YESTERDAY'S PROCEEDINGS

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2298, 4 November 1914, Page 7

YESTERDAY'S PROCEEDINGS

• The House sat at : 2.30 p.m.; ye6teryday. .... ■■■<■■ '.--.,::•:'":• '■■'■■ '.'.'■ ■"■'.- ■The, Native . Expeditionary Forces ;. iVoting Bill iwas introduced by Gb.ver- ' nor's Message and read a first time. '■[ )The v Hon. F. M.\ B. FISHER 'said .:■', that the! Bill was a very' simple one, 'practically on'the same, lines 'as'..the 'i. other Bill,'with the exception that the i-.jMab'ris would be able to vote for their .-: specific candidates;;, : The Defence Amendment • Bill was in-. r? troduced : by Governor's-Message and '■' read a first //./ ■:..;,■'•■;•:'. '•-■'■'

■;"--;.i;;;';V.;;;'NATIVEaANDS,,>;;,:.;,;.;.-;-f. jTbe; Hon'.' \\. . Hv HERRIES- moved- : the" second reading'of'iihe'Native ;Land ; Amendment Bill. He'-/said ■■. thatas the Bill ; was ! not . a / policy/'measure/-, but. <:,merely a Bill providing for 'easier - ad-. '• '/ministration,:, he did not propose to dis- . cuss the Native land policy of the Goy- .: eminent." The only' contentious':clause ~'in'the Bill was that containing the-pro- .'•';. posal to. divest Natives of their rights Yovor certain, matters, aud as he had not; "given:; the /any/^considerable: r period of notice, /he was willing to drop ./the-clause in, if/there was; any'opposition .to' it./; : ,;;..-..: ~_ ■-.';.;:../; Theßill. was read a/second time. ■ ■■'. . .". In.'Committee, the clauses/ relating :to./ /reservation: of lakes ruind; rivers, were ';: :: - : ;,'v ; ';-.- •■ .-.'•;.' :-/..;.';■'- '/''.The/'Bill was reported with amend-' '.: ments,:read a'third time/arid passed, i < '.■; :: BILL. ; /- The Native Land Claims Adjustment - Bill' (the Hoii. ;W/ 'H.- Homes), :coni- ; ;riioniy - called, the Native''-, Washing-up, .W'/BiU,.-was,.'pase'^.,through,'.aU'.st'ages./,'> ;/«w //I WASHINC-UP BILL; i :// /The": Right ;Hpn.iW.:/;Fr MASSEY, 'V."-inbved'!tlie ; /:eec6ud»-,Teadin'g.''of::the..Ho-.' ■/serves and Other.; Lands.Disposal, and f" Public Bodies Empowering:;; Bill (the )\ Washing-up Bill), j He-did-riot speak on' ;-'.,the ; .Bill) but ■ said / that/-hV; would ex-; . plain 'the- Various clau6'es .Commit- ;'.■ tee.';. -'■'/*/::::.,;.'-..'.\^"j.Vr : ./';-''-_'■.-.•.'':' ■-:".' ■ Several clauses ofvlccal interest were /•:'passed.?,;.Clause. 28.authorised'the con-' ; stitutibn of'a special rating area for,the. ' ; ; establishment -0f... a fund-' for':the' exten- . '-;Bibn,''^ ! improvem'enti'- : -and'-'.iß^iupm/ent,'..of /the' Wellington Industrial-Development -: Company's tramway/.to; ; Taupo;', Town/'ship..;..' / -:/'.'' ; A ,'.,: I </;'/:;^'/, ; '&/":";. '..-:., Autb'ority was/;giveiijfor..the*.exchange Mof certein,land. between: the.'&bwn and ■' ■' the '-/Wellingtcri.'/Oit?..'.Cofncratipri, for "the purpose; of -street ..widening, ; and ! -to //allow the. exteris/idn'of Stb'ut-.Street/.and.

