PARLIAMENT

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2247, 5 September 1914, Page 9

PARLIAMENT

THE ESTIMATES ' JUSTICES OF THE PEACE APPOINTMENTS DISCUSSED fho Legislative Council met at 2.30 p.m. . • . The Dunetlin City Council Empowering Bill, tlie Onehunga Borough Couneil" Enabling Bill, and _tho Tuakitoto jnd Kaitangata Lakes Bill ivere read a first time. The River Boards Amendment Bill pas put through the Committee stage. The Council rose at 8.30 p.m. till 2.30 p.m. oil Tuesday. THE HOUSE IN COMMITTEE ON THE ESTIMATES ;

The • House ,met at 7.30 p.m;Mr. 0. H. STATHAM (Dunedin Central) presented a petition bearing 1888 signatures ..praying that the ; general elections bo postponed. , At 7.50 tho House went into Committee on the Estimates./ : •:

On the class, Legislative. Departments, £37,233, Mr. G. Witty (Riccarton) remarked that he did not consider that the allowance of three months' salary on retirement to'Mr! H." Otter-" son, Clerk of the House .of Representatives, as' liberal as might be accorded to a servant of "30 years' standing. Mr. It. M'Callum (Wairau) spoke to similar effect. . The Minister said that the allowance , was .more liberal than wa3 granted many Civil Servants, but that he did not consider the. allowance a very liberal one. He reminded the House also that Mr. Otterson. would retire; on a pension. ' The vote was passed. Class 11, Department, of Finance (£199,873) was passed. ■ : •' The classes ' for Post and Telegraph Department (£1,238,491), Working Railways Department (£3.030,000), and Native Department (£23,727) were" postponed]

When Class VII, Justice Department (£444,883) was under consideration,; the Hon. A. L. Herdman, replying to a question, stated that police officers Were being paid 2s. '6d. per day extra for collecting electoral enrolment' forms, and generally, on electoral Work:'

Justices of.tha Peace/ j Mr. M'Calltiin asked the Minister on what principle he appointed Justices of the Peace; He thought ' the Minister should consult the members for districts before making these appointments, Sir Walter , Buchanan. (Wairarapa) thought -that the Minister should not consult' politicians, but the resident Magistrates. At one time this course was followed., \ ■

. This subject was "discussed generally. Country members urged that more justices ought to be appointed in the country districts. Oppositionists declared that appointees now had' to' pass a "colour tost"—that men could not be appointed to. the Commission of the Peace unless they were of the right political colour. Mr. D. Buick retorted' that .under the old regime' none but "sound- Liberals," many of thorn quite unsuitable persons, were erer appointed. Mr. A. H. Hindmarsh suggested that clerks of Pourt ;;^Q.i; madg Jusijicos of the,.Feace:.« ' I'"';?.yf • ..

: The Hon. A. L. Herdman said that justices-twere - usually recommended by members of Parliament on-both sides of the House. , TKe "names'wera seiit to the Under-Secretary for Justice,, who forwarded them to the Police and the local Magistrates for report. If the reports were favourable the men were appointed. With; regard to the point raised by Mr. Hindmarsh, he saw no objection to' : the < appointment to the Commission of the I'eaoe of Clerks of Co,urt\in the large centres, who were generally experienced men. He would not care to 1 make all clerks of Courts justices. . - ;' '" • ' •

Replying to another question, Mr. Herdman said the Act providing tor the allowance of counsel for . the defence of impecunious prisoners was working quite satisfactorily..' The '.Justice vote. was. passed unamended, and also the Class, Public Buildings, Domains, / and Maintenance of Reads, £117,350. The Class' Internal Affairs, £463,506, was then considered.

Replying to a question, ■ the Hon. J. Allen said that he was informed that the new rolls would be printed in about the middle of October. .

Mr.--Allen stated, also, that the Government had under consideration a' Bill making provision for an elector whose name had been - inadvertently, omitted from a roll'to record the rote to Which he was entitled according to the, other qualifications of the law. '

Most of the Internal Affairs vote was passed in sections, and progress was' reported. In .all, expenditure to the total amount of £963,865 was authorised during the evening.

The, House rose at 11.40 p.m. until 7.30 p.m. on Tuesday, .