PARLIAMENT

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2298, 31 October 1914, Page 9

PARLIAMENT

THE IRON INDUSTRY. OPPOSITION MEMBERS URGE STATE CONTROL. MILK SUPPLY PROBLEMS. The Legislative Council met at 11 a.m. '•'■'.' A Message was received from the House of Representatives asking for a conference on the amendments to the Education Amendment Bill. On the motion of the Hon. H. D. Bell, the Hons. J. G. W. Aitken, A. T. Maginnity, and H. D. Bell were appointed managers for the Council. A Message was received from the House of Representatives insisting on their amendments to the Legislative Council Bill. On the motion of the Hon. H. D. Bell it was decided to'ask for a conference with the House, and the Hons. H. F. Wigram, J. MacGregor, and H. D. .Bell were appointed managers for the Council. The' Pensions Amendment Bill and • the Public Works Amendment Bill were received from the House, and read a first time. i • . —" — INSPECTION OF MACHINERY. The Hon. H. D. BELL moved the second reading of the Inspection, of Machinery Amendment Bill. The Hon. J. T. PAUL said that it was to be Tegretted that such a Bill came down when it : was impossible to get' tho views of the many people interested in the provisions of the measure. There were many, objections to the Bill from the engine-drivers' point of view, and they should have an. opportunity to examine it. The question of when a man was in effective charge of s.n engine should have been clearly brought out in the amending Bill. The widening of the powers of exemptions from certificates was another matter which required careful consideration. The Hon. W. EARNSHAW took ex- : oention to the fact that young men holding the highest certificates in England were barred from becoming inspectors of machinery in New Zealand because they had not put in time service in charge of some small boat here. Tho Hon. SIR WM. HALL-JONES said that- it would be wrong to put a. man in the nosition of an inspector if he had not been in charge of the engines of a ship. TheHou. H. D. BELL said that there might be occasions when a certificated engineer should bo in- charge of winding machines raising material, but it did not necessarily apply when there was no danger of any person being in the shaft.' He thought there must be some qualification of the Hon. Mr. Enrnshnw's point.' "'.•■ _ . Tho Bill was read a second time. In Committee. • Clause" 9, adding a new surj-section to Section 48 of the principal Act, providine that the Minister might apnoint a certificated engine-driver to the' Board to act only with respect to matters relating to certificated engine-drivers, or to examinations for engine-drivers, was struck out. .'. The Bill was reported with amendment, read a third time, and passed. WELLINCTON CITY MILK SUPPLY. The Hon. J. DUTHIE moved the second reading cf the Wellington City Milk Supply Amendment Bill. He said that it dealt with the 6upply of milk to tho City, and the very complicated conditions which arose thereby. . The Bill received great attention . in the hands of the Committee, and had received the approval of the City Council. He believed it was the best that could be done t4 deal with the somewhat vexed question. The Hon. S. T. GEORGE said that the Bill was tho second one dealing with milk supply that they had had before them that session. He thought that it would be a very good thing if the Leader of the Council would ask the Government to , consider the bringing down of a Bill' doaling with the milk question for the whole of the Dominion. 'There was no doubt that the health of the community .depended a great deal on tho milk supply. • The Hon. DR. COLLINS thought the suggestion a good one. It seemed to him that in order to got the best from, the sale of milk it would bo necessary for the Government to take the matter up for the whole of the Dominion. They would never get a proper clean supply until the -whole matter was under proper supervision, from the time the milk left the cow. It would be necessary to have a proper bacteriological test of the milk. The adulteration with water did not do a great deal of harm, except that the ■ public paid, for water, but it was necessary to see that the milk was free from germs, and that could inly'be accomplished by having testing stations where the milk could be subjected to a bacteriological examination. In Committee a new clause was introduced,, amending Section 9 of the principal Act, dealing with the conveyance of the milk and sale in the city. Tho Bill was read a third time and passed.' WAR CONTRIBUTIONS'VALIDATION (NO. 2). In Committee on the War Contributions Validation Bill (No. 2), The Hon. J. Barr moved an amendment to Clause 3, which •authorises allowances by local authorities to dependents of former employees, being members of the Expeditionary Force or on active service in New Zealand, j The clause provided that the maximum allowance should be 10s; per week. Mr. , Barr's amendment struck out the limiti. ing provision. Tho amendment -was carried, and a new clause, in place of Clause 3, "validation of contributions for the relief of distress," was. put in, to include contributions to any patriotic object approved by the Governor. The Hon. H. D. Bell made it clear that any unauthorised body of-persons'starting funds for any purpose they thought fit would not necessarily receive the approval of tho Governor. . , The Bill was Teported ■ with nmond- , ments, read a third time, and passed. BILLS PASSED. The following Bills were put through I the remaining stages and passed:— ' Mortgages Extension Amendment Bill ' (No. 2), New Zealand Loans Amendment Bill, and Aid to Public Works i Amendment Bill. PENSIONS BILL. Tho Pensions Amendment Bill was read a second time. 1 The Hon. J. T. PAUL said that all l tho provisions of the Bill seemed to - be beneficial,' but there was one class 1 not provided for. If one parent died 5 the children got o pension, but if both b died the children did not' get, a pent. sion. - Tho Hon. H. D.BELL said that ho I would draw the Government's attons tion to the fact. e- The Bill was put through reinain- - ing stages and passed. THE EDUCATION BILL. ", Tho managers for tho Council report- * ed on the conference with tho managers ' of tho House on the amendments tc tho Education Amendment Bill. Tho Hon. H. D. BELL said that the Council had so far waived its ninend- ° ment to .strike out tho proviso for disa trict councils as to permit the provi- ■- sion of district' ndvisory committees; which the Minister' might call togotbei

to confer with' him, Tho Council had really gained their point. Secondly, as to the Council's objections to the election of the board from urban School conimitteeß it had been submitted to by the House, and the Bill, m that respect, was as it left the Council; that there would bo permitted to urban school districts popular eleotion Ot school committees, but not of members of the education boards. As to the inclusion by the Council of the Chief Medical Offices as i member of tho Council of Education, the managers for the Council wero satisfied by tho explanation of the Minister of Education that the Chief Medical Officer of the Education Department was not the high medical authority of tho class required for medical advice upon the Council. With regard to the proviso of the section relating to religious and moral instruction, the Council had yielded and allowed the House to retain the proviso. The Hon. J. BARR took exception to the provision to allow moral and religious instruction. ' The Hon. J. G. V(. AITKEN said that the new proviso did not alter- to any great extent the- existing law. It did 'not increase the powers of the committees to allow religious instruction under the Nelson system. The school committees had still to go to . tho boards and ask permission tor the half-hour for religious instruction. The report 'of the managers was agreed to. . The Council rose at 8.45 p.m. till 11 a.m. to-day. .■•.-,.