PARLIAMENT

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2589, 11 October 1915, Page 6

PARLIAMENT

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

THE GOLD DUTY

The Legislative Council sat at 10a.ni on Saturday. ' • •

Tlio Mining- Amendment Bill tfas turned by His JSxcellercy with a proposed amendment. f

Silt FII'ANCIS BELL explained that tlio effect of the amendment would' bo to postpone until 191Q the coining into operation of > the. additional gold duty of-3d. per ounce. He said that he bad recommended Cabinet to agree to this alteration in the Bill in deference to views which had been expressed by several members of the Council 011 the subject. It had l been urged that English investors in New Zealand mining enterprises would be taken by surprise by the increased duty, and there .would be no difficulty' about deferring the operation of .the duty, which, was necessary to provide funds for. compensation to 'sufferers from miners' phthisis. The amendment was agreed to. i "• The Coiincil adjourned at 10.30 a.m. until 8 p.m. to-day. .

END OF THE SESSION. ' not yet in sight. . With Parliament .breaking into.a'new week there is -no certainty' as' to Trh«n : the session will end; . A week ago it ■was anticipated that Wednesday last would see the,closing scenes of a memorable session, but' delay after delay ensued, and finally tlio House had to rise early on Saturday morning to resume again; to-day... , Two Bills ■ are giving Factories •Amendment Bill, which is for the purpose of allowing a Southland condensed ; milk. factory /to work its,hands.extra hours during tlio rush season, and the Municipal Corporations Amendment Bill, held up .on an amendment ■: regarding the appointment of arbitrators for, city leases. The Labour', members-, seem : determined to' delay the first- Bill, as they hold that 1 working.'conditions of employees s/hould not be dealt with by "rush" legislation, while local members are opposing the' amendment fo the-second Bill.i. a In addition to these measures the Legislative Council Amendment/ Bill has to be considered! It, aims at' keeping the door open for appointments for the Legislative Council, until tlie.-main Act comes' fully into operation,' ;Wt does , not propose Hho' holding 'over of that measure. The-' amendmentj if carried,; will haivo' t-bo effect of giving no p>ar,ty a majority before ,the elective system is'tried; t .An . effort is to be made to .bring the session to a close this • evening, and after a week-end off members may be in a better frame of mind to; that of last week, when afternoon after; afternoon saw delay- on Committee recommendations and any other sujbject which could be made to hold a disiussion'ofan hour or two. Whether the Supplementary are brought down to-night ; a lot will depend,' largely on circumstances. . If it appears that tho' work .cannoi be completed' in one sitting they may be postponed.' When they •do appear they will not be so largo as in. past years. One'item will give an' indication of-the salary to bo paid members of the Board of Trade, -to bo' set up under tho Cost of Living Act'.' A' fairly substantial figure is likely to bo paid, so as to ensure men of: ability being.; amply compensated for difficult and'important work. '

WAITING FOR A LEAD

WHAT PARLIAMENT HAS NOT ' ' V DONE. In. his . sermon at 'St. Paul's ProCathedral last night, 'the Rev. A. M; Johnson made .reference to the action of .Parliament in the present crisis Tim. session,' lie said, was just .closing, and no'; clear lead had been ;igiven to the people. ; ' Much time liad been wast-, ed—on' tlie proposal to legalise gambling in cbiihechon with the war funds, for instance j 1 but the country; was still waiting'.-for a lead as regards national organisation. _ , People were oxpecting somo authoritative pronouncement' as to how they could best servo the' nation: They wanted to know what they ought to do as. good; citizens to belp the 'Empire at- tho' present juncture, but Parliament had failed to'give'them much assistance in this matter