■■/tie widening of : Bunny;<Stre^t, ; between .Peathefstoh Street/and-Waterloo. Quay, f (■■ for; /the''; purpose:.of providing./ access to :,.v-.the .prbpo'selj railway itatibD.; 1 ,,'-,'; .' ' ■;•■', A: further^clause; exists ■' i: .'\ vested /the beach, in.' the'.-'Gity, Council, "' ; 'aa; a.feservei.. Power.;was;.given..':" the : - 1 ';:H , gravel-' rH therefrom /for• 'the '■' upkeep ■: of; ihevroads "■•in/Day's -Bay;.',-''.- -. <:■;':; '•v'.v : 'r':;;, : ;-',- .-..';•''■■ Several new clauses were added to the •v Bill in" Committee,', and/it /was; read \a; .'•; third:time and passed;'. : .• ;.'../:'/ <'•;■ ;"■

WAR CONTRIBUTIONS.< : : vThe Hon.' J. ALLEN:moved-that the amendments made, by the Council in the War Contributions/-Validation Bill bo disagreed with. ,:.The -Bill :was .intended to allow, local bodies and other legally constituted bodies to make contributions to the .patriotic funds or the distress .funds. ; The Council .had -considerably; widened: the/scope /of the.Bill, and had ,inade it .too wide, it seemed; to him.:: '..- The 'amendments .were disagreed with/ and a. committee set up to /frame reasons. «/''/':/-r:. '- ,: ':.;;/'://..;/ ; - : '':/

;;.;: THE MORATORIUM. ■;:■ •';. r' Amendments made by:the Ckrancii in ;.-the Mortgages ; Extension :'Amendment ; ' Bill were .agreed '' .'•'.■', ' THE FRUIT INDUSTRY.' ; '•:': • v ' The Rigte Hon. ,w: ;;f; ;;MASSEY' i moved the second reading bfthe Orch-• J ; ard. and Garden Diseases; Amendment ■V ; i : cipal.new provision- of ..which, .was that .■;.; providing 'for .the framing of ■ rcgulafor the_gradingpbf xfruit for ex- '":. port3 na grading of trees,/and tbepre- '"■':.; scribing.; of a.. standard, .package: Vfor. }■ : fruit, was acceptable to orchardißts;. : .; ■', The Bill was read a second time.'

' RAILWAYS, AUTHORISATION.; The Hon. TV. FRASER moved, the second reading of tho Railways Authorisation Bill, explaining' the lineß in the schedule of the Bill. The Bill was read a second time without debate. : ;\.-'. _

TO VALIDATE AN ACREEMENT. The Hon. -TV. ERASER moved the second reading of the Port Ahuriri-TVest Shore Road and Railway Bill, the object of which, .as; he explained, was to validate an agreement entered into by the Government and the local bodies interested at Napier concerning certain works required for the construction of the East Coast Rail vfiy.' : . ; ■'• The Bill was read-a second time." •

;■ -ESTATES OF THi;'INSANE. ;. ' V '' : The. Hon. R.. H; RHODES moved the second reading ;of the. Meirial- Defec : , ' tives Amendment Bill. '■' The heed for ' ' the'BilL.he said, had been'pointed out by the Public Trustee. It was intendenable the Public Trustee to hand • ' back property held by him. on behalf of persons of unsound mind to.those pcr- . sons, should they be fortunate enough "'to recover Sanity. •■...'. .'.' ']■ The Bill was read a second time.. '.'

LEGISLATURE AMENDMENT NO. 2. The Hon. F. M. B. FISHER moved the second reading of the Legislature 'Amendment Bill (No. 2) introduced' in 'the Legislative. Council. The effect of the as he explained, would be to prevent members of Parliament from receiving commission on any land: sold to the Crown. . ■ , : . The Bill was read a second time.. THE UNIVERSITY. The Hon. J. ALLEN moved the second reading of the New Zealand, University Amendment Bill (the principal important iprovisions of which have already been published). The Bill was read a second time, -.'■"' Amendments, to tbo Bill were introduced by Governor's Messavo, and referred to the- Committee on tho Bill.;

EDUCATION BILL. An amendment to the Education Act was introduced by Governor's Message. The amendment defined . married assistant to nican not only a man or woman whose wife or. husband was alive, but also a , widow, or widower

having one or more children under the age of 16 years. ' The amendment was added to the Bill,

