THE COST OF- LIVING

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 21, 19 October 1917, Page 7

THE COST OF- LIVING

Mr. C. E. STATHAM. (Chairman of the Cost, of .Living Committee) said ho wished to bring down the amended rc?ort of the Cost of Living. Committee, he Teport had been sent back iii order that the committee should reconsider the clause in which it was recommended that the Pood Controller should have power to buy locally-produced foodstuffs at ruling market rates and sell them to the people at less rates if necessary, the Consolidated Fund bearing the loss. The committee, said Mr. Statham, had reconsidered the clause that morning, but had. been unable to como to an agreement. The committee . thereforo proposed that..tho remainder of 'the report should come back to the House. The committco proposed to..consider tho matter again next week.

Mr. Massey: Do you mean that there is to be another report'to come down? : Mr. Stathani: If we can come to an agreement. . •...';..

Sir Joseph "Ward: AVhy not hold this over? •" '

Mr.. Sfatham agreed to hold-the ?e----por't over on Mr. Ma'ssey's. representing that, it was the wisli. of. the Government that the wholo day in the House should be devoted to privato members' Bills.

SHOPS AND OFFICES. The Shops aud Offices Amendment Bill (Mr. A. H. Hindinarsh) was committed. The object of. this Bill is to limit the hours of employment of young women in "marble bars" to 52 hours a week, and lo provide that.no woman should bo cmployed in -these establishments after .10 p.m. It was pointed out that tho Bill might ' defeat its own purpose. The law allows a proprietor to work girls in "shifts"—a-few hours in one part of the' day, and more at night—and if sleeping accommodation on the premises is provided they may be worked : until midnight. It was urged that the Biil might 'tempt proprietors to provide indifferent quarters for sleeping accommodation. There .was difference of opinion among members as to whether it would be wise to encourage the 'living in" system. Ono or two members, pointed out that the effect of the Bill might fje.to prevent girls from getting this employment, > • Mr. L. M. Isilt (Christch.urch North) moved to add a new clause providing that cSemists' shops should be required to close on the weekly half-holiday.

This clause was adopted after discussion by 52 rotes to 8. ' A further amendment, added on -the motion of the Prime Minister, provided that Mr. Isitt's-clause, should not apply to the all-night pharmacies.. '. Mr, C. E. Statham' (Dnnedin Central) proposed to move a further, amendment providing that a provision of the original Act—"that it shall' not be 'unlawful for any chemist to supply at any time medicine or surgical appliances that areur-

gently required"—should apply only to chemists residing on tho premises. The Primo Minister said ho could not accept this amondniont without inquiry. Its effect might bo to create a monopoly. Mr. Statham withdrew his amendment. The Bill was reported from tho committeo as amended. THE HUTT~ROAD. . The Hutt Road Amendment Bill '(Mr. K. A. Wright) w.iß committed. The object of tho Bill is to allow the Authority controlling the road (the Wellington City Council) to finance works contemplated for the improvement of tho road by tho laying of a motor road 23ft. wide in ooncrete as part of tho roadway. The council, it is proposed, shall bo empowered to raise ,£30,000 for this work by ordinary resolution, of tho council, and to collect a proportionate part of the interest from tho contributory local Bodies. To raise special revenue for the payment of interest it is proposed to lavy fees upon the owners of motorvehicles in Wellington and suburban districts, nnd it is expected that the rovenue so provided will bo sufficient to pay tho interest. : , . Mr. J, Payne objected on principle to the raising of moneys without the consent of the ratepayers, and there were other members who supported him in this objection. Mr. E. A. Wright said that tho objection was not a strong one, becauso it would happen that 60 lew people would take an interest in the Bill that it might be possible for a small number of ratepayers to hold up tho loan. In any case thero were special difficulties about the taking of a poll in this caso in the sevoral districts.

Replying to another question, Mr. Wright said the revenue oxpected from fees on motor-vehicles was JS2OOO.

Sir Joseph Ward (Minister of Finance) .said that he had examined the clause to see "whether the Treasury should raise objection to the raising of the loan without the consent of the ratepayers, and he had come to the conclusion that the clause was a proper one. Tho rovenue raised would be such that the ratepayers would not be called upon to pay any additional rates. If- the loan were not raised the road would wear 60 badly as to bo useless, and a very heavy burden would-' be cast on the iocal bodies in respect of maintenance. Mr. J. Payne moved an amendment the effect of which would have been to require a poll of ratepayers to be taken. Tho debate on tho Bill went on with amazing earnestness. Mr. Nosworthy supported the amendment of his "esteemed friend the member for Grey Lynn." Mr. Pearoe also showed quite unwonted solicitude for the liberties of the electors of Wellington. Mr.' Guthrie, another country member,'talked with an air of great seriousness about tho principles attacked by the Bill. .The member for Wellington North (the Hon. A. L. Herdman) remonstrated. Ho was quite sure, he said, that the last speaker (who happened to be Mr. Guthrie) did nipt recognise the importance of tho Bill, although he did probably recognise ■the importance of. a Bill lower down on the Order Paper! (Laughter.) The Bill lower down on the Order Paper was Mr. Sidey's Daylight-Saving Bill and it was quite evident that Mr. Wright's littlo Bill was being held up. by the members supporting their "esteemed friend tho. member for Grey Lynn Because thoso honourable gentlemen did not wish the House to deal with Mr. Sidey's Bill. ■ L Shortly before the supper adjournment the chairman, began to rule out reference to certain topics as "tedious repetition," and most .of the speakers then and afterwards had to be reminded that they were repeating tediously.. Never-, theless the talk went-on lintil 10.55 p.m., when a vote was taken on the amendment. .

The amendment was'lost on. the voicts. ■ On the clause fixing the rates of tax to bo charged on motor-vehicles, 'Dr. .Newman asked' tho member in charge of the Bill to accept an amendment that the rates to be charged on motor-vehicles be one-fourth of those set out in the schedule. Mr. Wright .did not accept tho proposal, and Dr. Newman moved his amendment. At 11,50 p.m., Mr. Anderson moved to report pi-ogress on the Bill. But for reasons .which probably had little to do with this Bill, members who had found most fault with the Bill did not wish to report progress. The motion to report progress was 1-st «>n the voices, and soon afterwards the House divided on Dr. Neu-manV amendment, which also was lost on the voices.

The Committee divided on the clause, and it. was agreed to by 32 votes to 12. Subsequently Mr. ' Wright had the clause re-committed in order to reduce the license fee for iron-tyred motorwagon's from .£lO to .£5. This amendment was made. The rest of the Bill was agreed to without further Temark, and the Bill was reported. The next Bill on the Order Paper was the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Amendment Bill (Mr. A. Willker). It had only been mentioned when a motion was submitted to report progress, which motion was carried by 27- votes to 12. The Shops and' Offices Amendment Bill and the Hutt Road Amendment Bill were read a third time and passed. The House rose at 0.30 a.m.