,lbo?rcnprt\

of-'lho_ third conference between managers from, tlic Legislative Council and tlio liousn of Representatives, regarding 'the deadlock over Clause '12 oF the. Municipal Corporal ions Amendment Bill- (permitting municipalities :. to run motor-'biTses). The Minister stated that, with tiie removal of Clause" 22,.. the dispute about the running of niotor-. .'buses disappeared. . There was a ilifiiculty in connection with tho Boraiigh of Timaru, which had already bought a" molor-'bus, one) ■arranged ..' for.',- some: .finance..'.'. It was proposed to safeguard .Timaru,'' but for the rest, to'allow/ tho jivlwjo'matter .to'stand over until, nest-.' j'V, ". _ ~ ■'-.^/.^if'.J.'i'j'--^; Mini to ;-';SIU ..J V :;WAUQV (A\vavua)lWaid\llmt;. ..the euoctaf,drapping>the.:.elnuso' ; would' ■be. t)iatf(imi!ii ( :i|jnlitie'si--.\viiich ..-owned -.tramways-would he denied .the■-.right ."to" ' acquire mptor'-'buces,-because of tlio fact that I .the'position;.'iu' Auckland could-iiot,. be: settled:'.*:' The'clause I'cA-be dropped ■liad boon ..asked for by ■■the--■'Municipal Conference.-::, Tlio position in Auckland .was,,thaUthcy could not decide' whether .the .City. Council should be allowed to .run motor-'buses in opposition to the company, to-which it had leased its tramway "rights, or whether alt rights of street locomotion had been ceded to the company. .. It was absolutely unfair to the other municipalities to drop the clause, because of tho difficulty in Auckland. A better course would be to retain the clause, and to exempt Auckland tram its operation. . The Hon, J AS. ALLEN moved tho adjournment of tho debate. If the Le.adcr of the Opposition succeeded in his proposal, tho Minister stated, the Bill would bo killed. Mr. G. W. RUSSELL (Avon,, ono of tho managers appointed by the House, defended the report brought down. After a unmoor of other members had spoken, the Prime Minister assured tlio House that the adjournment of the debate would not moan the killing of the i>m, and tho House at once agreed to the adjournment.

BILLS IN COMMITTEE. The House went into Committee at i.aO p.m. on tho Monopoly Prevention Amendment Bill, and the Shops and Offices Bill. ■ Tho Monopoly Prevention Amendment Bill went through Committee without amendments. SIX-DAY-WEEK/PROPOSAL, i" ' ' THE BILL PASSED. When tho Shops and Offices Amendment Bill was in Committee there was a discussion for an hour and a half on tho six-days-a-weok proposal. Finally Mr. Massey ended the debate very suddenly. "I ask members to get on with tho Jiiil. We are still seven clauses away from the clause whicli members are discussinj:. 'When we came here at 7.30, I hoped that we would' Ret through the Bill and got away at 9.30. If members dosrt went the clause I am quite prepared to report progress. My patience is just about exhausted. It seems to me tlwt honourable gentlemen aro unabie to tear themselves away from Parliament Buildings." $ The result of this little speech "was that prowess was at once made with the Bill.

A division was ' called on Clause 8, which provides for the t-ix days week for hotel and restaurant employees, and the clause was retained bv 81 votes to 19. The Hon. AY. V. Massey moved to add to the elauso a proviso to the effect that ilie clause should not apply to hotels in which there were fewer'than three employees outside of the occupier and ills family ordinarily employed. This, he,explained, wan really intended to npplv to small country hob!;;. . Another amendment was added to provide that reasonable sitting accommodation !>;• provided' for female shop assistants, and that no a.'sistant should be dismissed lor using the seats unless ;t could be proved that she used them to an unlimited extent. . The Hill was leported '.vith amendments." THIRD READINGS. Tho Monopoly Prevention Dill was read a third time without debate. The only speaker to the third readins of the Slums and Offices Amcaidrecnt Bill was lUr. A. H. Hrndmarsh. Tho Bdl was read'a third time on the voices. SHIPPING AND SEAMEN,

A Message was received from-His Excellency the Governor notifying that he had reserved for tho Royal Assent the Shipping and Seamen Amendment, Bill. Tlie House rose at 9.53 p.m. to sit again at 11 a.m. to-day.