THE MININO BILLS. -' 'Amendments made by the Legislative Council in the Mining Amendment Bill and. the Coal Mines' Amendment Bill, were agreed to. '

SHOPS AND OFFICES BILL. HOURS OF. PRIVATE HOTEL ,"' WORKERS. ■The Right Hon. W. F. MASSEY moved the second reading of the Shops and Offices Amendment Bill. The measure had been introduced in response to. a strong deputation of tobacconists who had waited upon him in Wellington. The closing hour for tobacconists was fixed by requisition in Wellington and other cities at 8 p.m., but Chinese and_ other small traders were in the habit of iselling tobacco and cigarettes until long after this hour. This was very .'unfair.".-..There had been many prosecutions, but these were not, a sufficient deterrent. 'Now it was proposed to charge a'small license fee, of ss. to sellers of tobacco, and those who. would not observe the law, would lose 1 their; licenses.... ..-'"'.■'.'

Mr. A. H. HINDMARSH(WeIIington South) asked'the Prime Minister- to consider an'~amendment' to: make the""provisions of the Act of 1910. limiting the; hours ''of -women workers: in licensed hotels and'/ in restaurants, apply to women workers,in private hotels. . Pro-vision-for these women had been left out of the Bill by inadvertenoe, he believed, and he'urged the Prime Ministor' to accept the amendment. The Bill was read a second time.".

~ MEDICAL PRACTITIONERS. The Hon. R. H. RHODES moved tho second reading of the -Medical Practitioners .Bill. For years, he said, the legal profession had bad control of their own aftairSi haying power to take steps to remove from-the rolls one of their iriembers for misconduct. The medical profession'"had been asking for a: like power -to control! their own profession, and.-in this .Bill it was proposed to give it'to them; Bills similar to'that now before the House had been prepared by other. Ministers,,. they had not been proceeded.'with.. . *-.. -.'.',

(Riccartori)' aaid: the Bill was/so complicated that he did not think tho' House should be asked to pass it hurriedly in the dying hours of the. session. -It seemed that the-Bill proposed to .set up a close corporation, arid-it certainly should have ■ been in : vestigatedmost; carefully by a commis-

Mr/'A; E. GLOVER (Auckland Central) saidUie<had received a letter concerning tho/'Bill front/-tho. -United' Friendly Societies' Conference, and he would urge that the Bill.should be referred to a Committee before: being allowed -to pass. :',/'■ / : SIR JOSEPH WARD (Awarua)'supported the Bill. He'was one-of those who /believed,that if the community wanted the/service of "brains" the community must .pay for it, and he believed that, a Bill of the sortwas necessary to' a • profession so essential to' the welfare of the people.'' Ho did not mean to say that', he; approved of. bvery .section !of the Bill, but he was' sure tho Hpiiso could -so apply; itself to it as to ensure the passage of a good Bill.

~ -Mr. J, ,£!. DICKSON (Parnell) said he thought • certain of' tho proposals'/ in' HOUSE , -:EIGHT;■; —'> r- — — /the/ Bill should be modified, and. he /would move certain ■■■ amendments in Committee. He'would; like, to see the .Minister content/himself with a second reading of the-Bill;for.'this year/with, the ,object.-of having".it-'Teferred'tq ,'a', Committee next year. '■■ . '/ .

; Mr.: aj.,H. ■ DAVEY. (Christchurch Ea.6t). said ho believed, that : the- law' ebould "afford some- such' -protection : as. was proposed in;th'e Bill to the medical profession. ;' : - • "■■ •''■> : ■: ;•' '.< : - :' Dr.L A.-,K. NEWMAN ; (Wellington East) ,said| the Bill was certainly/asked • for by. : theriiam.,hody;of the profession, who should be the host judges of what, '■Tva's-'-necessary'■ in the interests :bf the profession,.and of the people served by the profession; An honourable.member' •had asked whether the Bill would / excludiß from practice/a medical man with a.foreign diploma. No such practitioner would be Refused registration M he had gualificatione. wluich wore bona fide, but in- tho pastj'men with, valueless bogus degrees had' got on 'the retcister. ;•- -/Tlie Hon. R. H.RHODES,,in reply, said he was prepared to give consideration to any reasonable: amendments. \\ : . The Bill was read" a-second time..-' ;'

PUBLIC DOMAJNS. . ? / The^Right-Hoii. sW. F.. MASSEY moved the second reading of the Public Reserves and Domains Amendment Bill; .w'bicli he-said wa-3 a simple.Bill intended to repair, sciho defects discovered in ' the'original ;Bill : in regard to the control of public domains.: : / The Bill was read a second'time.

'BILLS IN COMMITTEE. ']'. , The House went into Committee on the . Orchard- land :Garden Diseases Amendment ;Bill, the Railways Authorisation. Bill, the Mental .Defectives Amendment Bill, the Port. AhuririTVcst Shore .Road' and Railway" Bill; the, Legislative Amendment Bill, (No. 2), and the Now Zealand University Bill.; ; The Bills were all reported from Committee,' read a third time, ind passed.: ,

COOK ISLANDS BILL.! PRIME MINISTER STATES THE ■;• POSITION. The ;Right Hon. TV. ¥. MASSEY maae a statement concerning the Cook Islands Bill. The Government, he said, was in a serious difficulty urregard to the administration of tile Cook Islands. People who know informed him that matters were in a very unsatisfactory state at the- Islands.' There was practically no law there. Both races knew this, and all sorts of oifenceswere being committed there by people who knew it was impossible for the Government to punish, them." Tho BJI had been under consideration for a, very long time, and it had takon a long time to. draft. This accounted for tho delay in introducing it. "He would suggest to the Leader of the Opposition that the Bill should go on the Statute Book with a repeal clause to. bring the Act to an end about the middle of next session. . This would ensure the preservation;of law and order on .the Islands. SIR JOSEPH WARD said that the Prime/ Minister had mads the same suggestion to him earlier in the evening, and ho'had-discussed it with certain members of his side of the House. There was a very strong objection to tho course suggested. They felt that fiuch a big Bill and such an important Bill ought not to be hurriedly forced upon the' House late in tho session. Why should not tho Bill stand down for a few months?

•Mr. Massey: Because there ia no law on the Islands.

Sir J. Ward: We have controlled tho Cook Islands for many years, nud wo havo never had any trouble. Mr. Massoy: Because the; people did not know the position. ' Sir J. Ward said he would not bo in favour of passing the Bill hurriedly with an expiry clause. To do :uch a thing would mean that they failed to realise their responsibilities . as public men. '.■•-/ Mr. Massey said he did not propose to go on with the Bill that evening. . If the Bill was blocked, and any serious crimes • were committed on the Islands, then the respons^^y

must rest upon those who blocked the Bill. .

Sir Joseph Ward: I accept any responsibility. Mr. Russell: Are there no IaWB on the Cook Islands now?

Mr. Massey: Absolutely none. ; Dr. Pomare: They are all] invalid. Later in the evening Sir Joseph Ward asked the Prime Minister when ho proposed to end the session. ■Mr.' Massey replied that a few hours previously he had thought it would scarcely ond this week, but bo had been informed- that in' the event of his proceeding with the Cook Islands Bill the Printing.Oftico in its present congested state would require 24 hours in which to reprint it if any amendments wore made in it.'

Mr. Davey: Then you ought to reorganise your Printing Office. • Mr. Massey said that under the oircumstanoes the Bill would have to be dropped. Ho thought.ine session should end early the next evening. He proposed to call the House together at noon, arid he hoped to finish in time to allow the South Island members to catch their steamer. ,

BILLS FROM THE COUNCIL. A Message was received from the 'Legislative Counoil, to the effect that the Native Land Laws Amendment Bill was passed without amendment, and the Native > Land Claims Adjustment Bill was passed with amendment. The amendment, which was of a minor nature, was agreed to. The Houso rose at 11.54 p.m. till noon to-day;